((((hug)))) OP. It is hard to want/need something from our family that isn't there. Wishing you happier days soon.

This. Maybe I have had the wrong view of it. I would have said it is acquired by just living life together and the normal talking through the normal things that come up. Like, granny and I never had a specific day and time to discuss making dumplings. She made them, I helped, we talked. Same with more "life" type wisdom. We talked about things that happened, she shared experiences, etc. As people get older, they usually enjoy reminiscing. Many younger people, though, don't take the time to listen and participate in a discussion. I know there have been many times I squandered the opportunity to listen and learn. I'm sorry it's not worked out that your older ones are good at teaching. I do know people like that. Maybe they would be more comfortable starting with helping the grandkids with a family history project? Bringing out pictures is usually a great way to get them to telling stories that can be jumping off points to other things.

When I use a recipe, I forget to double it. It's not enough for a large rectangular cookie sheet, so it's super thin. Ta-da!

Sorry, double post.

For science, maybe consider Mystery Science. You'd have access to all levels and topics, it's quick and easy but interesting, and plenty for elementary. They have lessons up to a recommended age of 12 or 14, I think. I don't know if it's sufficient for middle school, I have little ones, but perhaps that along with books would cover most of your students easily.

Same, but without the decent public school education.

Yes, yes, yes on Ivy Kids! So many activities, and every single thing included (as opposed to everything but the easily found household objects that are never easily found.) The sibling add-ons have the perfect amount of everything. I'm sad my kids have outgrown Ivy Kids.

I am completely unaware of much of what is in the news, unless I happen to catch a thread here. I'm not exactly advocating for this, as I realize that it greatly limits one's knowledge of current events, but it sure makes a difference. Right now, I'm ok with the trade-off. I ditched facebook a couple years ago and don't miss it at all. I was worried that I would miss my groups, but I don't. I've never been on Twitter. Maybe do a complete break from social media for a set time period, and reduce the news? Lately I've found myself a bit too sucked into reading this board. A few minutes here and there really add up. I try to avoid participating in anything remotely contentious, but man do I compose posts in my head! So I don't really avoid it, and I'd like to. I've considered several times not even reading Chat, but FOMO. If there was a separate board for product recommendations, I'd stick to that. Lol Probably soon I'll enforce a restriction on myself of reading once per week, on my computer. Wish I had better advice, but the only thing that's worked for me is cutting it out or greatly restricting. I hope you enjoy your trip!

We're currently using (not daily, but regularly) Books 1 and 2 here. They're a good fit at for ds7, who doesn't have any language issues. For dd8, who does, they are a good fit as well, in that she can easily understand the language and solve. (We are using them a year behind. We also do some problems from CWP, but those are more comfortably done 1.5 - 2 years behind, for both kids.) They do teach how to solve the problem, as in setting up the model, thinking mathematically, etc. but not (at least so far) explicit instruction in the actual language of word problems. We talk through that as we go. I also try to incorporate the language in everyday math. But do take a look at the samples for yourself. I agree, something like that would be really helpful, with explicit instruction and built in spiral.

Each page is fairly sparse in the LOE workbooks, so there's really not a lot to keep her busy. Also, Foundations introduces a *lot* more information a *lot* more quickly than Barton. ETA: Here I mean, it was too much, too fast for dd8, who I'll describe below. The last part of B and C really ramp up. I'm not sure that the workbooks would be a good fit. I don't have any anymore, or I'd refresh my memory. My 8 year old sounds like your 9 year old that struggles with working memory, needing repetition, etc. She's in Level 3 as well, and we needed to slow way down as the spelling rules were added - after the second rule it was clear she needed much more repetition. A few weeks ago, I ordered a few card games from Spelling Success. You've probably seen their flyers in the Barton box. I got the sight word slap it game, the short vowel memory game, and the spelling rules game. These games have helped a LOT. They're simple, but the cards are nice-quality, and it's all put together to match Barton. Both the kids enjoy them (ds isn't quite to the spelling rules yet, though). I've been really pleasantly surprised at how much the spelling rules game has helped dd. Another thing that has helped is the Quizlet decks, just for fluency. The info about them is on the Barton tutor page. I wonder if the older 2 could play some games with the youngers to reinforce both? It does take some time, and isn't independent, although we've gotten much quicker with some experience. But maybe it would benefit both players, if they work well together?

I say that slowly to myself each time. It is really the idea that one could come up while I'm sitting down that is most distressing to me. Really, though, what are the chances one would come up at the exact same time I'm sitting on the toilet? Surely not great. ETA: Nobody answer that, unless it's 1 in a number that is so large I've never heard of it. Plus, maybe it can't happen in a septic system.

😱😱😱 Ya'll are killing me. I haven't yet recovered from the other thread. I think of it every single time I sit down.

Yeah, it would've been easy if I had just needed the names of things, practice conjugating, or travel-based phrases. Those things abound. I wanted whole phrases I say normally at home, without having to look up verbs, etc. Talkbox did that very straight-forwardly. I don't remember looking at the Charlotte Mason-based books, I'll take a look - thanks. The bolded - that's the kicker. <sigh>

I can understand that view, and I come pretty close to sharing it. The thing is, though, what other resource is similar? At the time I was interested in it, I couldn't find a single other resource (besides one out of print book that I couldn't get a copy of, I don't now remember what it was) that easily provided so much practical, everyday language that we would actually *use*? I wasn't looking for conjugating verbs or colors and numbers type stuff, although I found tons of that. I wanted actual conversation, natural language phrases I'd say in normal conversation with the kids. Maybe there's something like that now, or something I overlooked at the time. But if you're offering something that's not too common, in this case something closer to native conversation than textbook, then I'm inclined to think it's ok to charge more. I don't like that it's so expensive, that's what keeps me from doing it regularly, but I can understand the reasoning. All that said, I do agree that the price isn't reasonable. It would be better received and more popular if they'd lower the price. [ETA: They should drastically lower price and make it all a pdf.] And it's not like they're including expensive materials or anything. It's just handily gathered together and happened to be exactly what I wanted at the time. I'll also add that I would think it would be horrible for a mom who is unable to read the language. Hmmm . . . the more I talk, the more I agree with you. 😄 I can read the language, and the book is fairly sufficient for what I wanted. And if I couldn't read it, I wouldn't have been able to use the box well. (They do have an app now, I wonder if that helps?)

Lol I wondered if the VR would be a distraction or useful. That's a really good point that the video is essentially narration. I can use that to adjust my view of it, because they would truly love it. Haha Train them to do one of those "Clean with me" videos the mommy youtubers do. 😂

What didn't you like about Talkbox.mom? I have a couple boxes and found it very useful and practical. My complaint would be it is too expensive for what it is but that's my complaint for many boxes.

Oh my goodness, my guys would love this, I don't know why I haven't done it. (Well, yeah I do. It's 'cause it kinda grates on my nerves after a few minutes. Still.) Good to know MEL gives a lot of material. Are you doing the MEL junior (or whatever they call the one for younger kids) or regular?

I can't quite understand why anyone would dispute that a person (any person) moving (anywhere) would most likely be more comfortable with familiar things. This is true of many people of any age, and it would naturally be especially true of someone who has presumably lived in those surroundings for many years and is now, for reasons not of their own choosing, forced to relocate. It boggles the mind that anyone would argue *against* bringing familiar items when moving an elderly person, with or without dementia. My 4 grandparents lived until I was in my 20's and early 30's. Three of them had some form of dementia. I have assisted with multiple moves (other family members as well), and had a great-grandparent live with my family when I was a late teen. We always, always set up their rooms with familiar furniture and most loved objects. Sorry, that first paragraph turned into a bit of a rant. The thought of moving any of my loved ones without familiar objects was kind of . . . I don't know. It just strikes me as extremely inconsiderate and disrespectful. We've had to limit items due to space, but with the space available . . . why wouldn't you? Eta: wanted to make it clear, this wasn't directed at you. I understand you want to keep familiar things.

I'm pretty sure that the last couple of mysteries we've done had a supplemental list of books, activities, and videos. There may not be many books on the list, though. Mystery Science is lots easier to use, and, no, it's not as in depth as BFSU. I think Mystery Science is plenty for a first grader, if you choose to do formal science at all. My kids really enjoy it, and there are a ton of little short mysteries in addition to the longer main ones. They like to listen to those too. We're mostly interest-led and read-alouds for science, but if we need a direction I like to use the flowchart in BFSU to decide what to do next. I also use BFSU kind of as a study guide for me, and then incorporate it into discussions. I wouldn't purchase it just for that, though (I already had it). And I'm pretty sure the flowchart is available free online, if you like the idea of moving between different strands of science in a sequence. I decide on a main topic, get all the books the library has on it, and if Mystery Science has lessons that match, we do them too. So it's books, discussions, Mystery Science, any small experiments I happen to plan (and I don't always). Very informal.

I love the idea of this. However, in general (and especially for anything more formal) it only works well for us for content subjects and in areas they are *very* close in skill. We cover a lot of ground in these areas with read-alouds, discussions, informal conversations, etc. Language arts and math, though, it doesn't work well. In addition, any program they are both doing, I make sure neither has more than a vague idea where the other is (Dreambox, for example). DD8 is extremely sensitive to any perception of DS7 being more advanced than her. She has language issues and other LDs. He has LDs too, but not the language or other issues. So he can usually narrate, calculate, make conclusions . . . simply respond much more quickly than she can. One of the things I love about homeschooling is that she (and he) doesn't have to constantly compare herself to others, and I don't want to set up that situation here at home. I could see it working well if they were much further apart in age or skill, though.

Just no scrunch socks, I think.

You're right, of course. Chocolate storage trumps all. In addition, upon further examination, I now realize that if I forego support I'm likely not perky enough for anything to be poking through the cutout. Another bonus! 🤣 A quick lateral shift, and carry on!

LOL I'm sitting in a dim room, on my phone, and apparently my eyes aren't great even with glasses. I had to enlarge to realize that is embroidered on the top - it looked like a cutout instead! 😂 I thought, wow, not sure I could do school in that!

I recently played around with the free IKEA planner. It was very helpful in visualizing a space. I'm on my phone now, and don't remember how I got to it. I do remember that there were two planners on the page; one was very simple and not what I wanted (like just changing wood tones and cabinet tops) and the other was the actual planner where you enter room measurements.

Along a similar line, I've been curious about how it will work out for the teachers (those who are, as you say, more like managers) who are hired by parents to "professionally homeschool". Will they easily transition to individual tutoring? What happens when parents realize they are not hiring people with subject matter expertise, but are paying a premium for supervisors? And on and on. So many things to shake out.