No, circumcising infant boys is also body mutilation and should not be done. Susan in TX

Feeling grief over a teen choosing to mutilate their body is a perfectly normal response. It is those that see nothing wrong with this that need therapy. Susan in TX

I've been homeschooling since the early 90s and there is some curriculum out there that has been around awhile and stood the test of time. Most have new editions but haven't really changed much. I am still using some of these same curricula: Rod and Staff Christian Light Developmental Mathematics Explode the Code Bob Jones and Abeka are still around...I am not sure how much their new editions differ from the old. The Story of the World books have been around for quite awhile too. Susan in TX

You might want to check out Blossom and Root science. I just found out about it and am thinking about getting it for my kids. It is literature based and very flexible but it looks like it would have the depth that your daughter is looking for. Susan in TX

I absolutely would NOT be concerned about a five year old who was just learning to sound out CVC words. That sounds to me like he is on grade level. I didn't even start teaching reading to my son until he was seven. Sounds to me like you are doing great. Susan in TX

Does this mean that he doesn't want to write the letters the way the curriculum teaches or something else? Susan in TX

Why in the world are you teaching a 3 year old how to count? This is totally unnecessary. This is something that a child will learn naturally when they are ready. If you want to help that natural learning process that can be done easily and in a fun way in every day conversation. You can also read books such as Spot Can Count or Ten Apples Up on Top. There are lots of children's books that focus on numbers and counting. There are also games and puzzles. But most children will pick this up naturally without any teaching. Susan in TX

PDA is a sub-type of autism. ODD is not. Also: "In a nutshell, children with ODD will benefit from more rigid boundaries and good use of reward and consequence schemes; children with PDA do not respond in the same way. In PDA, the avoidance of, and refusal to comply with, everyday demands is driven by high anxiety. It is not caused by an inherent desire to be oppositional and gain attention." https://www.stephstwogirls.co.uk/2016/12/strategies-for-pda-pathological-demand.html Susan in TX

For me, the time and effort it would take to count the number of clothes she left on the floor and consistently fine her for it would not be worth the trouble. It would be much easier for me to just go into her room every day and pick up the clothes myself. Problem solved! Also I wouldn't waste effort making her put her clothes away. Let her keep the clean clothes in the laundry basket. Many adults I know do just that. Who has time to fold clothes anyway? If you simply put a laundry basket in her room for the dirty clothes would she put them in the basket? Susan in TX

If you want something streamlined and to the point then CLE might be what you want. It is a no fluff get 'er done type of curriculum. We have used their 5th grade science and it met our needs at the time. I would have preferred to just use lots of library books but I had a child that was not a reader and I needed something that would help me make sure that science was covered. Susan in TX

Maybe he would like Explode the Code? There are also other phonics programs out there that might be a better fit for a wiggly kid. Check out Happy Phonics or All About Reading. One of my sons did well with an online program called Click n Read Phonics. Susan in TX

I would just let her be. If you correct her letter formation you run the risk of discouraging her from the activity. I doubt that she will continue with poor letter formation when she is older. Susan in TX

What are your state homeschooling laws? Do they require that certain classes be completed to graduate? In Texas there are no state requirements to graduate from homeschool. My son had similar struggles and I simply graduated him when he turned eighteen. This did not prevent him from getting employment because he can check the box that says he has a high school diploma. It also did not keep him from going to community college. Susan in TX

I have a couple of kids who were like this. One of the things I told them when I just wanted them to drop an argument was that, "People have the right to be wrong." It allowed them a way to save face and end the argument because they could both believe the other person was wrong lol. I have also just told bickering siblings to "take it outside" and literally made them go outside to bicker. That would usually end it because neither of them wanted to go outside. Susan in TX

In addition to your husband's life insurance you and your children would be able to get Social Security Survivors Benefits if your husband died when your children were still minors. Susan in TX

A chunky puzzle like this one. Susan in TX

My personal educational philosophy has been formed by John Holt, Charlotte Mason, and Susan Wise Bauer. For Charlotte Mason I would start with volume 1 of her Home Education series. You can also read it free online here. John Holt: How Children Learn, How Children Fail, What Do I do Monday? , Learning All the Time Also anything by John Taylor Gatto. Susan in TX

Buy the books. In my experience most kids get to a point with phonics and just take off. There really is no point in teaching her phonics that she has already learned. Any gaps can be covered by your spelling curriculum. Susan in TX

We schooled year-round and took what I called "baby breaks". So the first 12 weeks of pregnancy we did very little school. I was in survival mode. Lots of screen time for the kids. During the middle part of pregnancy I felt much better so we were pretty much back to a normal routine. Then by about week 36 I was losing steam and we took a break again. Usually by 2 weeks after baby was born I was ready to get back to our normal routine of homeschooling. I also had the older kids help with chores and making breakfast and lunch. I had the oldest in charge of making breakfast for everyone...easy stuff like cinnamon toast. The 2nd oldest was in charge of lunch. (Most kids over 6 can be taught how to make a sandwich.) The older ones also helped a ton by playing with the younger ones and helping me keep them out of mischief. Susan in TX

Great idea! I think I will pull out my good china. Since there will only be six of us I will have enough place settings. Susan in TX

I use Fexofenadine Hydrochloride. Susan in TX

For my reluctant readers I had to use a formal reading curriculum like Christian Light. For a couple of them I used Sonlight. They wouldn't just read on their own and I needed the accountability of a curriculum. Having a curriculum to follow just made it easier to make sure they were reading something. For my other kids who liked reading I just needed to take them to the library and keep them supplied with books. Susan in TX

Some of my kids are sensitive to artificial colors especially red 40. One of my sons is sensitive to annatto. If he eats anything with annatto his anxiety spikes and he will be prone to crying and tantrums. So I would watch what he is eating and see if you notice anything that might be triggering his behavior. One of my girls was very whiny and emotional when she was three. I got the idea to set up a "crying chair" for her. So whenever she started crying about something, I would gently and matter-of-factly tell her that she needed to go sit in her crying chair until she was done crying. This was not in any way a punishment. I am not sure if this did anything to reduce the behavior, but it did help me to deal with it without getting frustrated. Susan in TX

God never promised us an easy life. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin came into the world we live in an imperfect world. No one has perfect kids. No one is a perfect parent. You are the right Mom for them because YOU are their Mom. But get help for their issues. Don't just accept it. There are things you can do to make life easier for them and for you. And don't accept that you have to do it all yourself. Susan in TX

I got zero too. Susan in TX