I'm not sure about the issue with the steroids, but I went through a very similar situation with my cat. He suddenly had terribly loose bowel movements but was otherwise acting fine. My vet said cancer was a possibility, but before she did a biopsy we tried switching him to a prescription food (Royal Canin) with hydrolyzed protein. It worked! He hasn't had issues since. He must have been having an an allergic reaction to the protein source in his food. Please keep us posted on your cat. It's so tricky to get to the bottom of intestinal problems. https://www.royalcanin.com/us/cats/products/vet-products/hydrolyzed-protein-adult-hp-dry-cat-food

I also met my husband at 18 and started out with a similar concern: he's a dedicated hunter. When we started dating no one in my family hunted or owned guns. I didn't understand the appeal at all. It takes up a great deal of time and he's not much less obsessed with it now than he was when we met 20+ years ago. I'm so happy I stuck with him though. Like your dd's boyfriend, dh is exceptionally considerate and family focused, and that carries over into us coming up with solutions to accommodate his hobby in different ways through different seasons of life. (It's one thing to miss Thanksgiving when you're 18, it's another when you have a baby and two toddlers ten years later😉). I'm not familiar with racing-perhaps it's not as flexible?-but it did work out for us. Best wishes to her, whatever she decides.💗

Yes, this study suggests that if your goals include having kids who do well on standardized tests then perhaps unstructured homeschooling isn't the way to go (maybe). I would guess that most people who are unstructured dont consider standardized test skills to be a primary goal though. That's the tricky thing about a lot of the research that focuses on educational outcomes specifically. The outcomes that education professionals and researchers consider paramount dont necessarily match the outcomes that homeschoolers prioritize. There are different approaches that represent different visions of what it means to be well educated.

I was just came on here to say that I'm planting elderberries this year! I found cultivated elderberries at Jung Seed. Apparently you're not supposed to eat the berries raw though (who knew?). I'm also trying something new this year: propogating pussy willows from cuttings. So far they look like sticks I pushed in the ground, but itll be interesting to see if they do anything.

I disagree with the idea that the social sciences are "gobbledygook". Yes, studying people does pose unique challenges and there are people who overstate the generalizability/significance of their conclusions. However, as someone who made a suggestion about intrinsic motivation and growth mindset, I am 100% aware of the controversies and limitations surrounding the research. I found these things to be helpful for my kids though, so I'm fine with recommending that others look into them too.

Rather than putting any homeschool ideology first, I've found it helpful to follow research on how children learn best and what kind of an environment produces happy, well-rounded people who confidently meet challenges. For me that led to lots of playing, focusing on effective effort and fostering intrinsic motivation, and putting relationships first. We're eclectic with a classical lean, but I could see applying evidence based approaches to a variety of different homeschool styles. There's tons of research out there about intrinsic motivation, but here's an article that sums it up: https://www.healthline.com/health/intrinsic-motivation#extrinsic-motivation Growth mindset is a theory that has done a lot to inform what I do as a parent in general. Ive found that the challenges presented by a rigorous classical education fit well with the idea that kids who are challenged develop tenacity and persistence. An article on growth mindset: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/people-who-adopt-a-self-compassion-mindset-in-2021-are-more-likely-to-achieve-their-goals.html and a book (written for school teachers but easily adaptable for home) https://www.amazon.com/Growth-Mindset-Coach-Month-Month/dp/1612436013

I'm not in it, but I'd be interested in joining!

I've been the opposite of wary about mixing up the order of topics, combining programs, and going down rabbit trails when it comes to math, and comments like this give me pause because I dont have any proof that my approach works in the long term. (My oldest two are in 8th grade). On the one hand, we may miss something important or end up with a piecemeal understanding, but on the other hand my kids are comfortable with being able to approach problems from multiple perspectives in a way that I wasn't at their ages.

I always enjoy hearing from you on math topics, Not a Number. Anyway, I've been thinking about the OP's question, and my answer is yes, like sweet2ndchance I take my kids' preferences into account, especially at the outset when I'm choosing what to use for the year. It's gotten easier to anticipate what may work now because, as my kids have gotten older, we've had plenty of discussions about their preferences. If my expectations and my kids' favored approaches come together in a resource then I will stick with it though, even if it's sometimes "boring" or "hard". If they're really unhappy with a curriculum, it's probably not a good fit. If I'm unhappy with the way math is taught (or not taught) in a resource, it's also not a good fit. It's a tricky balance, and I've combined resources at times if there was something they enjoyed but I thought could be stronger conceptually up or didnt provide enough practice.

Hi! Welcome to the board. I can't speak to FLL, but I have used WWE and would recommend it as an open and go curriculum. WWE contains short stories for narration as well as copywork and dictation exercises. I used the student book and didn't miss the teacher's guide, but if you're unfamiliar with this style of teaching it may be helpful as there's a section in the teacher's guide that explains the philosophy behind the approach and techniques for implementing it. Once you're comfortable with Writing With Ease it's simple to come up with you own narration/copywork/dictation from your child's favorite books. It's so handy to have the passages already chosen for you in the beginning though.

I second the suggestion to buy the teacher's book for Fable and use a notebook for your child's written work. I wish I hadn't purchased both the teacher and student books for Fable. I'd add that the teacher's book, in addition to having sample answers, provides the passages for dictation. You wouldn't have those with the student book alone. As an aside (in case anyone else would find this helpful) my older kids are using Commonplace, and in that case you could get by with just the student book but not just the teacher's guide. Each student needs his own books too, because by that point they're editing passages in the workbook. (Basically, what applies to Fable may not apply in subsequent W&R books)

I agree 100%.

I am a parent of a kid on the spectrum and it's still tough to know how to respond when certain groups or therapies come up, maybe even more so because there's an assumption that we must fit a certain mold/follow a common path (much like assumptions people make about homeschoolers in general). I'm not comfortable with ABA or Autism Speaks, but as a parent of my specific child I'm still in absolutely no position to decide what's right for anyone else. Unless someone asks me for my opinion directly, I agree with innisfree and lecka.

This is too funny! Theres still hope for you!🌷The answer to your question depends on what you mean by wildflowers and how big your pots are. Most native prairie plants, even the ones that grow well from seed (like purple coneflowers or black eyed susans), have very deep roots. That's what makes them so hardy, but it's also what makes them ill suited to small pots. You can grow them in pots, but the pots would need to be quite large to accommodate their roots. Coreopsis is a native that does grow well from seed and can handle slightly smaller pots; it's more compact. If I had a smaller space (like a window box) I'd steer clear of the seed mixes and choose individual seed packs of plants that thrive in containers (nasturtiums come to mind). Wishing you future success and a newfound green thumb!

10 years later...Between awful weather conditions around the country and increased volume because of covid, it has to be an extra stressful time for UPS drivers right now.