For all you ladies who have graduated children already how did you do it? Emotionally not academically. My dd turned 17 today and this will be her senior year in the fall. I am not doing so well with it. She is awesome. She is ready. I have done a great job if I may say so. She is independant, responsible, great learner and best of all just a down to earth happy, beautiful girl. I am so afraid that there is something I am not going to give her over this next year. Did anyone make a list of things to check off? I would love to do some special things throughout the year but I am coming up short on ideas. I would really love some motherly wisdom. Thanks, Tracy

Well, I did a lot of praying and soul searching in the areas that I might have relaxed on and then had some great conversations with my husband about it. Here's what we have come up with. The very first thing we implemented was the after lunch quiet time. However we only do an hour. That has been wonderful for everyone and they really are nicer to each other afterwards. We also implemented the parents off duty time. I was very skepitical at first that it would work but it has been amazing! I am truly surprised at how fast they are falling asleep when they know we are "off". This is my husbands favorite thing and we have had some great fellowship, discussing things we have not in a very long time. It's like we are friends again. I really want to add in the not coming out of your room until 8:00 A.M. and the tokens for screen time but I figured I better not press my luck yet:) As far as academics with the grammar stage children I am scaling way back to the basics until fall. I am focusing on the three R's and narration. I was blown away by Jessie's wisdom in the language arts area and I am taking her advice on making them strong in those areas. My high schooler only has one year left and if we do nothing else it will be working on the great books list. Susan left me feeling so empowered to be able to give my daughter what she needs. It is still hard to put into words and I don't think there are thanks enough for them passing on all that they did! I am sure that more will come to me but I am really excited to hear what successes others are having. This is a great thread Colleen, thanks for starting it!:lol:

We love this program. Let me just say I think I have tried every phonics program there is and I love the simplicity of this program. We have the whole kit and it was worth the money to me. My daughter loves making her words with the magnet boards. It is really great to travel with and easy to store. The notecards are great, especially for the price. I made them at first but my daughter complained that my handwriting was "not correct". She loves these. I hope this helps! Tracy

Welocome~:grouphug:

Actually, one of the very last things she said at the conference was this exact thing. It helped me tremendously to know she does indeed freak out! She said she will go to her mother and ask her how the kids are doing. Once her mother reassures her then she moves on. She suggests all of us having a wise woman in our lives whom we can go to for the same thing. It was a very special moment for me as realized just how blessed I was to have to that. And heck if she can freak out then I am definately giving myself permission to do so also.:lol:

This was the best thing I could have done for my children, myself, and our homeschool. I agree with all the other comments and my head and heart are also spinning. The last 2 sessions were incredible and were exactly what I needed. My daughter will be a senior next year and I just want to thank both Susan and Jessie for their wisdom. We are rethinking our whole idea of college. I highly recommend hearing them speak in person if possible. Tracy

:lol:My kids and I are leaving in the morning! We are very excited. My IL's are coming down from NJ to take the kids into CW. Does anyone know if the new book will be available? Tracy

I would definately take him to the doctor first. Are you guys part of a church? Or is there one local with a really good youth pastor or counselors on staff? I know our church doesn't have one on staff but they have a member who is a counselor and only charges $20.00 a session if referred to by the church. My son went through the same thing and it is very hard. Ours is genrational also. The church we attended at the time had counselors on staff and helped him tremendously. It was all confidential. Just be there for him, it will make a difference.

Did you the purchase the kit from MFW? If you did the flashcards are included. If you purchased from someone else you would have to ask them what it includes.

What we have done in the past is to make a list of the things that are the most important, from greatest to least. Maybe even some that are non negotionable. Then evaluate it to see if they meet your needs. No church is perfect, but for us there are certain requirements. Our main needs are a great childrens program, our style or a mixture of our type of worship. A pastor who really teaches and not just preaches. Do you really feel welcomed and are the people there serving out of their heart or just because it's what is expected of them. It is really hard to find the right one, however if you have prayed about it, it is absolutely possible He answered your prayer. He does want us where we can be closer to Him. Good luck.

I believe it is very legalistic, and that is just not who Christ was. A book that we enjoyed tremendously was Love and Respect. It was really great.

We do 3 different types. We use the scripture memory box from SCM for bible verses which I also incorporate into copywork. We do whatever memory work is in FLL, and then I usually tie something with history. This year is American History so we memorized Pledge of Allegiance, Star Spangled Banner, etc.

Foreign Language. As usual I have put it off. The college my high schooler is looking at oddly enough doesn't require it before entrance. Since my next in line is second grade, I believe I will wait and let her take in college. I was sweating about it. But I am letting that one go!

Have you looked at 106 days of Creation? It's at Simply Charlotte Mason. It goes through each day and branches off of it. When God created man you study anatomy and so on. So far we are enjoying it.

I do a combo. I have found I will spend too much arguing with them if they don't like it. But on the other hand it will just sit on the shelf if it isn't teacher friendly also.

It's funny you ask that because from a christian point of view I was wishing it was from more of a christian viewpoint. So I guess it is the right mix for everyone. I love it enough not to change curriculums and just add in the exta I need.

We belong to a support group for homeschooling moms. We meet twice a month.

I kind of took a combination approach with my son. He is almost 6 and could care less about doing school. He is not interested at all. I know this is just him as his sister wanted to read early and we are all readers in our family. I did the same thing with Ordianary Parents. I bought and sold it twice. I have tried just about everything out there with my daughter( she has auditory processing disorder). In the end I wanted simple and bought it again. Now I love it because I modified it, something I did not have the confidence to do before. I liked the way MFW taught there letter sounds. My son likes there flash cards, and I like how they tie in a bible verse with it. But I did not want to do everything else. I rearranged the sequence of OP to teach the MFW sequence. I downloaded some pages notebook pages and made him an alphabet notebook. So for everyday there would be something hands on to teach the letter we working on for 15 min. That's it. He loves it. I would read every scripted part. Boys are different sometimes they are just not ready, or care. We love starfall, and also enchanted learning. Once they start reading the short voowel words and get over the blending hump it sure does help.

I would totally lose the last paragraph. Your child's self esteem is much more important. It is such a special occasion and something he is going to look at over and over again. I would be honest with mom only if she asked.

I personally think it is a heart issue. It is one that we take very seriously in our household, but done in private. It seems sometimes you can't get to the bottom of the issue in the heat of the moment or around others. The consequences would vary depending on age and if it was out right manipulation. My goal is to figure out the real why and try to show the child why that will not get what you really want. Most of the time natural consequences work best as the discipline. We also explain once the trust is broken it is very hard to regain. Especially with our teens.

Thanks, great article!

Actually it's my 8 dd who is the one that does this. And it is all the time. She is the artisitc, creative and dramatic one. When I ask her to "settle down" she says it helps her brain work. Go figure.

Can anyone please explain to me the differences between Horizons and BJU Math. We are currently using RS. And we like it. But I am in burn out mode. I really want something more teacher friendly. I am opposed to Saxon all together. I want the mental math and the kids want something not so boring. I have a K and Second grader. I am just trying to decide if I should stick it out with RS or give us something with variety. I don't want to confuse them though so I would like something with the same concepts. Thanks, Tracy

I think my determing factor would be two things. 1. Rotation- Will you come back around and if yes, do you feel like you would be at better stage in the learning process to enjoy. Also if you are waiting you would probably be able to find Year 4 used by then. 2. Availability of resources to you now. Are you having to jump through hoops and rearrange everything for one year or the other. If it was me and it was possible I would go with Year One.

He's wearing a ball cap right? I think that I would make an agreement with them that will keep on his cap as not to "offend" anyone. Which is ridiculous in itself. But I would agure not cutting based on the fact you meet the other guidelines.