verdeque | ExpatWoman.com
 

verdeque

verdeque
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Latest post on 30 May 2012 - 10:05
reading these stories makes me feel so emotional and sad and yet inspired too. Its such a personal and intense journey isnt it? My Dh and I were about to visit one of the fertility places to get some help but I wonder if its better to in fact go and see one of these specialist oby/gyn instead? It would make sense as they are perhaps focussed more on treatment of medical problems underlying problems, whereas I worry about hurtling into IVF and miscarrying anyway because an underlying problem hasnt been picked up and addressed? I get the sense that the fertility places are much more focussed on making money and urging women to go for the IVF. Not sure what to do? did you read my story on my link? it's worth a try, before shelling out a fortune on IVF. Best of luck! Yes thanks and i am going to show this to Dh tonight as money is always tight and he needs to know that it works. But saying that its much cheaper than IVF. I heard Dr O is very good? And I once went to Dr Eade in Dubai Mall clinic and she was excellent but Im not sure if she is still there and it was 500aed per session so quite hefty. Glad to help. I'm afraid I can't help re dr's, as I'm moving to Dubai in Aug. It is much cheaper than IVF, and typically you go every week or two initially, then monthly. I think it's worth calling around and asking specifically what each Dr's program is for fertility. Keep us posted! And check out the native remedies site, the fertile xx and fertile xy was great, too.
verdeque
304
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Latest post on 30 May 2012 - 10:02
I love Susun Weed!!! Glad this is such a supportive thread, too! Thank u verdeque for posting ur story. With primary IF nd wasting time with ob gyns i was desperate and went for fertility treatment. Thanks God got my baby. At that time nd situation after 2 mc i wasnt ready go natural as it might take a long time. Fast forward, this time hubby didnt want any fert drs! Again desperation to have another baby, i started looking at alternative (natural) treatments. Did accupuncture, fertility massage, herbs, vitamins, losing weight, eating healthier, though i wasnt that junkie. Thanks God it took almost 6 months and we had our miracle BFP. Good sites to read about was Susun Weeds forum, http://www.herbshealing.com/wisewomanforum.htm And another excellent source for natural treatment http://natural-fertility-info.com/natural-fertility-expert
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 May 2012 - 10:00
By all means, check with schools, this is only my experience 3 years ago with 2 schools we tried in the hope they could help us out. I have to be honest that UAS was very frank about it and said they could not help my son despite him passing the test. The Repton school report highlighted negative behaviour and it was a concern to them. On the other hand,GEMS Wellington willingly took my assessment money and could not be bothered to come back to me despite several calls so I gave up and enrolled him at St Andrews. Things have changed since 2009. As a general rule, some schools suffered more than others with the recession by loosing students. As a result, some may have reviewed their entry requirements, some may have set up learning support sections which did not exist at the time we were there. My DS's special needs are well catered for at school thanks to the dedication of the K-12 tutors and thanks to the curriculum which is exciting, interactive and also online.It is not for everyone, it requires a lot of parental input into the school education, but it works fantastically for us and we could not go back to a classic style school in Dubai. Well, I'm heading to Dubai on Sat, to look at schools for 3 days. On Monday I'm going to St Andrews, and will also tour Safa, Horizon, Jebel Ali, Regent, and Collegiate American School of Dubai (CAS). I'm really starting to worry about my DS being placed in the right school for him, and I so wanted him to be with his 5 yo sister. But, I want to do what's best for him. I really am curious to see St Andrews on Monday. Shame it's soooo expensive, though. Thanks for the recommendation. Do you think Safa & Horizon would be good 2nd choices? I hear they're good at a more 'nurturing' environment. Having said that, the registrar is asking me to explain ONE comment in ONE term about my DS needing to improve self-control. Ugh. V frustrating!
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 29 May 2012 - 16:32
reading these stories makes me feel so emotional and sad and yet inspired too. Its such a personal and intense journey isnt it? My Dh and I were about to visit one of the fertility places to get some help but I wonder if its better to in fact go and see one of these specialist oby/gyn instead? It would make sense as they are perhaps focussed more on treatment of medical problems underlying problems, whereas I worry about hurtling into IVF and miscarrying anyway because an underlying problem hasnt been picked up and addressed? I get the sense that the fertility places are much more focussed on making money and urging women to go for the IVF. Not sure what to do? did you read my story on my link? it's worth a try, before shelling out a fortune on IVF. Best of luck!
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 29 May 2012 - 16:31
Lol I am def in with the no makeup, flip flop wearing set. Is there a no bra set I can join, too? I am not a morning person! I really don't care tho so long as the kids are happy and stay pretty down to earth. i'm with you on the no make-up and flipflops but sadly gravity is tragically against me on the no bra question !!! :D Oh if the chidren are old enough to be dropped off while you are still in the car, go without th bra, no one will notice!;) LOL !! no he's not old enough and i'm not ready for a spell in the Bur Dubai Hilton just yet :) what's at the Bur Dubai Hilton?
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 29 May 2012 - 16:30
We got into Safa! Yay! I think we're going to get places in Horizon, and we already got places in Regent, so the last we're waiting for is Jebel Ali, though it's a long shot. We're coming over Sunday-Wed (18 hour journey for 3 days!) to tour the schools and drive around neighborhoods, as my DH will likely have to pick our house for us when he moves ahead of us in July. We will also tour CAS as we know we can places there, too, even though it's so freakin' expensive! Going to be a whirlwind 3 days, but I'm excited! Thanks for all of your input, very very much appreciated. And do any of you got to EW events? There seem to be quite a lot of like-minded people here. :)
verdeque
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 May 2012 - 02:24
please read my post on this topic- http://www.expatwoman.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=125856 can I also add that this approach is great for helping you get pregnant, as well? good luck to all of you and if you can't get to the link just find it under my username. best!
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 May 2012 - 02:10
PLEASE READ THIS - ladies, if EVER there was a topic I could shout about from the rooftops, it's this. I had 2 miscarriages, then a pregnancy with a baby that had a severe birth defect that I had to terminate (awful). I am a very healthy woman, who takes tons of vitamins & supplements, etc. This all happened years ago, before my DH was in the picture. When we first started trying, I was considered high risk, and my husband tested low sperm count. A friend of mine swore by acupuncture/chinese medicine, and I found a guy on Harley St (don't remember how I found him), who ended up being a lifesaver for us. He tracked all statistics in his clinic, and had NEVER had a woman miscarry in his practice. Further, while most IVF had a 1 in 4 chance of success, he brought that up to a 3 in 4. My husband did a little to boost up his count but the focus was on me. Within a few months I was pregnant, and lo and behold, I started bleeding, heavily, at 8 weeks. I rushed to see him and after a few acupuncture needles the bleeding stopped. He told me later he thought I'd be his first miscarriage, and this from a guy who had a patient who once had 9 miscarriages before seeing him. I now have a son who turned 8 this week. A few years later, we wanted to try for number two, and this time my DH was tested sterile AND abnormal. Good grief! So, back to Daniel we went, and I also took some supplements I found online on nativeremedies.com, called fertile xx and fertile xy (for both of us). I was pregnant within a few weeks, after being told we couldn't have kids. Again, saw Daniel throughout. I credit him with both of my kids. Subsequently, I've had 2 friends who had had fertility probs for a few years each, and they were quite low about it. On both counts, I recommended acupuncture/chinese medicine, and BOTH couples were successfully pregnant within 3 months. Apparently this type of medicine is very appropriate for fertility issues, and most chinese practitioners could help. In the case of my friends, they both went to two totally diff docs. I love acupuncture, and it's on the top of my to do list when I get to Dubai in August to find a good practioner, as acupuncture is the only thing that helps me with my fatigue/thyroid issues, and I've tried a lot of stuff thru my naturopath, with little success. Sorry to go on about this, but I KNOW how heartbreaking a miscarriage is, and when docs tell you it was meant to be, etc etc, that's simply not so. Acupuncture & Chinese herbs can sort your cycles out & foster a really healthy environment in your womb. And as I said, it really is a topic near and dear to my heart, and if I could help just one of you to have a successful pregnancy, that would be great! Best of luck!
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 23 May 2012 - 00:16
My children's classmates have all been lovely children. 5 years, 2 classes, between the both of them, that's a lot of classmates! And really none of them have been snobbish. And this is at Repton, right?
verdeque
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 May 2012 - 23:54
Lol I am def in with the no makeup, flip flop wearing set. Is there a no bra set I can join, too? I am not a morning person! I really don't care tho so long as the kids are happy and stay pretty down to earth.
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 May 2012 - 22:37
I hesitate to say yes, but yes. What are your thoughts about the school?
verdeque
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 May 2012 - 22:36
well so far, as I mentioned in another thread, we can get places in Regent, Repton, and possibly Horizon and Greenfield. Also looking into Safa. Wellington hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'm hoping to get into Jebel Ali, but it's a long shot. Any views between the ones remaining that I mentioned above? I was leaning towards Horizon & Regent, then Safa, but am open to Repton (I guess, not knowing much about it) and will try Wellington again tonight. We just want a nice school where the kids can have a balance of FUN, creativity, a sense of community, and academic excellence, where we can actually talk with teachers & staff, and get involved with the school & meet a few other nice families.
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 May 2012 - 22:25
I can't get into JESS, as I said, so I'm hoping that Jebel Ali will come through.
verdeque
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 May 2012 - 22:03
thanks for this. What schools would you pick, if you don't mind my asking? Difficult to manage from the US, not having toured yet, spoken personally with staff, etc. My dream would be to get them into Jebel Ali, DESS and JESS are all full so I'm starting to consider other options, as well, but I feel like I've looked at a ton of them and we are at such a disadvantage coming so late in the game.
verdeque
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 May 2012 - 21:47
Hi I went through this with our son, a few years back, and it was the formula that was the issue. Ideally your child should go each day, but you probably know that. I think there was too much casein in our son's first formula, and we also added flax oil, about a 1/2 tsp, to each bottle, for efa's. My midwife had told me about a great book, Super Immunity for Children, and the author extols the virtues of flax oil. I'd not hesitate to switch formulas now, and also glycerin suppositories were a staple in our house. I even found that a qtip in the bum could bring things along sometimes. Have you also tried diluted apple, or simply water? Could be some dehydration. Best of luck, it's so stressful!
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 17:58
this is the sweetest and funniest thread! I'm glad I'm not alone in making things up, it's soooo much fun to do, one of the fringe benefits of parenting!
verdeque
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 17:50
I forgot one more thing our specialist told us. Melatonin- at age 4, 1.5 starting dose, up to 3 mg per night prior to bed time. You can't do that long term, but you can do it for a few weeks. I swear, when it was bad, we were giving our kid benadryl, natural calm and melatonin to knock him out, it was that desperate, and so was he.
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 17:15
Thank you for all the useful posts, especially Verdeque. As I sit here, exhausted as usual after being joined in the early hours by my restless four year old, it feels as if at least, I am not alone. Will definitely try some of the techniques such as red bush tea and natural calm. DS has been a disturbed sleeper since he was around 1, grinds his teeth violently, thrashes around, sleepwalks and shouts and I can find no discernible reason for any of it. It has got to the stage when we have conceded that it is a long stage which he will just grow out of. So, any way of shortening this "stage" is most welcome. Good luck everyone. It's tough, isn't it? I forgot to mention that I turn into a tourette's mother when my son wakes me up at the crack of dawn, as well. I'm like Jekyll & Hyde, seriously. Does your son come in and wake you, or is this just something he does in his room? Did you eliminate worms as a possibility? I would absolutely try to find a pediatric sleep specialist there. In fact, if you do, tell me who you found, as I'll be looking him or her up soon, I'm sure. Oh, and like clockwork, my 8 yo went to be late, and still woke us up at 615. grr. When I'm in a good mom phase, ie consistently doing positive, rather than negative reinforcement, I have rewards I give him for not waking us till 7. When he was your kid's age I had a bag full of inexpensive toys (like pound store or dollar store stuff), that I'd let him pick from if he stayed in his bed till 7, and didn't come and wake us in the night. That worked wonders for us, and if he did 5 nights in a row, he'd get a special treat. Good luck!
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 07:39
Josephine Ruby Scarlet
verdeque
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 05:07
and as soon as I left this site, someone had posted this on FB. Brilliant! http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/17/11748100-the-latest-child-rearing-fad-detachment-parenting?lite
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 05:00
Our son had, and still continues to have on occasion, sleep issues. By 3, he was at a hospital with a million wires attached to him for an overnight sleep study. Here are the things I would try out, if you haven't already. - I'd make sure the naps are over by 1 or 2, as otherwise she might struggle with settling at night. I'm a big believer in naps, and have read about 3 books on sleep, and often if they don't nap, then they struggle at night, from overexhaustion, but you may already know that. This book, btw, proved invaluable to myself and several friends - http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp/0345486455/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337388078&sr=1-1 - I'd look at worms, too, but it seems you've already gone down that path. You can always hold a flashlight to their bum in the middle of the night to see if anything's down there. You can google how to find them. Icky, but an elimination. - As you will read if you get that book, often times, contrary to what parents think, your children need more, not less sleep. So many people advise you to keep them up later, when in fact an earlier bed time is very often needed. At 2, your daughter would still need about 12-14 hours of sleep a day, including naps. - when things got really bad for us, our dr told us to break the cycle by giving our son benadryl. And he told me that if he woke, to dose him again. The trouble is that bad sleep begets bad sleep, so we needed to do the benadryl thing for a few days, but he needed the sleep desperately. - we also use natural calm almost every night. I referenced it in another thread here. It has been a lifesaver for us. http://www.vitacost.com/natural-vitality-natural-calm-orange In fact, our son wants it most nights still. I sure hope you can get it there, as I'm moving there in August and will otherwise need to buy several canisters of the stuff first! Roobois tea is also wonderfully calming. - perhaps a bit of protein with complex carbs before bed in case she's a bit hungry? maybe a bit of peanut or almond butter on toast? - re night terrors, I don't think so. It's something we still suffer with, and that's usually only 1 time a night, and you'd think Charles Manson was attacking our son when those happen. It's awful, and it's usually only in Summer, when our son is super hot and overly tired. - lastly, something that we need to investigate again, is reflux. The sleep specialist suggested this, and actually our son does have a thing where he will sort of spit up food fairly often. If we don't give him natural calm, he will often do this spit up thing, but it goes away when we are consistent with it. Reflux is linked to low magnesium levels, which is what natural calm contains, in an effervescent (ie so it travels quickly to bloodstream) state. There are medications for reflux based on magnesium, but it's not necessary when you can simply buy it. It's not something that will harm your daughter, anyway, as we are all low in magnesium these days, due to a variety of environmental and dietary factors. I would never have believed this was the cause, but actually now that I'm writing this I'm realizing that I need to investigate this further with our son before we head over to Dubai! - the only other thing I'd say is I'd try to create her own sleeping space. I'm all for letting your kids sleep with you, and we often play musical beds in our house, but there's a way to teach them to sleep on their own gently, that doesn't require crying it out. We did a lot of 'mommy's right here, go back to sleep,' as we edged our way out of the room more and more each night. It was a struggle, and our son, nearly 8, still asks us to lie with him about 5 nights a week, and we may oblige him for 15 min or so 1 or 2 nights. But I'm very aware that they will grow into little insomniacs if they don't learn to settle themselves somewhat. It's a struggle. My 5 yo sleeps beautifully, and my 8 yo wakes at 6 or 630, no matter when he goes to bed. It's a nightmare! Sorry for the novel, and good luck to you!
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 05:00
Our son had, and still continues to have on occasion, sleep issues. By 3, he was at a hospital with a million wires attached to him for an overnight sleep study. Here are the things I would try out, if you haven't already. - I'd make sure the naps are over by 1 or 2, as otherwise she might struggle with settling at night. I'm a big believer in naps, and have read about 3 books on sleep, and often if they don't nap, then they struggle at night, from overexhaustion, but you may already know that. This book, btw, proved invaluable to myself and several friends - http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp/0345486455/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337388078&sr=1-1 - I'd look at worms, too, but it seems you've already gone down that path. You can always hold a flashlight to their bum in the middle of the night to see if anything's down there. You can google how to find them. Icky, but an elimination. - As you will read if you get that book, often times, contrary to what parents think, your children need more, not less sleep. So many people advise you to keep them up later, when in fact an earlier bed time is very often needed. At 2, your daughter would still need about 12-14 hours of sleep a day, including naps. - when things got really bad for us, our dr told us to break the cycle by giving our son benadryl. And he told me that if he woke, to dose him again. The trouble is that bad sleep begets bad sleep, so we needed to do the benadryl thing for a few days, but he needed the sleep desperately. - we also use natural calm almost every night. I referenced it in another thread here. It has been a lifesaver for us. http://www.vitacost.com/natural-vitality-natural-calm-orange In fact, our son wants it most nights still. I sure hope you can get it there, as I'm moving there in August and will otherwise need to buy several canisters of the stuff first! Roobois tea is also wonderfully calming. - perhaps a bit of protein with complex carbs before bed in case she's a bit hungry? maybe a bit of peanut or almond butter on toast? - re night terrors, I don't think so. It's something we still suffer with, and that's usually only 1 time a night, and you'd think Charles Manson was attacking our son when those happen. It's awful, and it's usually only in Summer, when our son is super hot and overly tired. - lastly, something that we need to investigate again, is reflux. The sleep specialist suggested this, and actually our son does have a thing where he will sort of spit up food fairly often. If we don't give him natural calm, he will often do this spit up thing, but it goes away when we are consistent with it. Reflux is linked to low magnesium levels, which is what natural calm contains, in an effervescent (ie so it travels quickly to bloodstream) state. There are medications for reflux based on magnesium, but it's not necessary when you can simply buy it. It's not something that will harm your daughter, anyway, as we are all low in magnesium these days, due to a variety of environmental and dietary factors. I would never have believed this was the cause, but actually now that I'm writing this I'm realizing that I need to investigate this further with our son before we head over to Dubai! - the only other thing I'd say is I'd try to create her own sleeping space. I'm all for letting your kids sleep with you, and we often play musical beds in our house, but there's a way to teach them to sleep on their own gently, that doesn't require crying it out. We did a lot of 'mommy's right here, go back to sleep,' as we edged our way out of the room more and more each night. It was a struggle, and our son, nearly 8, still asks us to lie with him about 5 nights a week, and we may oblige him for 15 min or so 1 or 2 nights. But I'm very aware that they will grow into little insomniacs if they don't learn to settle themselves somewhat. It's a struggle. My 5 yo sleeps beautifully, and my 8 yo wakes at 6 or 630, no matter when he goes to bed. It's a nightmare! Sorry for the novel, and good luck to you!
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 01:44
Found Natural Calm online but the kids version is flavoured. Has anyone used the adult unflavoured version with kids and reduced dose? There's no way my son would drink the fruity one. He will only drink water and milk at breakfast time. Would it mix in with warm milk? Thanks! It's effervescent so not sure how it would go down with warm milk, but to be honest I've not tried the unflavored type, just orange, lemon and raspberry. FYI, all of the women in my family swear by this, too.
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 19 May 2012 - 01:43
Hi all- Sorry to have dropped the ball on this. The one we use is http://www.vitacost.com/natural-vitality-natural-calm-orange But I also have this - http://www.vitacost.com/natural-vitality-kids-natural-calm-multi The first my son drinks every night. He asks for it, and has been drinking it since he was 4, on and off. As I said before, there's a link between ADHD & magnesium levels, as well as proper assimilation of calcium. Mag helps to better absorb calcium. The second link is what I've used in the am, before school, with great success. It's quite tart, but doable mixed with juice. The first one is also tart, but it's something he really loves, as he loves what it does for him. Also, as I said before, we are major fans of this fish oil, which tastes like candy, I swear. http://www.vitacost.com/barleans-omega-swirl-omega-3-fish-oil As below, omegas are huge for adhd kids. Re the diet below, I've read about that, too, but have found the same effects with fish rotated with flax oil. I can really swear by natural calm for us moms, too. And as I said, magnesium & weight loss are linked. I'll take it! Hope that helps!
verdeque
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Latest post on 17 May 2012 - 20:27
Sorry PJ, I obviously misunderstood the " leave the school shopping til you get here"... As Sundevil says, the Ranches is a fab place to live and we don't feelin the least bit "Removed"..on the contrary, it seems everywhere is ony 25 minutes away in whichever direction lol.. We have our own retail centre housing a supermarket, pharmacy, pet shop, toy shop, costa coffee etc..and there's the golf club for an evening out etc... Some people will say there are Other, newer developments where you can get more for your money, but they don't have the same amenities yet.... I am def planning to check it out when we get there. I am really pleased that EW exists for help, too. Thanks for all of your input. Much appreciated & I'm sure will make for a softer landing.
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Latest post on 17 May 2012 - 19:47
I think we're going to try to come down to 200k, and save the rest. Unless my husband gives up his green card, we are not going to have the full tax free status (grr) but we're looking into that now. I would like a pool, but mainly because we have two small dogs that I think would appreciate the respite from the heat. Otherwise I really wouldn't bother. I've heard that pool utilities can run as high as 800 pounds/month, though, so I'll double check. We are using a relo company, but I am trying to get a head start on it, precisely because of our lack of time. We are also trying to do a recon trip first week of June and I'm hoping to not have to bring the kids so we can try to knock out schools and housing in one go. We do have 30 days in a hotel, but I was thinking that we could do the house now, if poss. But I like your point about checking out the school runs first. And on that note, I've been very lucky to have a bus that comes within a 4 min walk to our front door for the past 3 years. If we are running late I drive, but that's 12 min, and I think that's a hassle! Lol. So much for being spoiled with the buses. I will NOT be one of the mums arriving in full makeup! I'll be lucky if not in my pj's and with a bra on! Thanks for your very helpful advice!!!
verdeque
304
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Latest post on 17 May 2012 - 19:47
I think we're going to try to come down to 200k, and save the rest. Unless my husband gives up his green card, we are not going to have the full tax free status (grr) but we're looking into that now. I would like a pool, but mainly because we have two small dogs that I think would appreciate the respite from the heat. Otherwise I really wouldn't bother. I've heard that pool utilities can run as high as 800 pounds/month, though, so I'll double check. We are using a relo company, but I am trying to get a head start on it, precisely because of our lack of time. We are also trying to do a recon trip first week of June and I'm hoping to not have to bring the kids so we can try to knock out schools and housing in one go. We do have 30 days in a hotel, but I was thinking that we could do the house now, if poss. But I like your point about checking out the school runs first. And on that note, I've been very lucky to have a bus that comes within a 4 min walk to our front door for the past 3 years. If we are running late I drive, but that's 12 min, and I think that's a hassle! Lol. So much for being spoiled with the buses. I will NOT be one of the mums arriving in full makeup! I'll be lucky if not in my pj's and with a bra on! Thanks for your very helpful advice!!!
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304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 17 May 2012 - 19:39
Sorry, for some reason admin have closed your thread..I wanted to reply to PJ's comment that you don't need to bother with a school - I don't know about where you are but in the UK when I did the paperwork (leaving certificate etc) the schools wanted details of their new Dubai schools and it was addressed to those schools..I'm guessing it's so that the authorities know that you are moving and not just dropping out of the system...having said that, the school my youngest was supposed to be joining fell through anyway lol Your question about ks1 etc...it depends whether it is US or English (British) Curriculum.. I don't recall saying not to bother with a school??? What I said was to focus on getting secured seats period before she comes, then transfer schools later after being here and looking around. Getting a place whatsover as a newcomer is difficult and rarely is there many available places to choose between. People are on waiting lists from birth at the most popular schools. When applying last year DS was refused even a place on the waiting list of many of them (many of them being the ones in Verdaques original post). I was in country when doing the school search and DS didnt get offered a place in any of the ones I originally applied to - didn't even get to the stage of entrance tests. I had to just grab a spot in an outrageously expensive new school to avoid missing out altogether. DS is now transferring next September (still not to any of my original choices). I certainly didnt mean not to bother getting a school - on the contrary I was advising to get a place secured to avoid missing out altogether. Verdaque - some schools have a 13 year system and some have a 12 year system. British is usually 13 year and USA is 12 year. What this means is that in a 12 year system a 5 year old would be in KG2, and in a 13 year system they would be in Year 1. The teaching is at the same level, just with different names (my son is transferring from KG1 in a 12 year system to Year 1 in a 13 year system). As someone mentioned on the previous post - whether you are able to be examined remotely will depend completely on the school. Some don't allow it, some do, and some will give you a conditional place based off the child's previous school reports, and then they will test and confirm when you are in country. You will need to confirm this individually with the schools. Some will mention it on their websites. Insofar as leaving certificates - I wasnt asked for anything addressed specifically to any of the schools we applied at. Thank you for the clarification re the levels. I'm being offered a place for my son at JBS and was told to look at KG2 for my daughter at Childrens Garden, as they are supposed to be near each other. Doesn't look like they are. Ack, what a palaver! I really feel bad for all of you who've gone through this. I'm spending the weekend eves applying around.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 17 May 2012 - 19:28
wow, I only saw this because I looked you up. I seem to remember that you used to be notified if someone wrote on your thread, but this doesn't seem to be the case. The only way I'm seeing any responses to my posts is by looking them up in the first place. Am I doing something wrong? I will make sure to do the schools now. I've been told I can do one in JBS (any input welcome) and one in Garden School (or whatever it's called). The trouble is that I'm 8 hours behind so the only time to reach the schools is either really late at night when I'm shattered or early in the am when I'm also shattered! lol. I am going to start applications this weekend and am still wondering if I can do assessments from afar. I wonder why the thread was closed, too, but I think I have an idea. Also, I love the houses in AR, just wish it wasn't so far. Do you love being there, or do you feel too removed from it all? You are a star for your kind help. :)
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 17 May 2012 - 19:28
wow, I only saw this because I looked you up. I seem to remember that you used to be notified if someone wrote on your thread, but this doesn't seem to be the case. The only way I'm seeing any responses to my posts is by looking them up in the first place. Am I doing something wrong? I will make sure to do the schools now. I've been told I can do one in JBS (any input welcome) and one in Garden School (or whatever it's called). The trouble is that I'm 8 hours behind so the only time to reach the schools is either really late at night when I'm shattered or early in the am when I'm also shattered! lol. I am going to start applications this weekend and am still wondering if I can do assessments from afar. I wonder why the thread was closed, too, but I think I have an idea. Also, I love the houses in AR, just wish it wasn't so far. Do you love being there, or do you feel too removed from it all? You are a star for your kind help. :)
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 17 May 2012 - 19:20
i will see if I have a school websiet link...the government of dubai has one...where you can search according to cirriculum..... We pay mid 40 for school....with all the fees....and thats a cheaper school...neg. the school allowance if possible. American School of Dubai is 70 a year...so about 22000.00 US.. can get very pricey......... Check out the site Dubizzle Dubai....good for anything and everything Internet City and Jumeriah are about 20 min-30 min apart in bad traffic.... Take Care Hi there It's taken this long, but looks like we are coming, and soon! What school does your children go to? I am on the frantic search now? Still Safa as per our conversation 6 months ago lol no, i remembered your little one is at Safa, I was asking St Louis Mama. You are great, btw!
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 17 May 2012 - 18:54
i will see if I have a school websiet link...the government of dubai has one...where you can search according to cirriculum..... We pay mid 40 for school....with all the fees....and thats a cheaper school...neg. the school allowance if possible. American School of Dubai is 70 a year...so about 22000.00 US.. can get very pricey......... Check out the site Dubizzle Dubai....good for anything and everything Internet City and Jumeriah are about 20 min-30 min apart in bad traffic.... Take Care Hi there It's taken this long, but looks like we are coming, and soon! What school does your children go to? I am on the frantic search now?
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 16 May 2012 - 15:59
My DD has been having Eye-Q for years now - I don't think its brought any substantial change. I continue to give it to her. As I have ADHD myself and remember feeling this way from my first memories of being 2 years...I very much agree with the latest findings that diet can help only marginally in improving the condition. Its probably true sugars can trigger worse behaviour or hyperactivity but its not necessarily directly related to ADHD/ADD per se. Recent studies are moving towards the understanding that cases that go away or improve drastically with diet was never ADHD/ADD in the first place. ADHD/ADD is different wiring of the brain. Certain stimulation/brain training can possibly help develop new connections in the brain, certain foods, medicines may help in that - the different wiring of the brain remains. Medicines often stop being effective after a while. I loose it with DD too sometimes, but as my brain and hers are similair, I know how helpless she is sometimes. Its a crippling condition and often bring depression with it, as others around don't understand. I am going to start EFT on DD soon to see if that can take us anywhere. edited by summerdream on 16/05/2012 I've been told that I have ADHD, too, and that it's genetic. My father, too. I used to get moved in classrooms all of the time, and I can recall that I always had report cards that referred to my talking to much, disturbing others, not paying attention, etc etc. Similar to my son, I was in the gifted program, and found when I was challenged, I did much better. As an adult, I am known for taking on a million things at once, and my house is always in a bit of a state, and yes, melancholy sets in too often. I've thoguht about taking drugs but people I know with ADHD say the side effects are worse than the benefits, and to be honest, I've been this way for 43 years so it's not really impacting me (but don't get me started on perimenopause!) Yes, the brains are wired differently, which is why I'd like to pursue neurofeedback. It's supposed to help make some important neuron connections (sorry if I'm not saying it correctly). But I don't agree that if diet helps, it's not ADHD. Food is critical to brain chemistry, which is why omega oils are considered very successful for ADHD kids/adults. And Natural Calm (as I said, effervescent magnesium) has worked wonders, as has Bright Spark. Our dr, who specializes in ADHD & autistic kids, was the one who suggested that dairy & all sugar be removed, and it has made a huge difference. Strangely, the double whammy that ice cream gives has our son bouncing off the walls, and he had a soda (maybe 4 oz) at a party a week ago and he was a wreck coming off of it. He DOES have ADHD, has been diagnosed by a multitude of people, but I've buried myself in research and attended an ADHD symposium and for us, drugs will be the last resort. But that's our choice. Re behaviours, when our son was 4, magic stones, coupled with a chore chart, worked wonders. I'll post more on that soon as I've got to take my youngest to school Oh, and I'd try to buy Natural Calm online. It's cheaper, anyway. And it's GREAT for moms, too. Women are said to be low in calcium & magnesium quite often, and magnesium helps you better assimilate calcium. There's also a link between magnesium and weight loss, not a bad side effect!
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 22:45
Sorry, Greenfield's KG programs are all full. Look into Gems Wellington DSO, they still have my KG 2 son on their accepted list even though I have told them 3 times we are turning down the spot. So there are still spots there. I will, but which one is DSO? I've now written to 17 schools. Blech. I just found it. Wow, that's far, isn't it? Seems like my husband would have quite the commute if we lived near the school.
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 22:33
Sorry, Greenfield's KG programs are all full. Look into Gems Wellington DSO, they still have my KG 2 son on their accepted list even though I have told them 3 times we are turning down the spot. So there are still spots there. I will, but which one is DSO? I've now written to 17 schools. Blech.
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 22:31
My son was diagnosed with ADHD by Dr Christa Strauss here in Dubai.He had just finished year 1 at Repton and he had had a torrid time to say the least. As his school report was very bad it meant it closed many doors for us (we tried UAS and GEMS Wellington International without success). My DS had to go to St Andrews as a last resort and after a year we enrolled him into the K-12 programme with a tutor. He has now been doing this programme for 2 years, he is doing really well and I could not be happier with this choice. Ugh, what a nightmare for you. I thought I looked at that school, and did an online assessment, but maybe there's another one similar to it in Dubai? I recall that the one I looked at seemed to cater to kids with greater needs than my son's, ie more severe. The assessment I filled out said he was borderline in terms of being a good candidate. But when I go to fill out this assessment, it's a broken link, which makes me think it's not the same school. Is your son pretty severe? Do you find the kids run the gamut, in terms of behaviour there? I'm pleased you're happy there. I know how hard it is to find the right fit. Our daughter would be fine anywhere, but it's harder with my son, as you know.
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 17:42
well....it would seem that it's almost impossible to get into any schools, anyway! so far, 5 of the 13 schools I wrote to said they are full, as are their wait lists. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! So, I'll await the others, and keep my fingers crossed. DBS gave a resounding 'no,' but suggested JBS or Greenfield, under the same umbrella. So much for being picky with my kids' schools! Ack! Who knew that this could be such a stressful process, neverminding the move, itself?!
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 16:38
Hi Perces- firstly wanted to say that you are not alone and that there are people that understand that complete feeling of frustration when you start to try and find out relevant and useful information. I am sure that I don't have to tell you that there are great places here in Dubai to seek help and some very very average ones that are very keen to seperate you from your dirhams. For what it is worth, we've found Kids First at Al Wasl very good so far. We are very much in the beginning of the diagnosis process ourselves (having done the usual hearing tests, audiology, speech assessments and now educational psychologists) and I'm thrilled to hear that there is a support group here- [b'>thanks Plum2[/b'>- that will come in handy down the track I'm sure. [b'>Verdeque-[/b'> is Natural Calm available here in Dubai? We are currently trialling extra Omega 3,6,9 suppliments, in the form of Kids Smart (think they used to be called EyeQ) with our three and a bit year old with moderate results (certainly no significant improvement). Obviously we are trying natural solutions first (food elimination, behaviour, therapy etc) but we are open to medication if necessary in the future. Our view is that if you have high blood pressure (for example), you would modify your diet and exercise but also might also require medication. ADD/ADHD should be considered the same way, in that you should feel comfortable to tackle it with everything available in the arsenal. Just my own humble opinion of course ;) Best of luck to you Perces... Hi there. Yes, I agree about the medication comment, and I've got friends who've gone that route. I'm open to it as a last resort, only because I've seen it take away a lot of the kids' personalities. But, adhd kids have a drug use & high suicide rate, and they don't know if that's attributable to the being in trouble all of the time (leading to poor self esteem) or to adhd, itself. So, of course it's better to drug them if it'll end up with a bad outcome otherwise. My son is sooooo skinny, too, and I know that the medication decreases their appetite, which is why I've held off. Also, I've gone to a few symposiums on the topic, and a lot of professionals try behavior first. I honestly don't know if we'll end up on the drug route, ourselves. After a 7 hour drive yesterday, it's going to either be my son on something, or me on valium! Yes, re the omegas. Forgot to mention that!! I found that the liquid form gives the dosage you need. Can you get Borleans brand there? Re Natural Calm, you can look it up on vitacost.com to see the product and go from there. Sorry, I don't know if you can get it there yet. If not, I'll buy boat loads before I come. It's essentially effervescent (more readily available to the body as it goes more quickly into the bloodstream) magnesium, and they have some with calcium, too. Also, nativeremedies.com has a great product called Bright Spark that worked well for us, too. I have also heard great things about neurofeedback but haven't tried that yet. Frustrating process, isn't it?
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 15:49
Hi. I have a soon to be 8 yo with mild ADHD. I say mild because we have learned a ton about the issue and can control it 90% of the time with diet and behavior guidance. The other 10% of the time I'd like to strangle my son! (did I just say that?) I'm sure you can relate. It does get better with age, and we have found that most of it can be managed by almost no sugar (he does eat it, but not a lot, as it's a nightmare to deal with him afterwards), no dairy (not so bad, actually, and ice cream is a really bad trigger for him), no food coloring, and a product called Natural Calm, which we give him in the eve. Apparently ADHD is connected to magnesium deficiencies often, and this product is wonderful for him, for me as well! It literally changed our lives, and we used to give it to him in the am, but he was a bit too chilled out in school! We also have some other naturopathic remedies that we use if it's getting too bad. I find that as soon as we start to slack on diet, which we do a lot when he's being great for awhile, he starts to slip up again. We also find after reading a million books on the topic that you should try to tackle one behavior at a time, such as sitting in his chair through meal time, or hands to self, or staying seated for homework. I constantly have to remind myself that he can't control it, and I feel guilty pretty much all of the time as I'll often lose my rag (like if he is mean to his little sister), which then makes me feel horrid. I'm sure you understand! Best of luck. We're coming in Aug to move so I'll likely be looking up these docs, too. I just hope they practice behavior changes first, not drugs.
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 06:06
Try Universal American School. Its an IB curriculum school (theres only 2 fully accredited IB schools in Dubai). They have school busses for transport too if you dont want to do the drive. They have fulltime counsellors and Learning support teachers. http://www.uasdubai.ae/page.cfm?p=1 I didn't even look at this one yet. Great to have choices, thank you! :) OMG I did look at this one! Too many!!!! I loved this one and was planning to reach out to them, anyway, so the validation is great!
verdeque
304
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:41
Do you have any idea of where you are gong to live yet? It will help narrow down your options, although I suspect they will be quite limited given your sons needs.:( Honestly, it's not that bad. He's never the worst boy in the class, or anything like that, I'm just trying to get him into an environment where he'll thrive, and not feel bad when he has checked out, or gotten out of his seat because he's antsy or bored.
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:35
Good god, what a thing to wrap your head around! I think I need to create a freakin' spreadsheet to manage this all! But, I am VERY grateful for all of your responses, as I have zero insights into the lay of the land, at least school-wise. I just hope we won't be relegated to third or fourth choice due to lack of places. My husband's coworkers have mentioned Repton, as well, but I've heard it's not so great. I was also going to check out Dubai International Academy. Anyone know anything about it? So much to cover off! I just really want to get it right for the kids. My daughter could pretty much be dropped into any school and do well, but my son really does better in the more nurturing, yet structured environments. And the Californian in me (where I grew up) wants to send them to a more liberal arts sort of school, that has a balance of rigorous academics mixed with a celebration of the arts & self-expression. In the end, I'm sure they'll be fine, I just want them to be happy, as well as future Oxford or Juliard or Harvard grads! ;)
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:24
Welcome to Dubai, Verdeque. Good luck with the transition. Just wanted to clarify for you from Ranches Rose whether it's a specific Wellington school which is good with children with ADHD, or both Wellington Primary School and Gems Wellington International School? Thanks for the well-wishes! We only moved to the East Coast last July so I'm dreading the big move, again! It makes it more important for me to get it right for the kids' schooling, as I don't want to move them yet again if it's avoidable.
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:22
Try Universal American School. Its an IB curriculum school (theres only 2 fully accredited IB schools in Dubai). They have school busses for transport too if you dont want to do the drive. They have fulltime counsellors and Learning support teachers. http://www.uasdubai.ae/page.cfm?p=1 I didn't even look at this one yet. Great to have choices, thank you! :)
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:21
Verdeque..my DS is a teen with the same problem as yours, the ADHD isnt manic he just needs help keeping focused in lesson and needs more stimulation in lessons otherwise his mind wanders and he can start fidgeting. DBS spoke to me of the support they have in place and it has been a huge relief knowing its there should it be deemed neccessary. The school are monitoring him till end of this year to see if any additional support is neccessary ( he's only been a student here for about 6 weeks now). Its achieved a good rating with some outstanding areas achieved and another possible contender for you to look at. Hope this helps :) You mean Dubai British School, right? I will have a look, thanks! As I said, I'm trying to find a place where both kids can be together and where my son won't feel like **** if he's out of line, but rather positivel redirected. He's lucky where he is now, as his teacher has the patience of a saint, and lets the kids spend time on sofas or on the carpet to study quite often during the day. Really helps them.
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:18
I think that, given the potential difficulty of obtaining a school place, I would try to secure school places first and then worry about where to live. Yes, that would be ideal but if their employer is providing accommodation they may not have a choice where they live! They are giving us a stipend so we are pretty flexible, just not wanting to be crazy far from my husband's work. For the most part, I'm trying to nail down schools first, and hoping the stars will align with housing, too!
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:16
I think that, given the potential difficulty of obtaining a school place, I would try to secure school places first and then worry about where to live. That's what I was planning to do! I hate having so little time to get it all organized!
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:14
Its the wellington near internet city, nearer to the Palm, but I know both schools take children with learning difficulties as my friend has just had her gifted son accepted into this one and another friend whos son is ADHD [but not too bad'> and I also know parents that have kids in the other wellington with some learning difficulties.. they may ask for a shadow dependant upon the child Thanks for this! I only just saw that I had replies to my thread! Doh! He's not that bad, and it's not in any of his school transcripts. He's pretty fine being mainstreamed, just gets a bit antsy if not directed and will drift off into la la land sometimes. I had this high on my list of schools so I will def check it out soon! :)
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2012 - 05:11
Wow, thanks for that! I didn't see until now that I had a reply. I don't tend to mention it, anyway, as they suddenly get branded and it's not so bad anyway. And there's no mention of it in his transcripts. But, do you know of any schools that are good about working through a child's issues in a positive way, instead of making him feel bad? Self-esteem can be a sensitive topic for kids like this, as they just want to please and be good kids, so having a sort of plan or goal to work towards tends to help my son, I've found, vs just getting in trouble. I know that most schools where we live now are pretty constructive & helpful & will work with a school counselor if need be, but I have zero insight into how the schools are there, and am hoping to get it right the first time, so any advice? Thank you! :)
verdeque
304
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 09 May 2012 - 21:37
Hi all- After a lot of to'ing and fro'ing, it looks like we will be coming to Dubai, yes, in the heat of Summer, sigh. We have an 8 year old boy, and a 5 year old girl. Both of our kids were tested into the gifted program in our State, and our son will be entering 3rd grade, our daughter kindergarten. We'd like to have them go to the same school, ideally. My son has ADHD, but pretty well managed by diet & behavior reminders. His big problems are staying at his desk & listening to instructions (he sort of goes into his own world). The teacher thinks he needs a faster pace so he's not bored, as I don't think he's challenged enough. My concern with my daughter is that she is already reading almost past her brother's level, so I really want to make sure she'll be challenged, as she's just a crazy sponge, and has been going to Montessori for 3 years, so doesn't really need that social transition into starting school. She just wants to learn & have her girlfriends & she'll be happy. ANY ideas on schools most welcome! We can do either British (my husband is English) or US or IB curriculum. My husband will work in Internet City, and we are coming over for a recon trip in a few weeks, to look at schools and housing. If it helps, we are down to earth people, not posh and swanky, and while we want the best education for our kids, we don't want them to turn into entitled, spoiled kids (lol not any more than they are!) Thanks in advance!
 
 
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