RE: Toilet Doesn't Hold Water - Causes?
If cleaning and vaseline don't work, try slamming the flapper closed a few times hard. That was what finally worked for me.
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
Sometims just knowing that the video games are there, as an option, if they want to play, is enough, but with camping there is so much else to do that they choose to do other things that are more fun.
RE: parenting issue........
There is a fine line between being safe and smothering. I hope I can find that happy medium.
I think the key is the sliding path to independence. Don't worry about smothering a 12 y/o, but remember that when they turn 18, they need to be ready to make all of their own choices.
If you brainstorm with your kids, you may all be able to come up with a solution that satisfies everybody. Kids will love to give you input, you can voice your concerns.
Rather than using this as a lecture and punishment, your kids have shown you they want to start exerting that independence. Helping them navigate the web safely rather than forbidding it entirely would help them get there.
Whenever I'm in doubt about what to do with my kids when they get into sticky situations, I take a deep breath and then first and foremost base my decision on what's best for my relationship with my kids. Our relationship is key. That makes deciding what to do a bit easier.
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
sneakers, I don't expect either of us will change our opinions. As I stated to the OP, it's really a parental choice, and the most important issue is both parents be on the same page in regard to their decision.
We made the right decision for our family. I'm sure you feel likewise.
Happy camping!
Once you post on a message board, the ideas are on the table for discussion and examination. The subsequent posts, IMO, are less about the specific individual or family that posted, and more about the ideas. I'm discussing the ideas presented, not trying to change one specific person's opinion. I never even look to see who posted what. The discussion ceases to be about one person but the topic as a whole.
Whether or not a family chooses to bring video games camping is up to them. But there may be many more reading this topic who haven't posted, who might be on the fence about gaming. They hear the common wisdom about how bad and mindless video games are, but on the other hand may see how much their kids enjoy them, and there is a lot of parental pressure to follow the crowd of conventional wisdom that video games are bad and a waste of time and should be limited and other 'healthier' options promoted. And they aren't sure if letting their kids game is okay, or they may feel on some level they must be bad parents for 'allowing' (I hate that word!) their kids to game.
I'm just presenting the other side, that games can be very interesting, in many ways educational, and that they are a lot more complex than many parents who haven't played them realize.
And realize that we are all unique, and what one person may see as a waste of time, others may spend their whole lives immersed in. For me, I don't see the point of golf. It's mindless and watching it on TV is worse than watching paint dry. Hitting a little ball around the grass and into cups is a waste of time. And NASCAR. Just how many times can you watch cars drive around in a circle? Hours apparently. Waste of time! But obviously Tiger Woods, the PGA, Tony Stewart and Junior disagree with me.
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
I'm all for any parent making choices for their own family in regard to TV and video games, whether at home or on the road. But I don't buy into justifying it by saying it's good for them. Just because a kid sends X hour a week playing the game du jour does not mean Johnny is going to be a rocket scientist.
Never claimed that. Just that video games do have redeeming qualities and they aren't total time-wasters or mind-numbing drivel.
And all those robotic surgery devices were developed by bioengineers, who got their advanced degrees as the result of studying and excelling in school and grad school. Usually 26 semester hours, internships, and the like. I know, my son is one. He was prepared to step into that kind of academic rigor. Meanwhile, his high school peer in the same program, who was a gamer, washed out. Once he got to college he could not tear himself away from the screen.
Gaming and the Elderly
Gaming in College
Surgeons and Video Games
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
My gosh, hard to believe that 30 years ago we actually had surgeons with the hand-eye coordination to do brain surgery, or pilots who could fly a plane, or Nobel-winning economists, or sports teams......
I guess we were Neanderthals.
30 years ago we didn't have doctors performing surgery with this:Link
What REALLY kills me is when little kids get parked in front of TV as a baby sitter. It's a downward slide into the computer and video game abyss after that.
Kids gravitate to the most interesting thing. If the TV is more interesting than what's going on outside, or games, or what not, that is what they'll do. Other times kids choose to veg out in front of the TV because it helps them de-stress from school or a more turbulent home life. Lots of cool things on TV these days with Discovery Channel, History Channel, Sci-Fi, Speed, etc.
RE: parenting issue........
We live by principles rather than rules. So rather than having kids sneaking behind my back doing something I said no to, I don't say no randomly. My job as parent is to help my kids get what they want, in a safe way.
Both kids have had unlimited internet access for years with no parental controls or net nanny. They started with Neopets accounts way back when. Daughter has flicker and stickam accounts, son had a WOW account. Neither have MySpace or Facebook, their choice. Neither are interested at this time. If they were I'd help them set it up.
There are dangers on the net, but there are dangers in the neighborhood as well. So we talk about why it's not a good idea to give out any personal info, location, school, etc. It is possible for kids to navigate the net safely and without restrictions. My kids know my goal is to help them get what they need and want in life, so they easily accept an answer of no when I have to say no; they know I have a good reason for it and are more willing to listen to the reason.
RE: 30 amp power cord
I carry an extension cord. Have only needed it once so far, but better than having to purchase something in the campground store! This particular campground had 1 power/water pole between 2 sites, and naturally it was on my passenger side. I needed extra hose, too, and fortunately I carry extra lengths of that, too.
My motto: be prepared.
RE: F-53 Suspension
I also haven't had any issues with mine except in extreme wind. But then, I don't know what goodies the prior owner installed underneath to remedy any issues, either. I see Bilstein shocks.
RE: My RV dream is only in the thinking stages, and I need help!
First, you need a job. Try Wal-Mart. If you hate the cold, like one poster mentioned, try to get a job transfer to somewhere warm. Any type of decent RV that you can fulltime in is going to cost some money, and like the others have said it will need maintenance, gas, insurance, and you'll have to pay campground fees.
Full-timing can be done on the cheap, but you'll still need some sort of income.
RE: Low Bridges--why I worry
I came across a low bridge in NW PA. Can't remember if it was marked or not but I took one look and said no way. Fortunately there was plenty of room to turn around there.
RE: Orthodontists while travelling?
I would not take the original Orthodontist word for it. They want you to come back to them so they can make some more money on you.
My daughter's orthodontist wanted payment in full, up front. They had a payment plan, but basically it was you got financed through a 3rd party, so the orthodontist got paid up front while you made payments to the finance company.
I do find it odd that you can't find an orthodontist in FL to see your son. What if you had permanently moved there?
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
And... gaming leads to violence: Houston News
Seems like alcohol was a huge factor there, as was having guns in the home, moreso than gaming.
"And kids can only truly learn moderation when they have been allowed to experiment with excess."
~I very much disagree with this statement - experimenting with excess before they are old enough to realize the consequences of their actions only teaches them to feed their desires before they are old enough to control them
Pretty much by having unlimited access to all edible things in our house, whether it be fruit, veggies, cheese, meats, juice, soda, cookies, candy, ice cream, and having everything equal in value, with nothing being labeled bad or taboo, the kids pretty much eat the healthier things over the cookies and candy. Why? Because they know at any given time of any day they can eat a cookie if they want one. Only once or twice have they ever eaten too many where they said yuck, I shouldn't have eaten too many.
I came from a very strict home where TV was strictly regulated, from not only the hours we were allowed to watch per week being severely restricted, but also the shows had to be pre-approved. Most of the so-called 'cool' shows at the time were off limits due to content my parents didn't approve of. So I watched all of those shows at friends houses. When I was old enough to drive and get into R rated movies, I saw those. Restricting me didn't prevent me from seeing what my parents didn't want me to see, I found ways around their restrictions.
Same with food. Sweets and sodas were severely limited, rarely allowed at home, and only in the strictest quantities. My mother prepared healthy foods. When I was around 10-12 I would shoplift candy so I could get some. When I had a job I'd buy my own junk food and eat it out of the house or hid it in my room. When I finally moved out I only drank sodas and ate junk food to excess. So strictly limiting me as a kid had the opposite effect.
Now that I'm in my 40s I realize that I can get sweets whenever I want them and I don't have to eat the whole box in one sitting before I get caught. Lifetime of food issues there, whereas my kids have none. They eat far more vegetables than I do!
Point is, your kids may not be learning what you hope and think they are by severely limiting things.
We are all free to parent the way we see fit. But there are more ways than one to raise responsible, compassionate, creative, healthy kids than by regularly imposing arbitrary limits on them. The more opportunities they have to make decisions that concern their own lives with the guidance of their parents, even if they choose opposite of what we would like them to choose, and experience the consequences of their choices (good and bad), the better they get at making good choices. My role as parent is to be a facilitator and partner in navigating the world, not to control every minute of their lives or make them into clones of myself.
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
Do you advocate or allow underage drinking within your household?
My relationship with my kids is very open and honest. We talk a lot about all sorts of stuff, including alcohol, drugs, addictions, etc. Nothing is taboo. Both kids comfortable asking me anything, and I'm comfortable saying exactly how I feel about the topic. That started when they were very young.
Alcohol, cigarettes, drugs or any other sticky subject: it's the whole forbidden fruit thing. Forbid it, and you can rest assured that they will try it. Ban it, and you're setting yourself up for failure. Talk about it, make it a regular part of your discussions, and be open and honest, and not only will your children not hide it if they try it, they may not try it at all.
Do I advocate or allow underage drinking? No, I don't advocate anything illegal. Since nobody in the house drinks, it hasn't been an issue. So far neither kid has any desire to try drugs because their lives aren't full of doors marked Forbidden. Both kids have sipped beer and wine at family gatherings when they were younger and didn't like it.
Forbidding alcohol won't stop them from trying it. Knowledge of alcohol's benefits AND hazards, along with open, honest communication goes a long way in helping them decide for themselves if they want to try it. I don't think the goal should be that your children never try drugs/cigarettes/alcohol, but that they're smart about it and get their questions answered truthfully.
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
Checking back in with this forum is quite interesting. Rereading "Sneakers145" post at 5:37p on 10/21 has a statement that seems dangerous. In it he wrote "And kids can only truly learn moderation when they have been allowed to experiment with excess." They might not have a second chance when experimenting with excess drink (liquor), speed, and drugs.
I'd rather they learn to make decisions at home regarding things they can, and make mistakes BEFORE they are the age where their decisions have more dire consequences.
My kids have been making important decisions about their own lives since they were young; consequently they have learned over the years how to make good decisions. Contrary to popular opinion, allowing kids to make their own decisions doesn't mean they do whatever the heck they want 24/7 with no guidance or input. It didn't mean I let my kids as toddlers play in traffic. But it does mean that I let my kids choose what and when to eat, and how much; they can choose to play video games or watch TV when and if they want, etc. They learned that too many cookies made them not feel good. It also means that I can fill the pantry with cookies and they no longer eat them to excess. They can self-limit. My son did go through a phase where he played some difficult video games to excess. But he now hardly plays, and instead chooses to skateboard, practice target shooting, play with his RC cars, or watch WWII documentaries.
I may have different ideas about parenting, but because I choose to trust my kids and their choices doesn't mean that I'm not involved in what they're doing or giving any guidance or input.
In college I noticed that the kids who were tightly controlled at home growing up were the ones more likely to engage in drinking to excess and risky behaviors than those of us who weren't as tightly controlled. Like the other poster who noted that her TV-deprived friends glued themselves to a TV whenever they saw one. Putting something off limits, or severely limiting it, like video games, makes it more valuable than if they can play until they themselves tire of it.
I have links to some studies about gaming but I'm sure you can find equal ones to disprove them, so we'll have to agree to disagree.
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
Yes, this is a subject I feel very strongly about.
As do I.
You may not see the value in gaming, but your kids do. You are not them; they are not you.
Things my son has learned from gaming:
a) hand/eye coordination
b) learning problem solving skills, trial and error; perseverence - games are difficult and hard to master
c) Increased his vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing and spelling; also began to read complex game manuals to learn new strategies to play.
d) Keyboarding skills
e) Math, geometry, algebraic thinking
f) social skills, etiquette, cooperation and team play, was part of several online guilds and talked with guild-mates during the game
g) Geography, world landmarks, map reading skills, reading coordinates, terrain, etc.
h) html code and programming
i) exposure to foreign languages and cultural differences
j) laws of physics and motion, auto mechanics
k) spatial relationships and spatial reasoning
l) military strategies and history, and questions of morality
m) setting up online auctions, similar to ebay. Learning about supply, demand, economics, and pricing
These are the main ones off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more.
RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Just got back from a 2600 mile round trip to Florida. Got gas, added Stabil, dumped, winterized, and cleaned it thoroughly inside. Now it's time to schedule some maintenance - oil change and a few minor repairs. I'm bummed. Can't wait until spring.
RE: Kids and video games in the RV
Take a close look at the picture on the cover of the book and I am sure most of you will recognize your own children in the same stance as the child on the cover. Also, google the book and read the reviews. Please do yourself and your child a favor and read the book and then perhaps you will revisit you decisions on technological game playing.
Actually, I don't see my son in that picture. My son talks to me about what he's doing, invites me into his world. I'm in the same room while he's playing. I can see what he's doing, what he's learning, why the games fascinate him. I've seen nothing but positives from my son's game playing. I prefer to live in the present with my son rather than in fear. Technology should be embraced, not feared.
RE: Hinged license Plate bracket
I would check the JC whitney type of places online. That seems like something they would carry. I googled "flip down license plate holder" and got quite a few results. Shouldn't be an issue finding one.
Thanks! I was googling with hinged license plate bracket and coming up short. Found some that will work with 'flip down.'
RE: Hinged license Plate bracket
I can MacGyver it when I get home, but it's on the older side and fairly rusty, and the rubber bushing/bumpers it abuts are also old and cracking. I'd rather replace it than rig a fix if possible. Of course it has stayed upright these past several hours of driving, just because I threatened it with replacement.
