My mom's Revere wear started finally dying lately, handles breaking off, etc...and I finally decided that I was due for my own set of pots and pans. I bought http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Fischner-12-piece-5-layer-18-10-Stainless-Steel-Cookware/3571841/product.html from Overstock and have been pleased with the quality. They are probably more fancy than something I would have picked out on my own and there are actually more pots than I would typically use. I decided to pick up a second SS frying pan because I cook alot of breakfast foods and I just got one from Walmart last week that I'm happy with. Some really good suggestions here, I wish I had come to the hive before I did my shopping!

:grouphug: Right there with you but I have three boys at home, 11, 7 and 4. Mine like to wrestle and play rough (except my hyperactive and hypersensitive -SPD one) and they like to call names. I've used several different approaches, punishing immediately and also making them say one nice thing about the other every time they say something rude. Following that for a few days really did cut down on the name calling. Also I've had talks with all of them about how noone is allowed to talk to one of my children the way they just did and punish them with a time out or loss of privilege for a while. Pointing out that they are all my kids that I will protect, if necessary from each other does seem to help..but five and six is a rough age for this stuff. Hang in there mom! Some days as soon as my dh gets home from work I lock myself in the bathroom with a bubble bath and tv show (I made him run cable to a small extra tv in the bathroom for just this reason lol).

When I first pulled my oldest son from ps last year we ordered and used SOS to finish out his 4th grade. I was finishing up my Bachelor's degree and working fulltime in public school so my time was extremely limited but we felt we were pulling him out on an emergency basis. I thought I could just check his work a few times a week, "grade" it as necessary and keep him on track. For my ADD (inattentive), Aspie this program was not a good fit. I thought he would enjoy the computer aspect (he does love computer stuff) but in reality he was very overwhelmed by not being able to "see" how much work he needed to do every day. It felt like a never-ending stream of assignments and that was very demotivating for him. From what I understand (I was working fulltime+, taking a college class and have two other children) he would spend hours and hours at the computer every day, mostly staring into space...I have written off this time as time for him to decompress from the pressures of ps. Once I finished my internship I was home fulltime and immediately figured out that he was waaaaayyy behind and wasn't on track to complete the curriculum by the official end of the school year. I worked with him daily for about a month and we caught up and finished about two weeks late. I remember towards the end of the curriculum when he could see that he had only a few assignments left he was suddenly able to accomplish more - the end was in sight. I am using a modified workbox approach this year that break everything down into chunks and bits he can handle on a daily basis. The scheduling system didn't make any sense to me even after using it for about six months. The lessons aren't truly interactive in any sense of the word. I found out that both he and I really needed to hold an actual book, not just read off of the computer. I second the comments about the science experiments and writing assignments. In an emergency situation it's definitely better than nothing but for an unmotivated, visual learner with LD's it was far from useful and I wouldn't use it again.

I am homeschooling my three boys for the first time this year as well and I can so relate to the above statement. I'm an introvert as well and really need some alone time on a daily basis to recharge. I find myself staying up until 2am or later to just have some quiet time - this is not a good solution. I just wanted to say :grouphug: and hang in there - I know how you are feeling. I think that every parent who makes unorthodox parenting choices questions if they are doing the right thing. In this case, for my family, if my kids were in ps right now I would also wonder every day if I was doing the right thing. I have to go back to why we chose to do this and there be assured that there is freedom to make a different choice in the future should circumstances change. Even if I fuss too much, am overtired and not a *perfect* mom and teacher, noone else can love them like their mom and can want their best longterm best education and learning in all areas of their lives. Noone else can understand their flaws and weaknesses and push them to overcome like their mom.

I would suggest IEW but you might be able to start out with one of their smaller and less expensive books to start with. For around $30 you can get a book that would teach the basic skills - it has really worked with my fifth grader!

I am a fan of Math U See and am using it successfully with my ADD kids. Each week has one lesson that we view on a dvd, it uses manipulatives that help you to see the concept in concrete terms. Then the student workbook comes with six worksheet pages per lesson. The first three worksheets are only the new topic then the last three include the new topic and review. You can get additional worksheets to print from their website for further practice. The concept of MUS is to learn to mastery and I think this makes more since than a purely spiral approach.

Without a doubt the kinds of stories we tell our young children help to shape the way that they see the world. Being the super protective parents that we are it's hard to imagine reading the original Grimm's Fairy Tales to very young children (so much death, children being abandoned, etc...) but it's very interesting to note that for much of human history children grew up hearing stories of this type, including bible stories (think about how you will explain Abraham and Isaac to a 4 or 5 year old, I tried doing this with a 7 year old this year and he was more than a little freaked out). At the same time think about the message that most Disney movies (at least the older ones) give our children...little girls wait for their prince to come and make everything right, little boys have to be heroes and warriors to be manly. In spite of these things, there are also many truths imbedded within our fairy tales and they can shape a child's perception of themselves and our world, they are found all throughout our culture. I would rather be the one to share this culturally iconic stories with my children (whether through reading or viewing a movie together) so that I can explain our beliefs about them. Young children will accept explanations pretty easily I've found and usually move on in their thinking. Use wisdom in deciding how, when, and where you want to expose your children to certain cultural things. :)

Wow, I have the paperback version of these, I had no idea there was an illustrated version. Those are great looking.

I started Greece with my two boys, 11 and 7, last week. My oldest is reading Mary Pope Osborne's Tales From The Odyssey ( six volumes from my library). I'm currently reading aloud The Iliad retold by Ian Strachan, this book seems to have the complete story but cleaned up for younger kids and has some nice illustrations. I plan to start reading the Osborne books to my youngest, he should be able to read it himself but I think that he will comprehend more if I read aloud.

I've been learning Latin along with my oldest this year using LfC A. When I read the chapter that mentions the cases I thought I had missed something but it turned out that we just needed to understand at that stage that there were different cases. A few chapters (weeks) later we got a definition for what each one generally means and that continues to be expanded upon. I have to say that I really use and enjoy/need the DVD's that come with LfC - it helps me to have another teacher initially explain the concept. He covers the same things on the first page or two of each chapter but it's easier to me to see it than to read it. YMMV! :D

Funny, I've found that WTM recs suit my Aspie and LD boys pretty well (for the most part). The copywork(small quantities), FLL, WWE, etc...are hits around here. But then all LD kids are different and will respond to different things. The short lessons, read alouds and stories (they can listen to while jumping on the mini trampoline or playing with playdoh) keep them sane during the day. I have been enjoying TWTM and found it easy to tweak as needed. I really love that the author took some time to comment on this thread herself! Thanks SWB!

I prepare the next week's work in the notebooks on the weekend before school starts. It takes about 1.5-2 hours usually. I use a Word document to type up assignments for each subject and each day, then I make copies of coloring pages, copywork pages, etc...and three hole punch and put the weeks work into each boy's notebook. They know that they can go to their notebooks and tell exactly what we have planned for the week. The notebooks serve the double purpose of being our official record/log of what we are doing for my state/county purpose. I check their work daily (I only have two children) so that's how I keep on top of things. :001_smile:

I am using Writing With Ease and First Language Lessons with both my Aspie 11 year old and my LD 7 year old and both are working reasonably well most days. I also have Winston Grammar which I have used with some success with my 11 year old. It provides a deck of cards, one card for each part of speech and the definition on the back, this gives a hands on way of looking at sentence structure. Though my 11 year old liked this as an introduction to grammar and sentence structure he has been doing really well with diagramming in FLL 4. The concreteness of the diagram really appeals to him.

My situation is that I have two boys I'm schooling plus one toddler-ish newly 4 year old. My older boys both have learning disabilities and various levels of ADD/ADHD. One of my biggest goals (outside of learning basic math, reading and writing) is helping them learn how to focus on what has to get done and them learning to work more independently. That said, the reality of my day is that I have to be right there next to them to keep them on task and sometimes have to work every single step of every problem to get the work done. That, for me, is the most exhausting thing about homeschooling, along with trying to keep my 4 year old entertained and involved to some extent. The easier lessons are the ones where we all work together, I read history, they do mapwork or coloring pages and answer my comprehension questions. I would say that for most children working independently requires some training but it is doable. With a girl, non-LD, I would think she would be able to do most of her grammar, math and other work fairly independently with you there to occasionally redirect and check her work. Good luck!

Are you talking about grammar or just making a statement/response to a question? Is he verbally able to respond to you?

We started off the year with Prima Latina and changed to Latin for Children A within two weeks. We use the DVD, workbook and activity book and on week 16 started the weekly Latin History Reader for extra translation and latin history. This program is a hit here. Small chunks of info, entertaining bits on the DVD (little funny shows and clips of the kids who do the chants). We use the dvd once a week and chant along with the cd's every day. The activity book has crossword puzzles, word search and other kinds of puzzle activities for reinforcing vocabulary. I already print out alot of things and copy for history, language arts and other lessons. I like that we can just grab our books and cd and leave the house when I have to take the kids out in the middle of the day. Pick up and go is a plus! classicalacademicpress.com

We use IEW and WWE with my oldest and used CW for the first half of the year and now WWE with my middle son. Maybe I missed something with CW but it just didn't seem to be a fit for my kids. There was an imbalance in the comprehension level, spelling level, etc being quite low and then large quantities of copywork. On the other hand, IEW and WWE have both been stars this year. My oldest son has always been a very reluctant writer, couldn't summarize anything to save his life but he's really started to blossom. His language skills are really growing and I attribute it to the use of both of these programs.

First of all big hugs to you and your family!! :grouphug: While I only have three kids I can really relate to what you are experiencing. My oldest son, 11, is an Aspie (with SPD/ anxiety/ ADD), middle son,7, has ADHD and dyslexia and SPD and I have a 4 year son with developmental delays - he started finally potty training about two months before his 4th birthday and still has accidents, he also has speech delays and SPD. Add in my oncoming fibromyalgia/back problems and my mom who lives with us having fibro and bad osteoarthritis (I end up driving her to most of her dr apptmts with the kids in tow) and my house is a madhouse sometimes! What I have been doing is trying to set small, attainable goals on a daily basis, and when we are having a good day or week we do more. I keep all of my kid's work in small bites so that they can take frequent breaks throughout the day (especially my hyper 7 year old - he can't stay in a seat for long). This allows me to take a break as well, go check laundry, wash a few dishes, play with the 4 year old for a minute, plan a meal, etc... I plan in space where it's ok for the kids go outside to swing or go play in their rooms. If I'm having a bad pain day it's ok to just focus on the 3r's, we do math, writing and bible and try to review our language vocab - I make the schedules and can always push something to the next day or the next week if possible. I focus on simple daily routines: - spend 15-30 mins with some short memorization/character lessons (we read a story from the Children's Illustrated Bible and talk about it a little) and always some prayer - we need it! lol - 10-15 mins on Writing With Ease per each older children (this is a short read aloud, a few comprehension questions and narration or dictation) - 15-30 mins per older kids on our math practice/lesson. - 15 mins Songschool Latin for younger child - 30 mins Latin for Children for older child (We have chosen to do Latin and started learning the Greek alphabet using The Greek Code Cracker - this is replacing our logic workbooks this "semester". Both lessons involve chanting, clapping, singing and some fun puzzles and are enjoyed by the kids. For the most part Latin and Greek are considered a treat during the school day.) Twice a week: - 30-45 mins on history work (reading a part of a chapter from story of the world, comprehension questions, coloring a sheet, doing map work) - 10 mins Grammar for younger (FLL) and -15 mins Grammar for older (FLL 4) -15-30 mins RS4K Biology and reading some science encyclopedia's for kids, animal sticker books, etc.. If you add in some free reading and read alouds either at bedtime or a few times during the week you have about 2-2.5 hours in total of "school" each day per child, older with a little more, younger with less. Of course Mom ends up doing 3-4 hours total if you do everything but still that's usually manageable. With our breaks some days we don't finish until mid-afternoon but I've learned for us that is better than stressing out and trying to finish before lunch. If I'm working with one child one-on-one the other either gets a short break (mini trampoline/snack/daydreaming/looking at Pokemon cards) or works on his daily sheet of copywork/Readywriter or does some handexercises using playdough. Rather than being stressed it's more important that everyone is getting their emotional and physical needs met (including you!). We focus on everyone getting enough sleep (this means we don't start school some days until 10am), everyone gets their vitamins (multi, omegas, b12 for me and oldest son) in the morning and we all get some kind of daily exercise (this can be tricky at times). At our mid-morning break (after about three subjects) the kids walk the dog and/or go swing outside and I try to do some therapy exercises for my back and 10 minutes on the exercise bike. If I'm having a bad day physically I may just veg and enjoy a little peace! lol We are doing the best we can - if I thought that I could find some outside schooling for any of my kids that would be better suited to their needs I wouldn't hesitate to go that route. I've tried ps and IEP's and have found trying to get diagnosis and eval's to be more effort than I can afford most days - at this point it seems to be more productive to use my energy for my family and address their needs as best I can, while constantly evaluating progress and emerging needs. Everything listed above is just what is working for me right now, the schedule and plan will change if my needs change. The most important thing in my opinion is that you give yourself a break and your kids a break - whatever you need! Set some reasonable expectations for yourself and your kids and let go of feeling like a failure. It's hard but for your sanity a must. After rereading your post wanted to add - my youngest son is also very aggressive with my olders and I have to take a strong stand with him to get his attention. Even if I'm in the middle of school I'm learning to get up and take him to time out, redirect his play, or whatever is needed. Over time his behavior is getting better. Sometimes he just needs a little attention. I've had to pretty much limit no tv/computers while we do school - like your kids mine are totally lost if a screen is on in their vicinity. Occasionally I allow my youngest to watch a dvd in another room (nearby) while we do school but generally speaking he has to play near us (trains, blocks, puzzles, coloring, etc). Adding in another child would be very difficult for me so I can really sympathize. My approach is always to just try to schedule breaks to set up some kind of entertainment/play with the littles and try to do the seatwork (math, writing, handwriting) during naptime of the baby. I also have my older kids take turns playing with the 4 year old while I'm doing one on one work with the other child. It isn't always ideal but it works more often than not. All of this takes practice and training, especially for the younger child but over time they can learn how to play together. Helping with a younger sibling counts as helping mom (just like taking out the trash, walking the dog, cleaning up toys in the living room, etc...) and are counted as effort for the family when we go shopping and they want some kind of little toy or treat. Incentives can work wonders with kids of all ages! :P

My 11 year old Aspie reminds me alot of what I've read on this thread. He greatly struggles with those fine motor and gross motor/balance/spatial issues. He also has always struggled with sleep (since he was newborn), generalized anxiety (especially social) and the whole myriad of common problems. This year I have been using something similar to the workbox approach. I type up a weekly calendar of assignments and include copies of all needed worksheets in order behind the weekly calendar and keep them in one binder. We check off each box as we go. I give him some flexibility in chosing when to do certain subjects (except the ones that I co-teach to his younger brother). I continue to learn when to back off and let him go swing outside, jump on his mini-trampoline or take the dog for a walk versus when to push - get out the timer and challenge him to complete a section before the alarm goes off. Writing has always been a huge issue for him - more than your average kid who "doesn't know what to write". Writing assignments typically caused meltdowns, depression, anger and were a total failure. Nothing worked. This year we are using a combination of IEW (Ancient History Based Writing that goes along pretty well with our SotW 1 history) and doing Writing With Ease. At first he was very reluctant but I feel that both approaches have really taught both him and me alot. IEW gives a very specific framework and steps that are doable, though he does struggle and still needs alot of "handholding". WWE is even better in that it totally divorces the act of creating words and sentences from the physical act of writing. We do WWE every week and use the IEW every two or three weeks. The IEW takes alot more time because in the end you do alot more original work. Having me be his "secretary" ala WWE narrations has freed my ds from his fear of writing and allows him to think ahead and quickly. I've learned to use this tool in many of his classes, though not every class every day. For much of his work I have to sit side by side and serve as a personal tutor and secretary but I have no doubt that he is learning a tremendous amount. As the lessons progress and we get to our end of week tests he is suddenly able to do the writing himself because the stress seems to be gone (barring the *bad* days). On bad days I've learned that if I do the writing and just have him read along and let him tell me what to write down we are able to get through the day and just get to relaxation/play time. Also just being close, hugging on him, rubbing his back while we do school in this way really brings out the best in him. He's the oldest of three boys, my middle son is dyslexic and ADHD (very hyper) plus I have a developmentally delayed four year old - so most days school is time consuming and draining for me. I consider it to be my primary job (with shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, and every thing else coming behind!) but already I am amazed to look at how far we have come in eliminating so much of the bad attitude, meltdowns, tantrums and unwillingness to try. We did a HWOT cursive course starting last summer and finishing just before the holidays. Now I have him do cursive copywork several days a week in addition to whatever printing he does on worksheets and note taking/summaries for writing and history. I have started a keyboarding program for him but I feel he needs to continue working on the handwriting for his personal confidence, ability to note take in college (can't always assume that we will have a laptop he could use) and as a general life skill. Though my kids hate coloring and drawing I make sure they do some of that a couple of times a week through history coloring pages, mapwork (coloring and labelling) and occasionally sneak in an art lesson. I would say to the mom of younger Aspies that it can get better. We all have some unique co-issues to deal with but I am confident that homeschooling has been a great boon to my Aspie and that he is learning, growing and doing better all the time - even if it is two steps forward and one step back. :001_unsure:

Ditto. Haven't seen the OB since my 4 year old was born. I'm in my late 30's so I should probably get a pap smear done in the near future. Like you I don't have good insurance but even when I did have better we don't go often. My kids haven't been to the dr since I brought them home - noone has been sick (like they were when in ps) and they don't need extra shots. I delayed vacs for my older sons but caught alot of flack from my pediatrician and had limited choices. I did vaccinate my younger son but also on a delayed schedule catching him up by the time he was 3. The last time I saw a medical profession was for an infection and I went to a walk-in clinic. I prefer to treat myself as much as possible. We did take our middle son to the dr more regularly when he was younger and had recurring asthma issues. As he has gotten older he is doing better. I dislike having to defend my lifestyle choices (that I just don't think are that radical) and the only non-traditional dr's around are out of our price range.

Classical Academic Press has started a series for books that I'm really interested in and wish I'd seen at the start of the school year. http://classicalacademicpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=26 They have a sample of the first chapter and it also shows the table of contents. It looks very good for 2nd-5th or 6th grade depending on reading level. It's a little workbook-ish but I like the way it's set up and am hoping that the new testament parts come out soon!

We are using RS4K Biology level 1 and pre-level 1, no you don't need one. The lessons are based more on direct observations and drawings in the book. However, a microscope is definitely a good tool for advancing your biology. If cost is an issue save up for now and get a better one in a couple of years.

Congrats mama!! I think it's so sad it's almost funny how wrong the public schools can be about our kids - it's not that they all can't learn, they just can't learn in your (PS) environment! :tongue_smilie:

:bigear: I am looking at the same thing! Look forward to seeing the answers!

FYI I used Switched on Schoolhouse for my Aspie when I pulled him out of public school in the 4th grade because I was finishing up my college degree with a one semester full time internship. We got through it but just barely. It really wasn't good for him, he needed a lot of hand holding and someone right there with him. Now I'm using a mixed curriculum with alot of hand holding but he is actually learning. It was a challenging decision for me to stay home full time after finishing my college degree (those student loans have started rolling in!) but I realized that noone else could teach my son(s) like I could and would give them the time and effort. With a 7th grader you are only looking at 4-5 more years of traditional school - there has to be something better. :/ Lots of compassion from here!