Shelly

My work has a meeting once a year that is several states away. This year it s in Georgia and I live in Iowa. It happens to fall where I would be gone for my daughter s first day of middle school. She is my oldest and it s a very big deal to her for me to be there on her first day. I want to help her fix her hair that morning and be there when she gets home to find out how her day went. If I miss that day I would be very sad, but I would also be scared to miss this meeting for fear of getting in trouble. What would you do?

My son is 8 years old and is playing hockey on a travel tournament team. This is only his 2nd year playing hockey. Some of the other kids on the team have been playing since they were 5 and they're amazing. They look like little professionals. The team doesn't require tryouts, they just let anybody on that wants to play. I feel bad because my son is not very good and sometimes even accidentally trips or gets in the way of the better players. He is not aggressive enough and doesn't go after the puck. He just kind of hangs out in the back and watches his teammates get it. I'm afraid he is hurting his team because they actually do better when he's not there, but I want him to enjoy sports and play them for fun too. I don't want him to think its all about winning and make him feel bad about himself. What would you do, pull him from the team or just stay and hope he gets better?

Ok. I was a shy, quiet, book-nerd in school and Crystal was Miss Popularity. We were in the same grade and in the same classes all through elementary, junior high and high school. She was one of those little Miss Perfect types that were always great at everything, and always looked beautiful no matter what. After high school my dad ends up marrying her mom and she becomes my stepsister. Now my dad dotes on her and her son constantly and completely ignores me. He tells her all the time that she should be a model and brags to his friends about how great Crystal is. He never even calls me on the phone any more and when I call him he's getting ready to go somewhere with Crystal. Her dad was not in the picture so it's like she's stolen my dad. What would you do?

I was at our local ice skating rink on Saturday with my 9 and 7 year old. The ice skating rink always plays a local radio station that is contemporary/pop music. "Work B**ch" by Britney Spears came on and it was not censored at all.....on public radio! It has the word B**ch in it over and over. Am I the only one that thinks this should be censored? They just keep exposing our kids to more and more inappropriate stuff on tv and music and then wonder why the kids have issues.

My daughters dance studio has an adult beginner ballet class. I've thought about taking it but I found out they perform on stage at the recital in front of hundred of people. I'm so scared of making a total fool of myself. Has anyone tried this or know someone who has? How did it go?