Would it be out of line to gently inquire with the girls how you could help? Embarrassing and awkward, yes, but perhaps there is a kind way to find out that they just need a few personal luxuries? You could always gift them and let them make the choice... and if you could find natural products or even bottle some homespun items, well that covers that objection! your concern is out of love so hopefully they will feel that.

Sorry to hear that! With 2 step-daughters I found out the hard way that Girl Scouts is a racket! :( I have 3 boys in Boy Scouts and that organization, while flawed, really teaches some amazing and important skills. Girl Scouts not so much and everything costs more $!

It could be a conscious choice as well. Perhaps they are into healthful living and avoid deodorant because most commercial brands contain the dangerous metal, aluminum? They do sell natural deodorants in most stores with no aluminum. Also, I would keep in mind that the American Girls books could be offensive for a few reasons depending on their worldview. The company is affiliated with a controversial organization, Girls Inc.. Just food for thought if the family is conservative, Christian, or into natural living. :)

I think we have a responsibility to the other parents to give them the information. What they do with it is their choice. Not giving them the option to address it because we remain silent for our own reasons seems like being part of the problem. I agree, many people would not take the information well, maybe I wouldn't take it well from another.. but I would be glad to have that knowledge from which I could make a decision.

Wow! That would be awesome! As an only child, I would love for that to happen!

I also agree with the other ladies. Who says baking cookies or watching a movie isn't or cannot be educational. Actually, my children who attend PS watch way more movies than you can even fathom. Life skills are important just as "book smarts" are important. To be a well-rounded person you really need education from many sources and angles and schools in general aren't equipped to handle several of those aspects efficiently or well.

I guess it depends on why you are homeschooling. I think the nurturing and one on one time you have with your child are pretty key. How is public school, with a 25:1 teacher to student ratio being rather generous, more effective than one to one teaching and encouraging at the level your child is able to handle rather than the lowest common denominator, which is required in a classroom setting? You can actually get much more done in a shorter period of time when you know the student and have an intimate connection with them. Let's be honest, much of the time in a school day is devoted to transitioning from activities and following protocol as a group. That is just one of the myriad benefits of homeschooling. And we are human, if a teacher is having a bad day they will be less effective in a classroom just as we are at home. I have had teachers scrap lesson plans because the day is going awry. No one is perfect.

No, you guys are right about it being normal to flow on a topic.. or even flow off topic. I guess when I was reading posts where some parents are saying they spank out of love and as a choice that I feel like we need to take them at face value. Logic prevails, to me anyway, that if they are on here posting about their discipline choices with respect that they likely are not hurting their children. When other posters reply that some people just "don't know better" or "aren't aware there are other options" t seems a bit condescending. I just think our mothering tasks are enough to keep us busy without needing to judge others for their methods.

I am not hurt or defensive. The original post seemed to be addressing something other than where this was taken.

I do not think that adamant must equal rude. I don't see why we cannot give each other the charity of trusting that each parent knows best what their children need and your "right" may not be another person's "right".

I don't know that. Thank you for your dissertation on how some children react to a spanking. I have seven really well behaved, happy children that are a joy to be around. My discipline for each is tailored to their personality. I just think people need to use love and common sense and stop being so darned opinionated about others' choices to the point of being rude.

Sometimes I think people who "don't spank, have never spanked and can't imagine why you would spank a child" perhaps have had children who didn't really need that type of correction. If that is true, congratulations. I have had both kinds of children in my care and one that is a preteen now, whom I would not spank, but would have been far better off with a few spankings as a smaller child!!!! Do what works. Don't do it in anger. Use common sense and love.

Still leaving the reader of said materials in complete charge of their actions.