Here's a bit of a story.

I have been noticing for a long time that my daughter has had a hearing problem. Lot's of "what?" and "huh?". I started seeing that her speech wasn't advancing as well as it should have and that she was having problems pronouncing word sounds and the like. I talked with pediatricians and teachers and was always ignored. People tend to look at stay at home dads like cute little oddities. "Yes it is great that you stay home with your children but there is no way that you know more about your kids than your wife. I mean hell, you don't have tits!" I constantly get ignored and when I tried talking about this to the teachers they basically thought I was a meddling parent.

So time goes by and McKenzie is in kindergarten. Her teachers start to notice that she is behind in her speech and refer her to the special education people. I told them that maybe she can't hear very well and it is the reason she can't speak as clear as the rest of the kids. She is ahead of her grade level in nearly all areas but still they thought she needed to see the school psychologist and the special education experts. They told me that the school nurse checked her hearing and it was fine so they were going to press ahead and get her into a special class. I resisted telling them to fuck off and instead got her into see an audiologist. Turns out I was right the whole time. After taking the hearing test results to an ear nose and throat doctor I find out that for about two-three years she has had fluid retention that hung around after the one ear infection she had when she was two. The decible levels that she been effected with are essentially like wearing foam ear plugs. Now on the 5th of March she'll get some tubes put in, super quick and her hearing will be 100% instantly. She'll hear me talk and say I love her loud and clear for the first time since she has been a legit kid. The last time she could hear perfectly she was a two year old in diapers, now she's a little girl who has been hearing like she is underwater for nearly half her life.

I have a meeting with her teachers next week and I can't wait to tell them stick their special classes up their asses.

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Damn man, that's very shitty. Props to you on holding back on telling them where to go, how to get there and when not to come back. Pretty sure lots of others would have unleashed a slew of words that would have made a pirate cringe

Seriously though, hopefully the tubes do the trick and she'll be able to hear everything loud and clear. Can't imagine what it is like for her to have to go through this, and just as frustrating for you guys knowing what was wrong all along, but no one would listen.

Just think though, now if the Sabres are having a real shitty game, you'll have to choose your words carefully when expressing your displeasure for their suckage

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If it's a tight squeeze, spit on it! - NyI

He's a middling AHL player who had the good fortune of a drunk arbitrator. - The Squanto re: Tim Kennedy

Way to be. I'd even bring a couple of whipped cream pies and slam them in their faces.

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Wheelhouse

Being a stay at home mom is one step below Mother Teresa to most people while being a stay at home dad is one step above a bum on the street. It's bullshit. The last appointment I had for my son was a good example. My youngest was throwing a mega-tantrum and I couldn't talk to the doc. My wife works in the same hospital so I called her to come take care of Cooper so I could talk. As soon as my wife got there the doctor stopped talking to me and switched to adressing my wife only like she was the primary care giver for the kids. I actually had to step in and say "Not to be rude but I'm the one who is with the kids all day, does all the parent teacher conferences and knows every detail about them." Then I asked my wife to step out with our youngest and was then able to finish up the appointment...with a shit ton of attitude from the doc I might add.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

That's so incredibly stupid. As someone who has hearing loss that wasn't diagnosed until the third grade... my god, that is so incredibly stupid. To me at least, it would honestly make far more sense that she had trouble hearing, rather than needing special education, especially if you... her father... who spends tons of time with her thinks that's what's going wrong. It's bullshit that you received that kind of treatment just for being a stay at home dad. I'm glad that she'll be getting everything fixed though!

I have two boys, one 7 and one will turn 2 in two weeks but my little girl is a whole different story. My oldest son is my little partner who does everything with me but my daughter and I have a special bond that is hard to describe. She'll just hang out with me in my wood shop handing me tools and screws all day chatting away and listening to rock and roll instead of baking cookies with her mom or playing video games with her brother. I don't know who is more excited about getting her hearing fixed, me or her. To actually have a conversation with her in a normal tone of voice instead of talking really loud will be great. It's hard to sound caring or loving when you have to belt out each word like you were trying to talk over a running vacuum cleaner.

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Great news man...what a relief that must be

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thanks. I hope I calm down a bit before next Thursday when I meet with the school. Yesterday I called to schedule our meeting and when I told the coordinator about the hearing issue and the tubes she said "Well...I guess we could take you at your word but if you could get the hearing exam results then we can verify....."

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What assholes.
I thank our lucky stars every day that our daughter got into the charter school she's in and not in the meat grinder that is the LAUSD system.
The teachers and administrators are just great.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Ours were in a charter school but they were on the the nutty side of the fence. They had the kids learning Latin in kindergarten. Sounds great in theory but it doesn't leave time for more important fundamentals like math and reading.

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That's is a bit odd.
The one my daughter is in is an entrepreneurial school. The schools have a virtual economy and the kids buy and sell goods and services from each other. They elect mayors and treasurers the same way schools have class president. They push internships for the high school age kids and have career days pretty frequently.

So on top of what I consider a pretty good education I feel like they're actually being prepared for the real world.

For example...


At 6 years old she's got the notion in her head that if she makes a charitable contribution it may be good for a tax break

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Only in America is that an idea worth learning at age 6.

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...better than not learning it at all.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

you make too much money

Maybe, but that's besides the point :p

It's not a private school...it's a public charter, she just got lucky on a waiting list.

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and with donations to the school:P

Please... "charitable contribution"

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This is just loaded with awesome. You must be so proud. haha

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Wheelhouse

Absolutely. She's got a kind heart and a smart head...perfect combo

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Hold my beer and watch this...