The irony that his very own mother is a physical education teacher--and is one of the good ones---who warned about kids going out in that heat! I feel for the family dealing with this trauma and also the students who witnessed this student's excruciating death. Physical education in schools doesn't seem to be solving the obesity epidemic, and I sometimes feel it is obsolete. I never liked gym class.

We just started using l’Art de lire with our 3rd grader, level one. It’s story based, but there seems to be a lot of repetition built into it. Nallenart is the name of the curriculum provider, and it is from Canada. You’ll have to download and print it. I had a homeschool printing company print the student and teacher books. Hope that helps!

Actually, two years ago when we did MP, I found a dry erase sleeve with their subjects very helpful. I was thinking we should go back to it, too! LOL But I absolutely love your idea of reading aloud while they are helping with chores. Even though I feel like we aren't doing enough, I still feel like our house looks as if a library exploded in the kitchen. I could sure use help with the basics. Thank you!

I've looked at this, lol. I think I have looked at it all, ha ha! I was talking to my SIL today. She is a school teacher, but my nephew is in 6th grade. He's very bright, and they are in a very good school district. She was describing his curriculum this year, and I felt pretty bad. How she described it just felt like a lot more, and of course, he has straight A+ grades so far. I just hope our homeschool has not created the reluctancy from my son. I will also check out the Notebook Fairy. Thank you!

That is interesting. I had no idea. I am wondering if it is worth it to even go through the process here. My son is 10. My husband thinks this is going to cause my son to have low self-esteem, and I see why he thinks that way. On the same note, if I could narrow down what causes his trouble in school, then I would know what I should be doing. 😞

Yep, contact your game warden, department of natural resources, etc. If it is legal in your state, the humans still need to be deterred. Is there a Facebook group? You can post things.

I live in Illinois. Unless you have a lot of money at your disposal, it is incredibly difficult to get a diagnosis. The school dismissed my son from his IEP just prior to the start of Kindergarten. He had one while in developmental preschool. I then asked the pediatrician to submit a referral. I received a letter stating it would take a year to get an appointment. Now it has been a year, and we have one set for October. If something is suspected, it will be at least another six months for another evaluation. If you have to cancel your appointment, it starts all over again. Maybe there just are not enough resources? My husband doesn't even want to go through all of this. This same "system" told me my son was "quirky" and didn't need an IEP anymore. It wasn't one person. It was a room full of specialists. Homeschooling him can be challenging, but I really haven't had enough positive insight to expect anyone can do anything better for him at our local school. That school has a revolving door for teachers and principals. I do believe a diagnosis may be helpful in the future. I hope by the time he is an adult, people are more understanding of neurodivergence. Of course, it stings a bit when public school teachers jump on homeschool posts and say public education is superior to homeschooling. I wish homeschooling for us was an option, not a necessity.

Yes, we used mostly MP two years ago and some last year! But I've never been on my own and without a curriculum. I feel like I read so much on various CM sites and in books, and now that it is time to implement it, I am shaky and uncomfortable, lol. But maybe I just need to give ourselves some time? I also hope they can get along better! I wanted to really streamline things this year because doing four separate curriculum plans for every subject is just too much. And we really are enjoying the book choices. So maybe we are accomplishing more than we think! It is still very early on.

Composition. I think both should be able to write detailed paragraphs by this age. They do alright with sentences. I was hoping narration would help develop this? And I was hoping to keep it simple. My oldest is excellent with oral narration, even though I am not quite comfortable conducting it--he is able to retell what he read in great detail. So with that being said, I am not too worried. But sometimes I think about sending him to a regular school, and I don't want our family to be judged. I remember writing reports by 5th and 6th grade.

Do you have guidance with notebooking? I have seen notebooks for sale to use with books. If I took time, I am sure I could figure it out. Sometimes things are easier said than done----they fight so much, it is hard to feel enthusiastic anymore! And whether or not they are combined, they are always within close proximity. I feel like this is the downside of homeschooling for our family.

I think I need to get better organized. This was my worry, which is why I bought the extra books for spelling and grammar. I do think the spelling is CM-ish. The grammar not so much, though I like that it includes punctuation. Now a big hurdle is the fighting. I just had to give up for the day. They are always together, except for when they do their activities. But we live in a small home, and maybe it is just too much for them.

I did not buy this one but had looked at other CM resources like this. I thought the language arts handbook would help, but maybe I have too many “extras?” I keep trying to tell myself reading good books was the goal, and I do like them— I’m just feeling like we should be doing more with it, maybe?

My oldest is in 6th, then 5th, 3rd, and 1st. I am a bit worried about writing for the older two. We barely did any last year, and I know how important it is. I thought narrations might be easier for my older one, who is reluctant to sit and write. He is excellent otherwise with the material. I know, though, how important writing is.

Yes! I have this and the SCM handbook for language arts. I’m still feeling lost, and of course, overwhelmed trying to tend to four kids and the house.

I bought the three older kids many of the same books for science, history, literature, and spelling (to use for dictation— it’s a vintage book). I bought very little curriculum except grammar, foreign language, math, and penmanship. I am trying narration—oral and written for writing. Without concrete curriculum, I feel a bit lost and uncertain if I did the right thing. Nothing is planned or mapped out. But we really like the living books so much, well, except for the bickering that occurs by the togetherness. I still spent a fortune getting these books printed as many companies that sell living books are only printed upon ordering. But part of me longs for a curriculum manual and premade things to ensure I’m doing what I should for them. I just second guess everything. Aside from math, even if I fail with writing and narration, how terrible would it be if our success was just having read good books this year? I feel like maybe I should’ve done the curriculum thing, but it’s too late cost-wise. I might buy a classical writing program? Someone hold my hand, lol. Just feeling unsure.

The flag's history dates back to the Revolutionary War. Even the bad guys will misuse the American flag, so I wouldn't worry about the one man. He might have good or bad intentions. I always hope a true Christian has good intentions. Politics aside, I would worry more about being a part of a church that doesn't align with my beliefs, and there can be so many differences within the realms of Christianity. I think your whole family should be comfortable in your church home. I'm sorry if I missed it, but I would definitely discuss it with your child. If she is faithful, she should be comfortable engaging with the congregation in which she is a member. There are many churches that are probably better for conservatives, and there are probably some that are better for liberals. And probably lots of in-betweens. I understand you chose to stay, despite the decision. I am pretty conservative myself, but personally, I have no issue with gay people getting married. I grew up with a gay uncle, and he has always had the same partner, and they made a very good life together. I guess I think you can be conservative and gay. Conservative is just a set of values to me that means you live respectfully. If you're gay and you get married, you commit yourself to your spouse and whatever marriage is supposed to be... It's not always who you vote for. So if your church isn't for that, and your child may one day marry someone of the same gender, I might consider that. Sorry, I didn't read the comments!

I was reading an article on this, and many teachers thought it was for the best that students were allowed to have their phones with them. Perhaps keep them on silent, or heck--if it is an important call, step out and take it. We no longer have payphones. I know many young kids are addicted to playing games on their phones, just as many adults are addicted to scrolling and whatnot. But I do believe young students can learn how to be responsible for their phone usage. This is the world we are living in, so they should be taught how to live with it. I like how the teacher honored your wishes. Maybe they can rethink how they approach this matter. I can think of so many reasons why having access to a phone would be helpful, not just in an active shooter situation.

Can we blame patriarchy for having to pay $70+ for a torture contraption in the right size? Kinda like a $10 box of tampons, well....I need those more than I need a bra. Btw, the contraption is off, and I feel good. lol

Praying you can avoid this, too! I once avoided it for five days, then everyone got better, and there I was... It sounds like you're doing the best you can to prevent spread to others. My husband drinks apple cider vinegar every so often. I never heard of it for this reason, but it's so bitter, maybe it does kill the germs! I gotta try it. Be well, and hope all works out!

Thank you all so much---I had no idea that media mail could take so long from Guam. Okay, I am going to file a claim on September 4th if it isn't here and will mark it return to sender if it never shows up. I just can't delay math for months. I ordinarily by most important things new, but this was such a good deal, and the timeframe initially worked for us.

I think wearing one makes me look better. I have always had larger breasts, and now they are droopy after being pumped for four babies, lol. I also do not like my nipples to show, so I purposefully make sure I wear padded ones. Maybe we've all been conditioned on ideas of modesty. But I also like taking it off at night, lol. I do hate how much good ones cost, especially if you need a special size, seeing that they are expected.

I will never do this again, but I ordered curriculum from someone in Guam. It is grade 3 Singapore Dimensions. I paid for it on July 6th. I was told by the seller it typically takes 2 weeks to a month. I can see on USPS tracking she took it took the post office, but the last update was July 10th in Guam. Then I submitted a missing mail request, which shows up, and that was done August 8th. I checked with my post office, and they never heard back. She checked with hers and was told it was definitely on a boat and on its way. I should have it by September 4th per the seller. Well, there are still no updates. I know the seller did as intended, but now we're three weeks into school and my daughter hasn't started her math curriculum. I know from last year that Singapore Dimensions will be a significant part of our school day, and I hate putting it off. Do I file a PayPal claim? USPS hasn't done anything with a missing mail search from what I can tell. What if I do that, purchase new curriculum, and this used curriculum still shows up? I really don't want to deal with that problem, but I could foresee that happening, too.

I read comments here and elsewhere about loving homeschooling, and honestly, it really stresses me out. I wish I could enjoy it. But I worry about stupid Covid, which my husband and I differ on, and I know our school is bad, so here I am. I think I would love it if there were not four of them of differing abilities, despite a close age. And the fighting. I feel like I did something wrong, ugh!

Not much to add here—- But interacting with other kids in person is just as important as education, I think. Two of mine do not agree with me, so I foresee a time when I will arrange for this to happen more often. I think it’s okay to let go of some rigor if it means your child is developing in other ways. Maybe your child will make a good friend or two who will last behind the co-op. Nothing has to be forever.

I never felt done until we had #4, my rainbow baby. I had our first three very close together, though he was just 26 months after the third. Now that they (and I) am older, I’m learning it gets harder and more expensive. In all honesty, I think if I’d experienced the school years before having subsequent children, I would have been done sooner. I probably sound negative, but I made my choice to have four with my heart and not so much my brain, lol. I think others do big families much better. So for me, I just think I finally know my limits.