[Need some perspective....excluding boyfriends/spouses at family events]

Just take the family who lives in your house, or have a nice dinner out with your DH. I wouldn't even deal with it.

 

All these types of posts have me very worried about future girlfriends of my boys.

I would do this. And if you are a praying person, I would start praying that God would remove him from her life. You can remove yourself from him. If your daughter marries him she will have a big set of problems.

[Memorizing math facts]

What Spycar said. C-rods. Worth their weight in gold! You can use the Education Unboxed vidoes for ideas on working with them.

Thanks for posting this. My son and I have been watching them and adding it to our math rotation. He eats it up. Between that and challenging word problems, math is hands-down his favorite. He had fun with the tower and wall videos. He is in 2nd so he is a little above those, math-skill wise, but they were good to bring him back into all things cuisinare. We use them randomly as needed but have a tendency to just do the next worksheet page in Singapore. If I could go back, I would do much more of this with all of my older kids.

[Let's be honest]

I was you last year. We are doing Derek Owen and loving it!!

 

I will add that He is doing the parent-grading course. They have a lot of practice problems that the student checks on their own, but the homework and tests that I grade are pretty painless to grade. There are usually 2-3 homework pages per week and he gives a screen shot of the page with the answers on them for the parent to grade by. That makes it super quick. The whole thing is so painless on my part. It helps so much to have that time for my younger kids.

[If you were atheist/agnostic but converted...]

I wish I knew the answer to this. After I became a Christian I ended up going back to school to get my masters in mental health counseling. I worked at a small Christian school for at risk teens. They were a mix of kids on drugs, kids who had been bullied, kids with varying mental illness, and kids that were undocumented and didn't feel safe in a public school. I was asked this very question more times than I can count. Some teens ended up having the "hit you upside the head" experience and many now are leading amazing lives in their adulthood. Many sat in tears wanting a miraculous change in their life. It was heart wrenching. Some just didn't care and thought we were all crazy but loved the staff anyway :)

 

My favorite story was a girl with a really bad addiction to smoking oxy. She was stealing from family and prostituting herself. She begged me to tell her how to be Christian and then got furious and stormed out of chapel every Wednesday saying it was insane. This went on for all 4 years she was there. A year after she graduated she found a church that she liked and had a profound experience. She was suddenly drug free, enrolled in college, had a steady boyfriend and you never could have guessed her past. She is now married and a devout Christian working on her own masters in counseling right now.

 

She told me years later how angry she was that God didn't just do what he says he will do yet she believes that she needed the journey she had to fully get it.

 

I saw these things happen alot. Some it was instant, some it took years. Some had been wounded by their own Christian families and couldn't separate their families sin from God. I too wish that when people were seeking it happened profoundly for them.

 

For me I wasn't seeking AT ALL. Quite the opposite in fact. One of my sons was seeking and it took him a while after the rest of us. His life was transformed in profound ways.

 

I wish I understood it. All I can compare it to is...have you ever had a really hard problem...let's say in calculus or physics. You are wrestling with it and while you might know how to solve it, you don't get why it works that way or is solved that way. Then suddenly it is the dawning moment. The problem makes perfect sense and you totally get it. You feel instantly smarter because you can comprehend it on such a deeper level. That was it for me. All of science clicked into place and made perfect sense. All human behaviors made perfect sense. All the laws of the universe seemed applicable to every situation and made perfect sense. The bible was crystal clear to me and matched up so well. I could suddenly see things I didn't before. It was amazing to me.

 

One thing I do believe is those that truly want it will eventually get it. It may not be on their timeline but it happens for them. I always tell teens that it is like asking a dog to understand algebra. A dog has no idea algebra exists and couldn't comprehend it even if we explained it to them. Yet, algebra exists. It does. We can easily do it and understand it. Dogs have an upper limit to their cognitive capabilities and so do we. Some things we will never be able to comprehend I believe. That, I guess, is where faith comes in and trusting we don't know it all.

Love this!! I grew up in a Christian home and always have believed. I went through a VERY wild phase and the Lord drew me back. After I came back to Him, I could look backwards and see all of the ways He had worked to bring people into my path, to let me hear what I needed to hear and see what I needed to see.

 

One time, we had no money because my husband owned his own business and times were hard. Our washing machine broke. I prayed and we came home and there was one on our porch. I don't think I told anyone the need but friends prayed and felt led to give it. I used to say I loved our time of struggle because I saw God move in ways that could never be taken and never be excused away. â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸

 

Our church has a ministry that helps addicts become free through Christ then get back on their feet, training them in job skills, helping them start a savings account and buy a vehicle, guiding them in going back and reconciling with loved ones they had hurt. Listening to these men and seeing what Christ has done in them is amazing!! Their gratitude to Him is humbling!!

[If you were atheist/agnostic but converted...]

YES! My dh and I saw this several months ago. It was one of the best movies I've ever seen.

I agree. We all loved it. And I was happy that the acting was good. Then we found out he is on staff at a church about 30 minutes away and we didn't even know. Haha

[What are your hits and misses this year so far?]

It's 3.97/month. It takes 5-10 minutes. My kids say it's cheesy but they are constantly singing the songs around the house and ask for them every day. Nothing has made memory work so easy for us so I consider the price worth it!

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Did you get the teachers guide too? That was what seemed high to me. I think it is $45 for each year. Of course, over a school year the videos would be around $40. But once you memorize Them, they are there. 😊

[If you were atheist/agnostic but converted...]

You are who my DH and I were. We LITERALLY thought anyone who believed had to be three sheets from crazy. We snickered at the guys handing out bibles at college. We rolled our eyes when we were forced to attend any church event. For example, my little cousin sang in her church and went to a Christian school. Any of her events made me squirm. I would have been the last person on the planet anyone who knew me could picture being Christian. I grew up in an atheist home and it was just never anything I wanted. I thought I would have to seriously lie to myself to ever believe that "craziness".

 

Fast forward to half way through grad school on the sciences. I could never describe my testamony online and do it justice. It was a flat out miracle. It was a smack me in the face, nothing could be truer, take the green pill, lift the veil, never could go back to not believing even if I wanted to.

 

My husband almost divorced me. He thought I was betraying him. Then it happened to him.

 

Then my two atheist teens at the time got saved one after the other.

 

We all have this conversation alot as we look at the transformation of us and our family. My husband is also a scientist in neurobiology and the lab he works in is predominately Christian outside of one person. Almost everyone there had a similar experience to us.

 

Until it happens to you, there is no way to describe it but the truth of it hits you like a ton of bricks.

 

I know this will sound bs crazy to anyone who isn't a Christian. I would have made fun of myself at some point in history.

Have you seen "A Case for Christ"? I watched it this weekend. Lee Strobel's (sp) story reminds me of yours.

[What are your hits and misses this year so far?]

Hits:

 

Math

Everything math is a hit here! All 3 of these younger boys of mine have math brains.

8th grader: Derek Owens Algebra 1 - this one is huge for us!!

6th grader: dolciani pre-algebra - another awesome one

2nd grader: challenging word problems (now that I've learned to schedule it into our day!! )

The cuisinaire rod instruction videos while he plays with the rods - he loves these!!!

Singapore math- constant source of positive, for years now

I've finally hit a groove with the youngest for math that includes drill, mental math, CWP and manipulatives. We spend about 40 minutes 4x per week but it is time well spent

 

Language arts:

EIW for 6th and 8th. I needed this breather from me always teaching. It has been a good fit!!

 

Prima Latina - we are enjoying just snuggling up and drilling this together. I do a lot of the writing. It is amazing how fun and painless this is when we treat it like a joy. 😊

 

Tapestry of grace - I am owning this and doing it my way, and this is another constant source of truth and joy for us.

 

Apologia science - elementary levels and physical science. I have tried so many curricula for science. I kept avoiding this one but it is perfect for us. They are getting so much science knowledge these past two years!

 

Kay Arthur New Inductive Study on Revelation - we are loving this. I tried the kids' version of John last year and we didn't like it. I print their own bible worksheets so they can mark key words, and we discuss as we go, looking up info in commentaries and In the Greek.

 

SCM art portfolios - the boys don't love them but they are painless and we are learning new artists.

 

Fallacy Detective/Thinking Toolbox - this gets the job done, they like it, and it is painless for me. Twice a week during lunch I ask the questions from the book.

 

Meh:

 

Spelling workout - I've used it since the first day my oldest started 1st grade, 16 years ago. I don't love it but it gets the job done

 

Cottage Press - I may love it later. We don't yet.

 

Second form Latin - we used to love Latin but the older boys are tired of it. Their lives are busy and they would like me to toss this.

 

We don't have anything we hate.

[What are your hits and misses this year so far?]

I've seen this topic in the past and find it fascinating. I've also gotten some really good advice on curricula to check out or avoid!

 

My school-age kiddos are in grades 7, 5 and 2.

 

Hits:

 

Claritas Classical Academy memory work using Cross Seven videos. They make Morning Time and memorization effortless!

 

This looks really good! About how long does it take per day? I like that it would line up with the 4-year cycle!!

 

My only issue is it seems pricey for memory work.

[Help me tweak my daily schedule, please :-)]

Ideas:

 

Can you line up a string of 30 minutes of alone work that your 7yo could do while you read to the 4yo? Online math drill (xtramath or something) copy work, let him read to himself on his level. I have a 7yo so I know that age. I have mine do the above. He also plays app learning games. Maybe if you could do a teaching time and then leave him with some alone work to be responsible for? I don't use any of the same curriculum for that age so I can't tell how it works for solo work.

 

Can you start your day earlier? Can you alternate a few of the things you do with the older girls? Maybe put them in a loop? Like don't do the Greek/Latin or the read-aloud daily but alternate.

 

Can you shorten your lunch/circle time? I've learned to eat while I prep lunch for the others so that I can read aloud to them while they eat their lunch.

 

I have 5 but 2 are in college now. When it was all of us, I was exhausted. I HAD to have 30 minutes to myself every afternoon (still do).

[Cottage Press or English Lessons Through Literature]

We are using cp and doing it at our own pace. We do like it but don't love it.

 

What I like:

How thorough the teachers book is

Having art and nature study scheduled

The copy work is quality literature and poetry.

I like the art study instructions and space to draw

 

What I'm underwhelmed by:

I was hoping for more from the nature study.

I think the copywork/dictation pieces are entirely too long for the age level they are geared toward.

There is not enough space to copy the long pieces.

 

I may need to re-read the teachers manual to get more from how to lead our time together. I'm just used to FLL/R&S type curriculum.

[Nature journaling - love the idea need some direction for good implementation]

I wish we had done more of this. My son is now 22, and we both remember the good times we had on nature hikes.

 

I was happy with the way we did it, just not with the frequency.

 

I got plain journals, one for each of the two of us, and we would leave the house on a Mission. Usually we just walked right out the front door; infrequently, we drove.

Today, we are going to find and draw five different shapes of leaves. When we get home, we will find out what they are called.

Today, we are going to find three things we have never seen before and we will draw them. (Sometimes we did 15 things and just kept a list.)

Today, we are going to lie on our backs and find three different kinds of clouds.

Today, we are going to go for a walk at dawn and try to replicate the light with colored pencils.

Same for sunset.

Today, we are going to go to the lakeshore and find and draw 3 kinds of plants we don't see outside our house.

Today, we are going to a river. We'll hike in, and then we will sit and try to figure out why the river flows the way it does. We'll draw it.

Today we are going on a walk around our block. It's spring; we're going to notice three trees we like and see how they are budding. (Then again in summer/blooming, fall/changing, winter/bare). We did a similar thing just looking out the window from our house because sometimes it is just too doggone rainy.

 

Anyway, it was a blast, and I think we got a lot of the point of it--the naming and the learning for sure, but I think it also turned us into better observers, and that is a life skill.

I love this! 2 years ago we had a year pass to the state parks. We had what we called state park school every other Friday. We would hike and take pictures, draw, take things home. It was great!! Now I have an 8th grader and it feels stressful trying to get everything done.

[On "taking a knee"]

Never mind. I don't have time to argue so I'm not.

[On "taking a knee"]

I wonder why Tim Tebow got so much flack for bowing the knee but this is ok? I don't care for football and I think there are way worse problems in our nation than some spoiled, wealthy football player protesting. I also think too much is being made of this but it shows our perverse worship, as a nation, of all things football. It's also weird to me to use an act of submission, kneeling, to protest?

 

Praise God for our real heroes, the soldiers who fight for our rights. 🇱🇷

[Strict grammar or learning grammar through lit? Thoughts?]

Each of my older kids have done at least 3 years of R&S. I've been hopping around a lot lately because the CM approach has appealed to me so much. I switched my 6th and 8th grade boys to EIW this year, just to lighten my load. We really like it. But I see how having all of that grammar behind them makes it a breeze for them.

 

I'm presently doing Cottage Press with my 2nd grader, and I will likely go back to R&S for 3rd and up. I may start alternating with FLL since I own it. We can do copy work and dictation and just use R&S. It's just my bent and I have to own it. Lol. What was so alluring about CP was that it incorporated picture study and nature study. I already do picture study, and the nature study is so basic I can easily do that too.

[skin care?]

I just spent a small fortune on Beauty Counter products. I have a sweet, young married friend who is selling it. This is out of my norm because I despise MLM but wanted to support her. I really do like the products so far but I don't know that I will do them again due to cost.

 

I'm really interested in that Trader Joe's/oil of Olay combo. I have not used that particular oil of Olay product.

 

I'm really wanting a good eye cream that is reasonable. The one I just bought seems good but it is expensive!!

[Best Prealgebra? Prereqs for Prealgebra?]

8th grade son used Saxon when he did pre-algebra. It was thorough but we didn't like it. I do, however, really appreciate the drill sheets for 8/7. 6th grade son is using dolciani. I prefer it. He uses the Saxon drill sheets with it. Dolciani seems to just make things clear, and I like that they have those C level problems. It is more than enough work to get the point across. If he seems to grasp a concept, I will cut back on the number of problems he does.

 

Also, we used Singapore from essentials through 5b then skimmed quickly through Saxon 7/6 to make sure he was ready for pre-A

[Alternatives to CC Challenge for older students???]

Tapestry of grace? We really enjoy our co-op. Our group requires speeches, the kids have Socratic discussions, and we also memorize a history timeline. There are moms who do not have tons of extra money laying around. We all do it on a budget, utilizing the library and the internet. I am one of the few who purchase most of the books. I looked at cc once. I'm old school homeschool and it just did not appeal. I like to steer our ship too much. I have never been a co-op person. It always felt like a day of wasted time, me having different goals than others. I'm happy to have found something we enjoy, is challenging, but also doesn't involve a ton of fluff and frills. I don't have time for that.

 

Maybe you could find a group? They are usually free. You pay for the curriculum but once you get past the initial outlay of money, it is worth the cost in a huge way!! There is so much there!!!

[How many subjects a day?]

My 2nd grader:

 

Morning time - 30 minutes:

Prayer

Bible

Memory work or art appreciation as we have time

 

Math - 30 minutes

Math/drill/challenging word problems

 

Language arts 1.5 hours broken up with breaks:

Spelling workout

Cottage Press, which covers copywork, fables, narration, vocabulary, dictation, picture study, nature study, not all the same day.

Prima Latina - mostly oral

Literature

He reads to me

He reads to self

 

History or science - 20 minutes

 

Awana/Bible - 15 minutes

 

We always have a read-aloud at lunch too,, most often it is aimed at my older boys

 

If I broke that up, it would be:

Math, bible, language arts, spelling, Latin, literature, history, science, vocabulary, with nature study and art thrown in once per week.

[Do you go to a co-op you love (non CC)? Can you give me feedback?]

I love our co-op and I really never thought I would feel that way about co-op. I was actually quite against them for us a few years ago.

 

Ours is simple and strictly covers tapestey history (just history and maybe some geography, not lit or church history) and apologia science. We are low-key about it, meet twice per month, and we don't do a lot of extra frills.

[September 23rd, the Bible, and Preppers (CC, skepticism welcome)]

I too believe in Christ's return and am not dangerous. Interesting choice of words. 🙄

[September 23rd, the Bible, and Preppers (CC, skepticism welcome)]

Apparently a lot of people think that because the Bethlehem Star will coincide with a planetary alignment on 9/23 it will fulfill Revelation 12's description of a sign in the heavens. Some people claim this is just a sign of change for Israel. Others claim it will be the date of the rapture (dubious to me, but I'm doubtful of a pre-trib rapture generally). Others claim it is the date of the birth of the antichrist.

 

If you look on YouTube there are so many interesting, crazy prepper videos about this date. Apparently on 9/23/17 a planet will crash into the earth, the poles will shift, or the Eastern half of the USA will be flooded. :lol:

 

I am Christian, so obviously I believe in the Bible and in prophecy. But I also believe no man will know the date or the hour, and after all our interesting prepper threads in the past I thought this was too good of a topic to not bring up. So... how are the crazy preppers in your life reacting to this? And to the plethora of recent natural disasters in general?

I'm in agreement with you. I'm a Christian who believes in Bible prophecy and who definitely believes we won't know the day or hour. I don't even pretend to know...could be tomorrow or 100 years from now. My parents, my mother-in-law, my husband, all of my children, my brother and sister and their families as well as the bulk of my friends are all committed Biblical Christians. None of them are preppers and neither am I. I don't know any conspiracy theorist preppers. I do think I need to work harder on food storage though, just because.

 

And I would totally pretend to be a nutty prepper, just to mess with someone who stereotyped me because I'm a Christian. 😂

[poverty and protective services]

That's kinda gross and not representative of my personal friends who are adopting and fostering and doing really hard stuff.

 

I have three good friends who have adopted children of color and/or special needs kids, some of whom were not babies. There are not enough people doing this kind of hard stuff, but there are people doing it. No need to make blanket statements that are completely uncharitable and demonstrably untrue for many people who are fostering and adopting.

I agree. I have many friends who adopt and it doesn't represent, well, anyone I've come in contact with. Quite unkind.

[Article about the clash between free range parenting and the gov't. What do you all think?]

I remember taking a bus from my town to my grandmother's town when I was 8. My mom packed me some snacks, I was introduced to the bus driver, And I sat behind him on the way. It was a greyhound. I wouldn't let any of my kids do that now. It has nothing to do with feeling they couldn't handle it but everything to do with feeing distrust for others.

[Article about the clash between free range parenting and the gov't. What do you all think?]

I am like 100% opposite of a free range parent. However, I back free range parents 100%. It makes my blood boil thinking of the government or anyone telling me how to parent. Sure free ranging can be risky. I co sleep and thats risky. We all make our choices and mistakes and that should be ok and ours to make.

My youngest is 7. I have some of the same thoughts. I'm pretty protective and shelter a lot through the younger years but we have land and trees and woods nearby that I do allow them to have freedom in. I tend to be one who also lets the leash out slowly, liberty and responsibility going hand in hand. It has worked well. I do NOT want to be told how to parent and wouldn't tend to listen if I was. I also don't think the government has any business in that area of our lives, particularly not in the type of government we have in the US.