This is not a “third world country” issue (love that we still use the term. Can we upgrade to second world at least?) In some such countries there may not be as many jobs so one parent is at home, or there are strong familial care bond (neighbors, grandparents). This is an “developed all the way to late capitalism” issue where people can never retire due to a lack of a social network and both parents work at least one full time job each. I don’t think the Us is setting any standards for child care for anyone in the world.

I would have a full time housekeeper for cleaning (cooking I can do) and I would outsource math and foreign language even more than I do (once a week is not enough). I’m burned out on the travel but I’d continue to travel slow (a month here and a 3 months there).

DD’s school day in France is 830 to 430 but this includes something like 2 hours for lunch/ recess etc. we head straight to playground for an hour of playtime after (brrr). . Many kids stay for afterschool until 6. Wednesdays are off school. you all say “nanny state” like it’s a bad thing. I’ve no problems with the nanny if the nanny is a good one 😉 I do hate having to supplement math bc it’s November of third grade and it’s still place value. 🙄

Sing and preach. So many times I mutter “this is wasted on you people. Let’s get back to it in 20 years” 😂

Funny, I’ve thought about asking you the same. And the class never happened. Am going to his house (well the one that was turned into a museum, he moved a lot), I can send photos? 🙂

that's an awesome site, at the very least for the book unit studies. I had fallen down the lutinbazaar rabbit hole but this one gives me another excuse to go book shopping yet again 😉 Un grand merci!

what I wanted to do: a french class called Paris through Balzac. It was entirely too much for the time we had and it required more planning on my part that i have the wherewithal for. What I am doing: a very disorganised but at least chronologically sound 🙂 class called: Intro to Art History through Paris museums. Not for credit: DH is teaching ds a very occasional Intro to Business class, but specifically focused on public companies that have amusement parks (DS a huge coaster enthusiast). eta that i dream of doing a class around the podcast 'Revolutions' but it is not something that will happen.

Roadrunner, consider the age of the kids and also GB1 versus GB3 or 4 AND whether books have been read before. Huge differences in these variables on the kids in these threads.

I agree with the CLRC great books review above except that I do not share the enthusiasm about the student body 😂 and also I don’t know how well the writing will translate to the AP type writing which seems to be its own sort of animal. I hope you all are right, of course. Don’t care, we take CLRC’s great books classes for their sake.

What do you do for exercise. I hate it all.

In Spain and Portugal they haven’t asked for a prescription. In France yes I or my sister sees the derm and he writes me a script that lasts years.

I used to get the renova formulations from there but I find all their stuff extremely drying now. So I’m stuck getting in Europe.

So I’m going to guess retinoids. They’re $$$ in the states but I get them in Europe. Some formulations are extremely drying to me, but some others such as Kestrel (available in France) and retirides (available in Spain/Portugal) are not and are pretty great. Eta that I don’t use them for acne, I’m just guessing that’s what the prescription is for.

Differin I’m told works. And also some sort of abx gel on the infected bits. It’s otc where I am now but usually prescription.

It’s going to be a real issue for me. I average 11,000 steps a day now, a lot of that uphill/up stairs carrying groceries and I never work out, this is just daily life. In the US I’m 100% stationary even though the only thing to do where I live is hike and look at plants.