JRG67

Wow. Lots of uncompassionate people here.

scrubbedexpat097

....and an awful lot of shit-stirring from you.

dlake02

Is there a filter I can apply to BE when the location comes up as "Texas ?"

As SR says, I am REALLY struggling with many aspects of life here, and, for the most part, I find the chance to chin-wag as I would "back-home" with people that have been through the same useful.

I fully take that a lot of this is MY problem, MY perception, but FFS; I've been here 2 years and want to know what other Brits thought when they moved here, how THEY dealt with it coming from the same cultural background as I do.

I thought BE would be the ideal place to find other Brits, chat, discuss, whinge, wonder, get help, etc.

I Give Up.

AmerLisa

scrubbedexpat097

I believe I was talking to the other poster not you...


On the other hand you have been given a lot of advise . Also, if you're struggling why make things worse by fighting something that you can't change?? Sometimes going with the flow on the simple things makes life a lot easier.

Most of us have struggled at some time here. You have been helped a lot by people who are here and had similar concerns but you dont seem to want to listen...

dlake02

No - I am listening and learning ....

I suppose it must be my upbringing to a certain extent - "going with the flow" just doesn't always fit comfortably with me !

In this case, I can see I have no choice, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or agree with it.

scrubbedexpat097

Nobody said you had to agree with it.

If nothing else, I have learned to pick my fights and stressing out about something you can't change is pointless. Believe me I have been there done that and got high BP for trying..

Mr Weeze

I reckon there is a 50:50 chance I'm on ignore here, but here goes.

A little bit of that context may have helped a lot earlier. People on here generally want to help (myself included). What was coming across as nothing more than a gripe with a lot of negativity towards some people trying to help becomes a bit more involved.

Prioritise your issues - is this the top one, or is it down around 4 or 5. Put the most energy into the ones that you can do something about and the ones that are at the top of the list. Try to separate the issues from one another. If you add them together you will get to something that is more than the sum of it's parts.

If this is top of the list, try to break it down. Do I want them to go to the camp, yes or no? What are the advantages and disadvantages in both cases? If you decide the pros outweigh the cons of going to camp, then see what, if anything, you can do to get the medical with as little impact as possible. It sounds like the troop are sympathetic - perhaps some of the other parents have managed to find a way around. Perhaps they can talk you through what they did to reassure you about it.

If you decide the cons outweigh the pros, is there any other activity you can substitute for this?

dlake02

then see what, if anything, you can do to get the medical with as little impact as possible. It sounds like the troop are sympathetic - perhaps some of the other parents have managed to find a way around. Perhaps they can talk you through what they did to reassure you about it.

OK - I like advice like this. Thank you.

I've just got off the phone with one of the leaders who sympathised 100% with me. And as I put before, he has his own issues with BSA and their rules.

I think I've found a way around this from talking to him - it appears that as long as I have a doctors stamp on the form, that's all that matters.

For me, Scouts was SUCH a great experience when I was younger that I really don't want my son to miss out for any reason in the world. The fun we had on camp was superb - the fact that we didn't wash for a week even better.

I remember the first time that I went away as a teenager, when I came back, my parents sat me in the back of the car with both windows wound right down cos they couldn't stand the stench....

Sue

After a while you sort of realise you just have to go with the flow, the energy it takes to fight some of the stuff just isn't worth it.

I feel your pain, but after a few more years you will find that you will pick your battles, it's less painful that way.

Saying that BE is here for stuff like this. Honestly we all need to get this stuff of our chests now and then, otherwise we scare and upset the locals with our venting. I value my friendships here in the US, but sometimes they don't' "get" me and that's when I turn to this forum

JRG67

Nice

kodokan

Again, this seems to be another thing where the UK is in the minority. In Switzerland, they too divided doctors into ones for adults and ones for children; as she worked one minute from our house, I got our adult doctor to also agree to see the kids for minor, non-age specific stuff like antibiotics for an infected cut foot, chicken pox, that sort of thing, but she sternly told us that if it was a clearly 'child development' related matter, she send us to a proper paediatrician. We managed not to have to go to one in the 3.5 years we were there, as my kids don't get sick much.

I know coming from the UK 'paediatrician' means 'serious hospital doctor for gravely sick kids', but it seems to be the norm elsewhere to have one doctor for adult matters, another for the kids, and yet another OB-GYN that women have to go to for their girl stuff. At least in our case here the adult and kid docs are based in the same clinic building, so it feels like going to a UK GP, but you just say a different doctor's name for booking the appointment. I still can't take it all seriously that a paediatrician - a real one! - wants to see my kids and check on their growth spurts.

Wasn't it like that in France and other countries you lived? I thought France divided up doctoring is the same way as the Swiss.

dlake02

The French are SERIOUS hypochondriacs....

Even they laugh about it. No kids when we were in France and kept our UK doc - we could pop back easily. Children make a very big difference.

Main benefit in France is that a glass or two of red a day seems to cure all ills, and most people classify wine as part of a meal, not alcohol !

Goodness knows what the US docs would make of that (or the fact that children, including ours when we go back, have the slightest drop with their meals).

Shock horror.

rebs

My thoughts while in the US were that I rather liked the convention of the 'well child' visit once a year. I've never been a 'frequent flyer' at my doctor - even with when son was very young, so I actually welcomed the opportunity to perhaps have a chat about things that I would have considered way too minor for a specific appointment.

Now I'm back in the UK, I kind of wish we did the same here, but I have yet to be brave enough to book a check up for my son as it's not really the done thing!

Which seems to match up to the suggestion from MsElui that she would ask her doctor to use the annual check up to complete the form...

It kind of seems to me that the root of this issue is your gripe about the convention of the annual check up rather than the form per se - ie if you were happy about the annual check up, the current situation might not seem so dire...

Mummy in the foothills

You will learn quickly that there are many things you don't bring up with anyone other than your spouse and other expats. The shock and horror that you would ever give your small child a sip of wine with dinner for example, is best left at home.
I struggled with so many doctor visits when mine were born, I only took them to visits where vaccines were needed, never bothered with any once vaccines were done, unless they were sick. So you aren't alone I find it all invasive.
Both my boys went into scouts here, both did the summer camp, neither needed a physical, but I suppose things change. My oldest needed a physical for College admittance and the second had annual physicals for Swim team in High school. For both it was a 5 min jobby, BP, listen to lungs and heart, and off you go with your signed stamped paper.