No advice, but I'm with you. My dd (13) who has been homeschooled for 5 years will be starting high school in September. She's so excited to go and I'm excited for her, but nervous at the same time. (it's a performing arts high school in Manhattan - very rigorous schedule, subway there and back, huge school of 2400 kids, and I have no idea how she compares academically. Yeah, I'm a nervous wreck).

We're going into Year 3 and I downloaded about 11 free books onto my Nook. I'm not sure which books are available for an e-reader, but check Amazon and bn.com.

My ds was exactly 2 1/2. It took almost 2 weeks to fully train, but he was dry from the first night. I think my method works so well because I get rid of all diapers and pullups from day 1 of training - even at night (the diaper fairy comes to take them to give them to all the new babies who need them, lol, leaving ds with awesome brand new cartoon character underwear). I use a sticker chart to track progress and see a pattern, and yes we go through lots of underwear and towels that first week. There will be accidents and that's normal as he adjusts. You need to have a lot of patience and at least 2 uninterrupted weeks with ds, but it's worth it.

We school year-round as well. My reporting follows the school year, though. You can follow any yearly schedule you like.

Dd (13) will be starting high school in the fall. It's a bit different here in NYC where no one chooses to go to their "local" school. We get to pick from about 400 high schools (the process is nuts, but well worth it, imo). Most are focused on something. My oldest dd (16) goes to a journalism college preparatory high school (small, public, progressive, yet reserved, w/uniforms). She wants to be a broadcast journalist. It was perfect for her. Younger dd will be going to the performing arts high school that was depicted in the movie "Fame" (huge, public, very bohemian, lol). She wants to be a professional dancer and from what I hear, that school is the best one in the country. Ds (9) is currently interested in film-making, acting, technology, math, science, and sculpting. There are high schools for all of those things. If he chooses to go, we pick one together (after I research all the options to death) and the application process begins. I will be honest. If my town had only 1 or 2 local high schools to choose from, I would encourage my kids to continue homeschooling.

Don't sweat it. It's just a short letter informing the superintendent that you will be homeschooling. Here's my sample: Letter of Intent After you send this, you will receive a "packet" - some forms you don't have to use and a copy of the NY regulations. Then you have 4 weeks to send an IHIP (I have samples of those on my blog, too). It looks scarier than it really is. You'll be a pro at it in no time. :001_smile:

We did AO Year 1 when ds was 7. We both loved it and followed it pretty much as written. The only thing we did differently was take out all the blatantly religious books (I don't incorporate religion into academics). What made it work for me was to keep as close to the CM methods/philosophy as we could and joining the AO yahoo group for ideas and support. It's such an excellent curriculum and I was amazed at how much he learned after that first year of AO. We're in Year 2 now and it's still great.

This.

It's also free online, you know. You can try it before you buy it!

I love using it with our nature journaling. A great website that makes it fun is this one: http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com. She made a bunch of Outdoor Hour Challenges that you could try.

My ds (9) has been asking to get his ear pierced since he was 4. I told him when he turned 10 he could get it. I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a whim or because his older friends had it done. Once he got a little older and understood more of what it all entails, I felt better about allowing it. Nine months left, lol.

I haven't read all the responses, but I understand where you're coming from. I definitely suggest talking to the director to work something out where you don't have to do physical volunteer work. To be honest, we were in the same situation 5 years ago when my dd was 8. She's a competitive dancer and was winning top awards at competitions and being given amazing opportunities to dance at incredible venues (Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Six Flags) and with incredible master teachers. We struggled for a year - dance is also not cheap - and I decided to get a job. I worked evenings and weekends (20hrs/week) and it didn't interfere with homeschooling at all. Soon I was bringing home enough money to have all my kids in extra-curriculars with money left over. 4 years later, I'm still there and I love it. I couldn't take dd away from what she loved - although I know that's the only choice for many families. But before you do that, explore every single option. Dd is 13 now, still dancing and competing, and was just accepted to LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts (the school from the movie "Fame"). A p/t job may not be the answer for you, but it was certainly the right choice for us. (I work in sales for the cable company. It's a 12 minute drive from my home, and I sit at a desk with a computer and phone in a comfy chair for 4 hours, and no one bothers me. It's such a nice break at the end of my day. You can find something out there that doesn't involve standing or physical labor. It's work checking out, imo) :001_smile:

1-How many hours do you work? I work 20hrs/week 2-Do you need to leave the house to work those hours? Yes (I drive about 15 minutes each way) 3-How old are your children? My homeschooled kids are 13 and 9. I also have a 16y/o who goes to public school. 4-Do the children homeschool in your absence? Does anyone monitor their homeschooling in your absence? No. I work from 5:30pm-9:30pm 5 days/week. I get all the homeschooling, cleaning, field trips, and get-togethers over with by around 4pm. Dh is home by 6pm and he takes care of the evening cooking, chauffeuring, and errands. I was a SAHM for 12 years and only decided to get a p/t job for extra money for things like dance/music/sports/etc for the kids. Now it's 4 years later. It's been working out really well, we're putting more money towards bills, and I really enjoy what I do. It's a nice break for me, too. ;)

My kids make the choice whether to stay at home or go to school. Dd (16) had always been in school, homeschooled for 8th grade, and then went to high school. Dd (13) homeschooled since 3rd grade, is now in 8th grade and chose to go to high school in September. Ds (9) homeschooled since Kindergarten, is now in 3rd grade, and he's leaning toward public (or Catholic) high school. He has no interest in either elementary or middle school. We're lucky here in NYC that we have tons of school choice. The girls are going to high schools that focus on their interests. I have researched schools to death and I'm very pleased with the quality of the ones they've chosen. Older dd goes to a journalism preparatory school and younger dd will be going to a prestigious performing arts high school (for dance) on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Ds? Who knows. His interests right now range from creative/fine arts to football to biology. If he chooses to go to high school in 5 years, he'll try out for the ones that focus on what he loves. If he chooses to stay home, I'm prepared. :001_smile:

I got this one. It's an "easel" cover that flips open from the bottom. I like it way better than the book-type covers: http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/Industriell-Easel-Cover/e/9781615513376/?itm=5

Ds is finishing up 3rd grade. We don't do tests. We do things like oral and written narrations on the readings, dictation exercises, and CD rom/workbook math so I always know where he is, what he knows, and what I need to go over again with him. The only thing we do that comes close to a test is spelling, but he thinks of it as a game and really enjoys it.

I think Xavier (pronounced Zavier not ECKS-avier) sounds the best with the other 2 names. Different beginnings and endings. Same number of syllables. Has that same old-world coolness factor.

In a NYC public school in the early 80s we read it in 7th grade.

Buy a small statue of St. Joseph. Bury it upside-down somewhere in front of your home. Your home will sell. :D

When my dd (now 13) was 5, she saw me write her name in cursive on the winter clothes bag that was going in the basement. She said, "Is that my name?". I told her it was and she begged to learn how to write like that, too. She was adamant about it, so I gave her a cheapo cursive book that was her older sister's (unused). She zipped through the whole thing in about a week. I was astonished at how gorgeous her handwriting was. She was so proud of herself, that she did some Kindergarten work in cursive (at school). Would you believe she got reprimanded because "we don't use cursive in Kindergarten!!". She was heartbroken. I wish I would have homeschooled her then. Oh, wait, sorry, I went off on a tangent. YES! Foster that incredible love of learning. I say, let her do the copywork with whatever she feels like. Adults don't give a thought to what handwriting they'll use. Kids should be free to choose. :D

My 13y/o dd is getting them this weekend. She's getting top and bottom braces that she'll need to wear for 2 years. She chose the clear ceramic ones instead of the full metal ones. I was told the total was $5800. This includes everything from the initial visit, any x-rays, all throughout the 2 years, a retainer after the braces come off, and any 3rd year follow up visits. My insurance covers $1500. I'm to pay $400 the first month, $400 the second month, $500 the 3rd month, and then $150/month for the next 2 years. Not so bad, imo.

You can send it anytime within 14 days of starting homeschooling. This could be July 1st or it could be somewhere in September. I send mine at the end of June, since we've been at it for 5 years.

When my dd was 11, she took an awesome circus class. In had thngs like tumbling, trapeze, the floating hoop, and flips (she almost learned how to do an aerial cartweheel, lol). See if there's one near you. I bet she'd love that.

My dd started out with something called VEET. It's really great.

We did Year 1 for 2nd grade and we're half-way through Year 2 (3rd grade). We're continuing through the summer and I figure we'll be done with Year 2 before October. Then we'll go right into Year 3. We LOVE it. We'll be finishing up TT5 and move onto LoF Fractions during Year 3. We also follow the AO schedules for the poets, nature, artist, & composer study. We throw in science experiments, art projects, and tons of field trips & classes. We also try to incorporate many CM methods, like: short lessons, afternoons free, nature notebooks, copywork, history timeline, and handicrafts. You have to read as much as you can on the AO website before you begin. What I've learned is that because AO is such a challenging curriculum, the selections should be read to the child up to about Year 4 and the child gives an oral narration (does not have to be a full summary. If it's difficult, then have them tell you a few things they remember. Read on the AO site about narration. It explains so much). Starting in Year 4, the child can read some things on their own and try a few written narrations. BUT...if you're just starting AO with an older child, reading the selections to them is a better idea. Many children aren't used to these types of books and older language, so they need to ease into it gently. Also, Year 4 is a huge jump from Year 3 - they even made a "Year 3.5" to help children new to AO ease into Year 4. Year 3.5 booklist Year 3.5 36-week schedule So it may not be that you picked the wrong Years, its that you went about it the wrong way. Pull up the "site map" page on the AO site and just start reading everything you can below the booklists and schedules. Maybe you can give it another try! :001_smile: