Yes she needs a diploma. Everyone who is intellectually able needs a HS diploma. The GED book isn't a bad idea, though.

I've been to GHC, and it was a lot of fun. I've also worked at a smaller, local convention and so I've had a chance to see things from the inside. The thing about huge conventions is time. YES, they have loads of vendors, but you won't have time to visit them all, especially if you want to attend any workshops. When I was at GHC I don't think I made it through the entire hall. Also, the vendors are a lot busier which is good for them ($$$), but not so much for me if I wanted to really talk about how to make a product work for our situation. At a smaller convention the vendors have time for you. It's a more personal, relational experience. Do your research ahead of time and if there are vendors that you're really interested in that will be at the big convention but not the smaller one, you can always ask if they can send a rep to the smaller show. That way you see the products in person but still get more personal attention.

She wants to be a tattoo artist. She'll need a diploma and to do an apprenticeship. She may take more art classes at the community college in the future. I can set my own graduation requirements. She wants to have done work similar to what typical teens cover. I'm satisfied if she makes it through pre-algebra, because that's the math she needs. It's not so much wanting to shove content into her as that I believe that a certain level of historical and scientific literacy is really important. She *wants* her classes to feel like school. She doesn't respect informal learning - even though that's where she's learned the most. I might see if I can get her on board with Great Courses or Masterclass to address some of these in a way that feels like school but is still accessible to her (idea rich, but not reading/writing heavy).

I don't feel like I have a lot of time left. I have 1-1/2 years for over 3 years worth of high school work. She has a history of being dangerously impulsive, so when she's 18 there's a very good chance she'll move out and I do not want her to launch without a diploma. She may have to live with that consequence, but with all my heart I don't want her to having to go through the stigma of being a high school dropout. How's she going to get a job? Support herself? Support her future kids? She has multiple significant learning disabilities so there's that, too. There's so much. On the other hand, she's mentioned that she'd like an extra year to work on high school, and that's great. But when the time comes, she could just as easily move out and be a high school drop out (remember: impulsive). I do have some currency, though - ballet. As long as she's a student, we pay for ballet. It's expensive. She wants to continue dancing after 18, so ... yeah. That may work. Dude, I suddenly feel some hope 🙂 She won't need a transcript for a 4 year college, but I do want her to have one for her own records. I want her to be able to see that yes, she has accomplished academic things that typical learners accomplish. This is important to both of us. She is truly brilliant and creative, but the LDs have her believing the opposite about herself. Things take a long time to get done on a good day. And she usually only has the mental stamina to work on ONE subject a day (when she's willing to work at all). I am totally open to redefining what a credit means. So, instead of 160 hours a credit can mean covering a specific topic to a certain basic level of mastery. Progeny Press poetry guide is going to be one English credit. Sue me. Watching and discussing ballets, good movies, plays, etc. will be another English credit (Visual Storytelling - my favorite course title to date). Should we ever finish her grammar program, that, combined with a fair amount of already completed work, will be 9th grade English. (That'll be her most legit English credit). Her counselors (plural) are sweet but don't know how to help. One wants me to put her in public high school. Um... no, ma'am. Not if that means she'll engage in risky, self-destructive behaviors. So, she's not a ton of help. More than getting her schoolwork in order, her dad and I feel the pressure of having 1-1/2 years to teach her - in partnership with her counselors - how to cope with life in healthy ways. Putting her in an environment that feeds her worst impulses isn't helpful. It's like telling an alcoholic to go ahead and get that job at a bar. I like her counselor but she doesn't have kids and sometimes it shows.

What do you do for school refusal when the student is already homeschooled? Older DD is recovering from trauma, has a serious mental illness, we're figuring out the med situation, and exhibits impulsive behaviors that make a traditional school setting dangerous for her (she admits that she would definitely do these behaviors if she were in a B&M school). So here we are. Stuck in homeschool. On the bright side: the latest addition to her medication buffet appears to maybe be working (ok, we're ONE day in, but I did notice a difference yesterday so... maybe?). Other bright sides, she does ok at the outsourced class she takes (just one hour a week). She's also still doing very well in ballet at her new studio. It's just the other stuff that's scary. She's 16 and in 11th grade (we give social promotions in our homeschool 😉 ). She has ONE English credit almost finished. She's crashing and burning in pre-algebra, even though she says she understands the lessons (we're using Derek Owens, fwiw). It's all the little tiny video clips she has to watch that gets overwhelming for her. I've offered to have her split up lessons over a few days so she just have go through a few clips, but... no dice. Anyway... any BTDT advice? Or just regular advice? I feel legitimately panicked at the idea of even approaching her about school after what happened last time. But the girl needs a diploma and I won't issue one if she doesn't do the work. I've thought of trying to pull together an unschooling transcript to give her credit for her self-directed learning. That might at least help her "catch up." I think being so far behind schedule definitely stresses her out. Anyone know how to do that? She hates reading so it's not like I can just categorize books she's read into neat subjects. I'm up for ideas on how to make binge-watching Jenna Marbles on youtube into a high school course (kidding, mostly).

What helps you sleep through the night? I fall asleep fine. I wake up in panic mode over stuff that's happening with one of my kids. My brain gets on an ugly loop. Any gentle things I can do to calm myself down in the middle of the night so I can get some sleep? I have essential oils but not sure which ones might be helpful for middle of the night panic. I'm totally open to other suggestions, too. I'm so tired right now that my face hurts.

I can't remember if the samples are online or not, but if you email them I'm sure they'll send you something. They're super nice, and very easy to work with.

Does your state offer nonclassroom-based public charter schools, aka 'homeschool charters'? That would give him outside accountability and teacher support. Honestly, after you gave more details about your situation my first thought was doing K12 through a charter. It would be free, structured, and offer outside accountability. Also, because they're accredited public schools, he'd be able to transfer smoothly back into a regular public school/brick and mortar charter if you think that might be on the table in the future. Other inexpensive structured options are Acellus Power Homeschool and Time 4 Learning. If nothing else, they would get him through the rest of the school year and you can rethink your approach for 10th grade.

What are his strengths and weaknesses? Goals?

That is a really good idea. Redeem the time.

I wonder what would happen if I tried to get a-g approval for younger DD's courses. Has anyone tried this as a PSA homeschooler? ETA: Nevermind - I looked it up and only regionally accredited schools can create a-g course lists. My kids take a class at an unaccredited private school, so I guess their full-time students are in the same boat as my girls. Crazy.

I think what they mean is that a school can't list a college course on the list of courses that their specific school offers. That wouldn't preclude a student a student from dual-enrolling at a college and using those courses to satisfy a-g. The UC's Subject Requirement (a-g) page gives examples of college courses that fulfill the a-g requirements. It's all kind of a big bureaucratic mess. Welcome to California.

Yeah, it stinks. The San Diego Tribune has done a lot of excellent investigative journalism on the Inspire franchise beginning last summer. In response to its critics, Inspire says it will now require high schoolers to complete a-g requirements. So that means you'll be looking at choosing from a specific selection of pre-approved curricula and courses. "Put together, Inspire schools had an average graduation rate of 69 percent last year and produced seven graduates — out of 209— who met California state college or university admission requirements. In a written statement, Inspire said it is taking steps to improve its academics. For example, it said it will require students to take courses that qualify for state college or university admission for core subjects, and it will use intervention programs to address struggling students." Inspire charter schools spread across California as critics warn of performance, financial concerns In California, it has come down to this: if you want to homeschool, homeschool. If you want to do a PSAH program, go for it. But, especially when it comes to high school, the two are not the same thing. The stricter charters aren't being mean, they're just trying to follow the law and maintain accreditation.

More information about applying to UC as a home schooler starts on page 7. https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/CC2019/dual-enrollment-and-home-school-applicants.pdf There is bias against homeschoolers within the UC admissions system. "student will enter “Home School/Home Study” as the school name. For diploma/certificate received, select either GED or Certificate of Proficiency if applicable, or select "Other" and type "None." (This doesn't apply to students at PSAH charters, because they're legally not homeschooling) So... if my daughter applies to a UC she'll be evaluated in the same way as a high school drop out. Leaves a nasty taste in my mouth just thinking about it. Of course, if applying to a private school in CA or any school outside of CA, none of this matters. So do what you want for high school and then apply to private or out of state schools.

Farrar explained it pretty well. Basically, assuming you have a typical, capable student (and you do) the charter will pressure you or outright require you to choose from a selection of pre-approved curricula in order to satisfy a-g requirements. Technically you could choose a general (not college prep) diploma, but the state is placing more and more pressure on students in nonclassroom-based (PSAH) charter schools, to do the college prep route. On the bright side, this will allow your daughter to apply to a UC/CSU without additional testing. On the downside, you lose almost all of the flexibility you'd get from doing regular homeschooling for high school. I know families who happily use a PSAH charter for K-8 and then ditch it in high school for this very reason. If you file a private school affidavit/PSA (ie: regular homeschooling) you retain your autonomy, and can be as creative and flexible as you want in terms of coursework. The downside is there are more hoops to jump through if your daughter wants to go to a UC.

If it's an Inspire school, proceed with caution. Inspire has many great families and teachers, but they're going to be audited in January (?) 2020 for quite a few financial and other regularities. If it's not an Inspire school, feel free to disregard this 🙂

Homeschooling in California is SO easy. File your PSA (private school affidavit) and you're good. It's not "under the radar." It's literally how you homeschool here. You can also enroll her in a public school at home (PSAH) program (e.g. charter) if you want/need some of the services they offer. Also, community college tuition is free for high school students (you still pay for books), so that's a good fairly cost-effective option. I've done PSAH (charter) and regular homeschooling and am happy to help with any questions you may have.

Spray plain vinegar like you would air freshener. It should kill quite a bit of the charred odor and the vinegar smell fades pretty quickly.

Ugh. 😞 We went through this last year and it took MONTHS to get it under control. So gross! Anyway, what finally worked was the Terminator Nit Comb and Licefree Spray. In between treatments, use tea tree oil and lavender in your hair (just leave it in for as long as you can stand it and wash it out). Good luck. Lice are awful 😞

I vote for "too analytical." Slow processing affects everything all the time, except for tasks that are done so much it's second nature (and even then...).

My older DD needs to review and strengthen her math facts (ALL of them: +, -, x, / ) Is there a workbook like Kumon that's just drill, drill, drill but not with the demoralizing "Grade 3" or whatever on the cover?

Another one from my wishlist: Colorbrain Hopefully I'll be able to give a proper review after Christmas 🙂

I haven't played it yet, but Truth Bombs is on my Wishlist. How to Play Truth Bombs

(edited out the personal stuff) Regarding the non-binary stuff, this might be helpful (or not), but I'll put the link here just in case: Parents of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria