Hi! I have three youngish (9, 6, 3) kids in the Boston area and am preparing to homeschool them. They'll probably finish out the year at their local public school, though I'm tempted not to wait that long. I'll probably lurk in the Forums a LOT. I'm a natural introvert. In fact, part of the appeal of public school was the idea that the "social" aspect of my kids' lives would mostly be taken care of. Of course, I probably should have paid more attention to my own recollections of public school (being left alone to read a book under my desk was probably the highlight). Now I'm realizing that I'd prefer them not to have to socialize in the toxic, cliquey classroom environment that I've observed at their school (and which I had foolishly hoped would have turned into something more positive in the years since I was in school). Reading The Well-Trained Mind got me excited about teaching my kids. I'm sure when I get started, there'll be a huge reality check, and it'll be much harder than I could have imagined. But for now, in the planning stages, I've got a stack of books and spiral-ring notebooks and I'm enjoying drawing up a detailed plan of attack - and not wondering, just yet, how much of it I'll have to revise or throw out. Just wanted to throw out a quick wave before I go back to my hermit-cave! :seeya: