I second MathRelief!! My daughter started out with TT algebra 1 and got to a point where she was still not really understanding the why of what she was doing even after lesson 85. After researching different Albegra 1 options on this forumn earlier this spring, I found out about MathRelief and decided to give it a chance. After lesson 2, dd and I both were surprised at information that was being explained that was not talked about in the TT algebra. She is now understanding not only how to do the problems but the why as well. She is on lesson 35 and is doing so much better with Algebra. I am thankful we found this curriculum!! The video portion of the curriculum is about 10-15 min per lesson and then there are typically 20-30 problems to work on. The instructor explains the concepts very well and gives ample example problems so the student understands before they go into the problem sets. Two thumbs up for MathRelief!!

I had a talk with dd today and apologized to her for all of my mistakes in this situation and asked for her forgiveness. I agree that my approach in all of this was not a winning one. She not only forgave me but told me she loved me and gave me a big hug. I think it hurts more to make mistakes as an adult then it did as a kid. There is still a lot for me to learn in life and a lot of things I need to improve on.

Albeto, I am sorry that me showing some emotion to my daughter might have made you feel uncomfortable and that I must have intentionally cried to bring on a guilt trip for her. I don't know what to tell you but I am not a mother that would intentionally plan an evil scheme against my daughter. Thanks for your point of view though.

Albeto, I never said that I was sobbing uncontrollably! I just said I sobbed.......meaning did a little cry out loud. I can assure you I am a sane person who has never had any mental or emotional issues. I can see how one sounds completely different than the other but the uncontrollable part was never an issue.

Well, after riding a roller coster of ups and downs now for 5-6 days, dh came to me tonight and said he has thought a lot about this and he just does not think dd will get any better of an education at school than at home and that while dd may not think so, she has much more freedoms than she would going to school. He said that God gave us our kids to raise and we are supposed to guide them, not the other way around. He went and talked to dd and explained his thoughts to her about what he felt was the best choice for her.........to stay homeschooled. She is very disappointed of course. So, I am not sure what was really accomplished in this whole mess. She still does not like homeschooling and now she is disappointed that her dad has decided it is best for her to stay homeschooled instead of going to school.

Thank you Junepep. I appreciate your post. I did not feel sorry for not hiding my raw emotion and feeling for this situation and for my daughter. I could not contain it even if I had tried. It was just there and surprised me that I would even get that emotional talking to her about the situation. Well, unfortunately, today comes with a different story with my daughters decision. She has asked to have a serious discussion with my husband and I and wants to go and tour the school. It is quite a change from last nights decision and she seems like she had done a 180 and now says she does want to go. It is a big decision and personally I think she is grappling with it and trying to figure it out for herself but inside, my heart sinks a little today as she talks about advancing to the next step.

I don't want to get overly excited here yet but my daughter came to me last night and said that she has not made her final decision but that even though she thinks school might be fun, now that SHE has the choice, things don't seem as great as when she did not have the choice. She said there seems to be more cons of going to school than pros. She said to her, because we have been homeschooling for so long, it would be like her moving to Tailand and living a whole different kind of life. One thing that I kind of did not like was that she went and instagramed and tweeted to all of her friends and some family members (those family members have always been negative against homeschooling) about her choice. I don't know what most of those people said to her in response but I do know that a couple of the family members chimed in and said they would go to school if it were their choice. When dd came to me and told me this, I said........you know what, those people do not know what God's plan is for your life. Some of them don't even know what they want in their own lives. You have to pray about what God wants YOU to do, not what others want you to do. So far, even with the comments from others, she was leaning towards staying home. I would love to shout from the mountain tops for joy but I just can't until she has made her final decision. And today of all things, we are going to a wedding shower where there will be all kinds of family there who never supported homeschooling and who I am sure would tell her all kinds of great and wonderful things about why she should just go to school. Again, I have to have faith and leave it up to God because He is bigger than all of those peoples opinions put together. One of the things I have noticed also is that every time she comes to me and tells me something about this situation, I think she is looking for a reaction from me. Something to give her fight against me. Each time, I simply listen and say a few words but no lecture, no negative comments, I just keep enforcing that it is her decision. Well, we will see what today will bring!

BrettW, First of all, my daughter feels the same way about our homeschool co-op. She loves it and it is her favorite day of the week. She said that school would be like going to co-op every day and that is what she wants. So, I have been thinking about all of this over the past couple of days and taking into consideration what some of the other posters have said here in regards to my situation. Well, today, I met one of my biggest fears in the face and gave the situation to God.......which is where I should have put it in the first place. I had a talk with my daughter (she is really almost 14) and told her that all I have ever wanted for her was the best and how I cared about her more than anything. I also told her that I felt the decision needs to be hers and that I did not want to keep homeschooling her IF she felt just forced to do it and she was not able to choose it herself. It is like this with God, He wants us to have a relationship with Him and to follow Him but He does not want it to be forced because then He knows we are doing it out of other reasons not our own. I have to have faith that God knows what plan is best for my her and leave it up to Him. What I want more than anything is to see her happy and thriving and working hard at what she has chosen, not what I have chosen for her. When I told her all of this today, I sobbed! and she cried also. She apologized for making me feel badly and said that whatever she chose, she has so appreciated everything I have ever done for her. She knows I love homeschooling and have put a lot of time and effort into already planning out her first year of high school. I have gone through more crying phases today but whatever she decides, strangely enough, I don't feel afraid or stressed about it. I need to support her and be her for her to talk to about the decision. I told her to pray about it and come to my husband and I IF she decided she wants to go to school and the 3 of us will sit down and have a serious conversation and talk about the next step. She has been crying throughout the day a little as well and coming to me with some thoughts and almost wanting me to make the decision for her somehow but I don't want to do that because I don't want her to again.....not have peace with what she will decide and again feel forced.......that someone else made her to what she is doing. I want her to be vested in her decision. Did I do the right thing? I don't know but all I can do now is wait and see where God will take us each day. Honestly, I would love for her to CHOOSE to stay home and we can continue on without all of the fighting and wondering and slacking because it is not what she wants. If she chooses school, it will be a whole new venture since we have been homeschooling for 9 years now.

BrettW, Do you have my kids at your house? lol. Your post is sooooo similar to the situation I am having at home!! My dd has even mentioned going to school so she could have a locker and eat lunch in the lunch room and ride the bus as well. I don't understand why she would want to leave all of her friends who she enjoys hanging around to go off to something totally different. Ktgrok, I wonder this about my daughter as well. If she felt she was not forced to be homeschooled and if I really gave her the option, if she would just choose to be home anyway. I wonder how much of this is really just a power struggle that she wants to just have the freedom and the power of choice on her own. I personally have not given her the choice out of fear on my part because #1 I am so afraid that she will choose school #2 I love the freedom we have not only in schedule, but in class choices, options (curriculum choices, literature choices, etc. and timing (what year and order you can take your courses) #3 we make Bible a part of our school together everyday and #4 I can really use those teachable moments that come up to talk with her about our values........she actually shares with me about situations going on with friends and wants to include me in what is happening. I love how my opinion still matters and that she values and comes to me for advice instead of shutting me out and going only to her peers. Momma2three, Yes, besides seeing her friends at co-op, she goes to teen parties and dances with her homeschooled friends, she has "hang out" time with her friends at our house and their houses. More now than ever before. She is actually at a end of the year bonfire party with a bunch of her homeschooled friends now as we speak. So, yes, she has plenty of opportunity to go and do things with her friends outside of co-op. Maybe this is one of those situations about letting a dove go free.........if after letting it go, if it comes back, it was meant to be. Personally as a parent, I want something better for her than what I had as a kid in the educational department. I went to PS throughout my entire school career. I was VERY social. So much so that I never really cared about my school work. Got C's in my classes and just cared about hanging out with my friends. What did I actually learn in school...........from my classes? Not much. I am learning way more this time around than I ever did in High school but that was my fault. After graduation, I did not have the grades to go to a good college. I worked 2-3 part time jobs at a time while taking part time classes at a community college and living on my own with a roommate. After I discovered that I was getting no where with these minimum paying jobs (not even making enough money to pay the bills), I decided I needed to actually make some kind of money to live on my own. After getting enough credits for one year at community college (and much, much better grades) , I did transfer and get accepted to the University of Michigan......something that would have never happened out of high school for me. So, point being that I just don't want her to struggle like I did and I want to teach her so that she will be able to have every door open to her if she wants it.

Honestly, I think my kids think they do more/ harder work than kids that go to school as well. Next year, besides taking classes at our co-op, my dd is also taking 2 online classes for 9th grade. To me, that seems like a nice mix of live group classes (through co-op), online classrooms and teacher and home study. I have thought in the past of telling her............"ok, you wanna go to school, lets go down and register" to see when it really came down to it, what would she do but I am too afraid that she would just go with it. I have talked to her about taking her situation to God and praying about homeschooling but she does not want to do that because she says "she does not really care about changing her view so she does not think she will be doing that". I wish I could just ask her to pray about what God wants for her and she would come back saying homeschooling is the right thing!!

Your posts are already starting to make me feel better about this. Seeing that it probably is a situation of the "grass is greener" teen syndrome and that if she went to school, she might feel the same "hate" for that after a while. I know she is pushing my button on this and I am sure she knows she is doing that also. I guess because her education is so important to me, I let it bother me more than any other topic she could push my buttons on. It hurts me that she is basically dogging what I am passionate about (passionate about homeschooling my kiddos). I need to learn to ignore her remarks somehow and just keep keeping on as they say.

So, we have been homeschooling my dd (13) and ds (10) all the way through. For years, my daughter will say now and then that she "hates being homeschooled" and that she will NEVER homeschool her own children. This has been a thorn in my side since I have always hoped that one day, she would somehow actually appreciate the benefits of homeschooling and grow to like her situation rather than to hate it. It hurts me everytime she says this and now my son will say he also wants to go to school and not be homeschooled. I am sure dd saying this over time has influenced his remarks as well. DD says that she wants to go to school because she would have more friends and she could see them everyday (she has a great core group of friends now (that she sees every week at our co-op) that she clams she would be fine with leaving if she could go to school. She says that people think homeschooling is weird and feels weird when people ask her where she goes to school. She feels she will miss out on typical high school things like dances, graduation, prom, etc. So it is all social things which I have told her that I have no problem planning so that she will be able to participate in those things as a homeschooler. We are now approaching high school in the fall with my dd and I so wish she would just enjoy this experience instead of stressing that she hates it and she wants to go to school. My husband and I are happy with our homeschooling choice but I wish my kids were on board with it too. Has anyone else had this issue with their kids or does anyone have suggestions or advise in this matter? Thanks in advance!!

I was talking with a fellow homeschooler the other day who was telling me that they stop for summer vacation when they have completed 80% of their curriculum. Her thought was that that would be about as much as schools would finish each year as well. I am such a perfectionist that It never occurred to me to consider that as an option but it makes me think, how much do we REALLY need to finish before we will just be repeating ourselves next fall anyway? Am I trying to do too much just so I will not feel guilty that I have not MISSED anything? Could this be a reason my kids (and I for that matter) get burned out? It is so hard to gauge when you don't have a norm to compare it to daily and when your kids education is really all riding on the shoulders of us as parents. So, I wonder, what do others do or what do others think about this? Is there some freedom in only reaching to finish 80% or not a good idea?

mandymom I like the idea of putting everything into workbook form for each of the kids. That way, they have everything that they need and are ready to go. Good suggestion! Has anyone else found tips that have made this program easier for their family to work with? Also, I am a little concerned about the writing. Do the assignments just say.....for example....write a report on X but does not give any instruction on how to do so or is that what the writing extra is for? Could you use any writing manual for that matter? Can anyone give examples of what kind of writing assignments are given for students in 6th and 9th grades Thanks again

I have been researching TOG (year 1) to use this fall for the first time with my 6th grader and 9th grader. I am wondering if any TOG users would be willing to share what they like and don't like about it after working with the program and or any tips on how to set up/ plan your year with a bit more ease. Also, are any of the extras actually worth the extra cost to purchase (the map cd, etc.)? Thank you!

Going to the store and randomly picking something you hope will work only to get home and find out it does no good is so frustrating and a waste of money and time as well. Has anyone had any luck with an over the counter cough medicine that actually works (for adults)? Also a good soar throat suggestion would be appreciated as well. :confused1: :confused1: :confused1:

Wow, I had never heard of ellenjmchenry.com I looked at the site and it looks like just what I was looking for! Thanks so much!!

My 9th grader will be studying Chemistry in the fall using Apologia and so my 6th grader would also like to study Chemistry at the same time. What are some good choices for that level Chemistry? He loves experiments so it would definitely need to be one that included ample experiments. For me, I would love for it to come with a kit that included all the experiment supplies, or if I could at least get a kit that would work somewhere else, that would be great. Any suggestions? Thank you!!

tracymirko, my son is 10 and this problem has come and gone over time but just seems more intense now for me just because I have hit a wall on how to help him or what to do differently. My idea well had run dry. There will be long periods that he seems to be on the ball and gets his work done on time.........even back when I was actually expecting him to read for 45 min each day (instead of 20 now), complete a whole math lesson each day instead of the 1/2 lesson now, etc. He is quite a perfectionist to the point where he lets that hinder just getting the job done well. We had thought that he may have some OCD or ADD and that may be why he goes through these stages of unfocused times where he just moves so slowly on things and stages where he is fine and actually is finishing everything without a problem. I see this not only in his school work but even the time it may take him to get dressed or tie his shoes when we are waiting for him at the door. Sometimes the same chore he has had for a while (day after day, week after week) can take 15-20 min to complete when things are going well for him or if he is in one of his slow stages (seems like those stages will last 2-3 weeks at a time) it will take him 1-2 hours to complete the same task.

Thank you for the suggestions! I talked to my ds last night about setting his alarm earlier if he needs more time in the morning before school starts. He was up and started on time this morning!! We also used a planner last night and filled in all the work he would need to do in each subject for the week. Now he can see exactly what needs to be done and can cross each thing off as he finishes them. I am also letting him try working through one or two subjects a day (unstead of all) and completing his work for the week in those subjects in a single day. He seemed excited about that! I think he is more of a kid that would rather keep going with the subject he is working on instead of being interrupted by changing subjects so many times a day. Maybe that will help him stay focused also. I am starting today hopeful and we will see how this working only on 1-2 subjects a day pans out by the end of the week. Hopefully I can report good news with that strategy. :hurray:

I think the past couple of months have brought on a few more grey hairs for me as I have been dealing with trying to figure out to do with one of my unmotivated, unfocused students. I could really type a long story to give you an accurate picture of what has been going on here but rather than make you read all the unnerving details, I will put them in simple bullet points. *ds (5th grade) knows it is time to start school but just keeps taking his time with breakfast and doing his dishes until he is now starting 1/2 hr late *drags his feet on getting his books, materials together......running behind more now *starts some of his work but in the midst has to take a bathroom break which takes up another 20 min to 1/2 hour (seriously needs a newspaper in there.....lol) *finishes 2-3 of the 5 subjects to be finished by lunch time *after lunch and our subjects we do together, takes 1-2 hours to complete chores that should take 20 min to 1/2 hour if one just actually did the work continuously *ends up finishing his work most days 2-4 hours behind schedule which not only eats up his free time but also puts a damper on the rest of the day mentally for me and his other sibling *I have tried consequences for finishing late, I have tried timers for him to manage his time (he just keeps adding extra time to timer instead of using that time wisely), I have tried encouraging him to do his work, I have tried having him do his work in a separate quiet room, etc. He just does not seem to care and nothing has seemed to put the fire under his butt to just do his work and use his time wisely. * I have lessened the load of this school work (shortening either the amount of work in each subject or giving him a shorter time period of that subject; reading lets say......he only has to to 20 min. and for math, he only has to do 1/2 lesson plus study some flashcards, etc......so light amount of work), thinking I was giving him too much to do but it has not made a difference at all * I am at a loss of what to do and I just have not been able to step outside the frustration of this situation to see an answer. Help! I am hoping I am not alone here and that someone might have some words of wisdom to help me take a look at how to help us all in this situation Thank you so much!

I really appreciate everyones replys on this topic! It helps to hear what others are saying that have also had experience with using TT and are now past algebra level and noticing how it helped or did not help their students in their future math classes or testing. Thanks so much! I feel since my daughter really likes the program, I might as well keep her with it. I do agree about making sure they write out each step of the problems. I am seeing that that will make a huge difference down the road!!

Hi Everyone, My daughter is currently finishing Teaching Textbooks for pre-algebra and has really liked it because it is engaging and interactive. As I am now ready to order the algebra program, I am a little hesitant because of reviews from others saying that TT is way too easy compared to other high school algebra programs out there. My daughter does not plan on going to college to pursue any kind of math major as it is not one of her least favorite subjects (although she does very well at math) but at the same time, I want her to be able to do well when SAT/ACT time comes around in a couple of years. Any advise or opinions on this? Thanks for your help!

My daughter is using Excellence in Literature (intro to lit) this year and while it is a great program with well thought out assignments, she is finding it hard to actually follow the writing assignments well since there is not a whole lot of explanation on how to do the papers or many examples on what a great paper should include or look like. For me to grade them, I am also finding it hard to be able to tell what should be included in each paper and what the difference should be for a great paper compared to an average paper. So, my question is, has anyone found a helpful way to rectify these problems for both the parent and student? Are there writing mentors out there that know the program that can work with the student on these papers when they need help or explanation or to give evaluation help on these papers while using this program? Second, has anyone found any comparable online literature/writing classes (for an 8th grader) that would be challenging and that has a teacher that students can contact for help with things they are not getting or advise on how they can make their papers better? I would like to stick with Excellence in Literature if we can find more help for both of us, but if not, I have to look at what would be best for her to actually learn the most from and would make the switch to something online if the program even accepts mid-year start ups. Thanks for your help!

How old are your kids? Kindergarden age? I remember at that age, my kids needed constant reminding as well. I remember going to the library when my son was 3 or so and thinking......how many more times will I have to tell him not to pull the books off the shelf before he can actually walk past the books and leave them alone. Point being, i know it gets frustrating to keep talking to them but, eventually you will get to that magic moment where all of your hard work and consistency will pay off no matter who they are around. If however your kids are older.....8, 9 or above, maybe a consequence is in order when they are not obeying your rules. I heard from a wise man at a seminar one time that the punishment should NEVER fit the crime. Meaning that if the punishment is something they really don't care about or is really very small, they will do the act again because the weight of the punishment is not so bad. Example.....no snack for one day. Instead, maybe it should be for several days so that the kids question whether they really want to not obey in that way again. Just an example but I thought it was a good point he had made.