We take it year by year. This year, it became too much for me. I wasn't in control of my home, the school work, or behavior of my 7 & 5 yr olds. My husband & I decided to put them into our local public school in Jan. I still hs my oldest & have the toddler at home, but I've been able to get a plan in place to bring the others back home when we start the new yr in July. My main problems were lack of structure & a toddler who was too busy! With my new plan & consistent discipline, I think I've got solutions in place to manage both issues & bring some peace back into our homeschool. I honestly believe my kids receive a far better academic education at home. I'm confident in homeschooling, WTM in particular, and I want to make it work. I want my kids to be well educated. Not just part of the "conveyor belt" education we see in so many schools.

Thanks for all the tips! Lori D., thanks for reminding me that ds is still young. He's my oldest & I frequently expect more of him than perhaps his age would allow. Sueh16, misery loves company--thanks for letting me know that your dc also misspells "auto." I'll take a look at some of the programs suggested. And reevaluate my expectations. My little ones are needing more attention & I'm anxious for the oldest to be independent. Guess I'd better relax a bit! ;)

This is our 3rd yr of homeschooling. Started with Spelling Power in Grade 2. Total failure. Quickly switched to AAS. Worked very well through book 2, but with book 3 he just doesn't keep the lessons solidly in his mind. After taking weeks to learn "auto," I pulled that one out to review. He spelled it "oto." "Trouble" he spells "trubul." I gave him the placement test for Phonetic Zoo, but his score results say "Use All About Spelling." Any ideas what I can do to help him spell well?!? When we review the phonograms in AAS, he gets them correct, but when he's actually spelling a word, I never know what he'll put on paper. It's usually a different spelling every time we practice. He's a good reader, comprehends well, great in math, gobbles up the history lessons, but he stinks at spelling! As a natural speller, this is frustrating to me! Help!

As a military family, I'm very interested in national standards. We know many families who use the public school systems at each of their duty stations and struggle with the wide variety of teaching standards across the US(not to mention schools on military bases in foreign countries). I have a acquaintance whose oldest son was a senior in high school when they were required to move in February. When they arrived at their new duty station, his new high school said he would not graduate because he didn't have enough credits in Oklahoma history. He would not be permitted to walk on graduation night & would receive his diploma after a set of summer school classes. This family's story is one of the reasons we chose to homeschool. I do love our Constitution-my family defends it with much sacrifice every day. I also recognize that in our highly mobile society, some level of common expectations in education would benefit those who choose to defend our Constitution through military service.

Check out eBay! You can buy used Legos by the pound! We've been very happy with the assorted sets we've purchased there. New from Lego, the bricks are about $0.25 each. We've gotten assorted sets on eBay for just $0.03/piece! There's also a Canadian toy maker on eBay who makes compatible bricks at a fraction of the cost of Legos. We like these too.

We use all SWB's recommendations except in spelling. We use AAS. This is only our 3rd yr homeschooling, so we plan to test at the end of the yr to see how we're doing. While I struggle with the day-to-day, the kids frequently surprise me with what they've retained from things we've read, discussed, and experiments we've done. :D yeah! They learned something! They really learned something!

Lego sets from Lego Education. We *love* their robotics sets, simple machines, etc!

Thanks for the replies! I hadn't considered hormones to be an issue...need to mull that over. One more thing, is your 5th grader working independently? Do you just tutor, then he/she does the work? Or are you hovering to keep the child on task?

Spend on actual school work? I'm trying to create a schedule for my family for next yr. I'm wondering how much time my rising 5th grader will spend on school in the early logic stage. Don't include recess, lunch, etc. Just time spent on 3 Rs, science, Latin etc. Thanks!

www.holyheroes.com Free, solidly Catholic, all presentations are by kids & it's fun! We've been loyal users of Holy Heroes for years. My kids still love it!

As a faithful Catholic, I thought the same thing when he was elected. I wondered who was "on deck," but not yet ready to take the Papacy. I'm very curious who it will be & praying for those making the decision.

Thank you everyone! Just what I needed.

We are in the middle of our 3rd yr of homeschooling. We use suggested curriculum from TWTM. I'm struggling to keep up with our 4 kids, their educational needs & personal needs. I need some encouragement from families who have homeschooled in the classical method and have success stories to share. I'm in the trenches & wondering if all this is really worth it.

We are in the middle of our 3rd yr of homeschooling. We use suggested curriculum from TWTM. I'm struggling to keep up with our 4 kids, their educational needs & personal needs. I need some encouragement from families who have homeschooled in the classical method and have success stories to share. I'm in the trenches & wondering if all this is really worth it.

I could never top teaching in character, but I am an L&D nurse & teach childbirth classes. My kids know an unusual amount of information about pregnancy, labor, birth & breastfeeding. They watch birth videos without flinching--they even shout "Look! That baby has a nuchal cord!" They know more about the anatomy & physiology of birth than my adult students. (Proud mamma moment)

Ugh! My 9 yo ds has atrocious spelling! It took nearly 3 months for him to correctly spell "auto." My favorite variation was "otow." We use AAS. How does LOE differ?

That features or at least mentions paper dolls? I'm putting together a gift. I already have a book of actual paper dolls. Now I want a chapter book that is about or has paper dolls as part of the story. Thanks!

As a former L&D nurse & current childbirth educator, I HIGHLY recommend comprehensive childbirth classes. Not the hospital classes--they basically prep you for the cascade of interventions that are available. Here are some to get you started: The Bradley Method Informed Beginnings Birthing from Within Look for doulas in your area. Ask for their recommendations re: classes & consider hiring a doula. She can help you navigate the birth process so you can avoid unnecessary interventions. Research shows that having a doula leads to better outcomes for mom & baby, both physically & emotionally. http://www.dona.org is a good place to start. With the Type 2 diabetes, you might not be able to hire a midwife, but research that as well. A local midwife can recommend OBs or family practice drs who are "natural birth friendly." Good luck! June may seem a long way off, but it takes time to prep for labor & birth. It's not too early to start!

I don't know if they have a compact version, but my Electrolux front load is awesome! Cloth diapers, cloth "paper towels," plus day-to-day laundry for our family of 6. It always works, everything comes out clean. It's a solid work horse.

I'm glad your leader approved FYI I just completed the new leader training for Brownies in Rhode Island. There was NO mention of requiring a full GSUSA uniform. In this area, we only use the vest. I think it's important for leaders to have realistic expectations re: family expenses in scouting. In my son's cub scout pack, when boys cross to the next level, they pass on their hats, neckerchief & slide. I've only purchased one shirt in the nearly 4 yrs he's been a scout(we were encourage to buy a large size so he could wear it through 5th grade).

Happy Are You Poor I second How To Talk So Kids Will Listen

I use a wide step stool for 2 kids to share. Yes, there's pushing & squabbling, but if they can't share, they don't get to help--or taste test the yummy treats! My sister uses the kitchen tower http://www.mystepstool.com/kitchen_towers.htm Pricey, but I think she picked it up second hand.

I love my Ergo, too! I've used it with every kid since oldest ds was 9 months! It's an oldie, but goodie :o) I also love my Maya Wraps, and even splurged on myself with baby #4 and bought a Sakura Bloom. :001_wub:

We use Sterilite modular boxes. I use large boxes for the rods & base ten set, smaller ones for linking cubes, dice, etc. each box has a label and they stack so neatly on our shelves. Yeah for organized spaces!

Ah, I love Babes in Arms. "Good Morning" sung by Mickey & Judy is one of my favs! I use it as a ring tone. Dh uses it as his alarm in the am.