I don't think there's anything wrong with letting your daughter read herself to sleep even if it means she stays awake longer. I think it would only be a problem if she is consistently cranky because she isn't getting enough sleep. Susan in TX

Your husband isn't opposed to you quitting work, and he won't carry half of the burden of the housework, childcare etc. so stop letting fear keep you from doing what you really want to do. Have some faith in your husband and his abilities to provide. Based on what you said above, he won't let the bills go unpaid. You are taking on responsibility that's not yours. Let him shoulder that burden and you take care of the house, the kids, and the homeschooling. Susan in TX

If I were in your situation, I would do everything I could to stop working or cut back on my hours. If there just was no way to stop working then I would expect my DH to pull half the load at home. If he was unwilling or unable to help with the children, housecleaning etc. then I would hire some help. If I couldn't afford that I would put my kids in school, although if my kids were only 5 and 2 I don't think I'd want them in school all day, but I think sending them to school in the mornings could be beneficial for everyone. Susan in TX

I'd consider leaving my cell phone at home the next time I went out with DH. Is there someone else they could call if there is an emergency? Otherwise, I'd just make it VERY clear that they are not to call unless it is an emergency and then provide some sort of unpleasant consequences if they don't respect your wishes. One other idea is to threaten to get them a babysitter. Susan in TX

I chose "other" because all the curricula I use is "self-instructional" (or I adapt it to make it that way) so I let the curricula do the teaching and the children do the learning, with help from me as needed. Susan in TX

I would just stop and not do school for a few weeks. Take the time to get your house in order, do all those projects and fun things with the kids and just enjoy life! I think you should also seriously consider HOW you are homeschooling and that it doesn't seem to be a good fit for your daughter. Some kids thrive on structured school with lots of academics...some kids just don't. I have found that it works best to tailor the curriculum and the teaching style to the child. Your daughter sounds like a creative child who would benefit from a relaxed homeschooling approach. Susan in TX

Your system sounds great Colleen but I wash a lot of nicer clothes that need a delicate cycle and my girls wear a lot of black (one of the approved dress code colors for public high school here) and I have to sort carefully or the black clothes would be covered with white lint...(and hell hath no fury like a teenaged girl who finds lint on her black pants!). I used to LOVE doing laundry, but it has become more of a drudgery as our family has grown and the children have grown. Doing laundry day in and day out for ten people can be drudgery, especially if you don't have a working dryer. It's just a good thing that I still like to do laundry. I keep it form being overwhelming by having ONE central hamper and washing 1-3 loads every day. I have considered having my teens do their own laundry, but it just wouldn't be as efficient that way...we would be washing many more partial loads and using a lot more water and energy. Just another perspective. Susan in TX

IF he likes typing than don't drop it. In today's world keyboarding skills are more important than writing. And IMNSHO there is no reason for a five year old to be writing *anything*, except maybe his name. Work on those fine motor skills by coloring, cutting and pasting etc. There is also a curriculum, Ready Writer, that would help with this. It is basically pre-penmanship skills and consists of worksheets where the child traces lines, and it looks like fun. Susan in TX mom of 8 (going on 9), homeschooling 5, one in college (University of Dallas), 2 in public high school.