Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers by Gordon Neufeld absolutely made me a better, more loving, parent.

My first grader knows both. The Classical Conversation song did the trick for the Presidents and the State Sequence game by Jax made learning the states/capitals a breeze. It's a fun game for mom, too! I highly recommend it.

Nice catch. I remember hearing it but only after you mentioned it. I'll admit, the trailer caused me to tear up. I would be very excited, but I have my own personal ban on Hollywood, so I'm not going to watch it.

A splash of vinegar really helps bring out the flavor.

I get up quickly and usually feel refreshed. I get in bed when the kids do, which is around 8:30 and get up at 6 am if I'm meeting my neighbor to walk and 7 otherwise. Some days though, I have to promise myself I'll take a nap later in order to get myself moving.:tongue_smilie:

I bought the first level (not sure what it's called) for the youngest age. It's the level that has the early reading and the math in one package. The 'early reading' is teaching the child learning letter sounds and vowel-team sounds by associating them with animal names (p, /p/, pig) using flash cards. That's all. I don't even recall there being any actual reading involved. So, you're better off with OGPTR or 100EZ Lessons for a lot less $$$. The math consists of 1) learning to count backward and forward to 20, 2) learning to count to 100, and 3) learning to form numbers by associating the number with dots representing the number (i.e., you form a three by teaching the child that there are 3 dots on the 3). This becomes the basis for addition. The child, for example, learns what 2 plus 3 is by starting with the 2 and adding the 3 dots on the three to get 5. AACK! It's awful. I had a friend who stuck with the program, and she said after over a year, her son could not add 2 plus 3 without mentally adding those dots!

It's junk. Parlor tricks. Take it from me, who spent hard-earned money buying it. :glare: I still suffer from guilt for reselling it to another unsuspecting victim for $20. If you want the EXACT same information buy this book for a lot less.

We listen during snack time.

The Jewish art museum in Tulsa is having a Chagall and Warhol exhibit. They should be open Christmas weekend.;) The Philbrook in Tulsa is having an exhibit featuring European masters, which includes Rembrandt (I think). On Thursday nights, their gardens are lit with lights. So, if your into art....

Free! I wore my mom's.

I live in a fog of daydreams. I think thinking is vital and and has its place as do planning and dream-making. However, I, for one, need to offset all the dreaming and planning with a little actual DOING. IMO, Stephen Covey is on the right track about establishing a mission statement to live by and setting goals consistent with that overarching mission. Also, for me, my life would be better with replacing self-indulgent habits, which contribute to malaise and laziness, with a disciplined life.

Skip the Colfax book. It's okay. You can sit and read it in one sitting. But, all the specifics (or stuff you could actually use in your own school) are out of date.

Here's a of SWB addressing this issue. ETA: I noticed just now that you mentioned PLL. I'm not sure what PLL is. This video addresses FLL. Sorry if it's no help.

I didn't see The Apple and the Arrow by Mary Buff in the list above, so I'm listing it now.:)

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I didn't know about the three month trial. I signed up under a 2-week trial. We're on day 8 of that. My 7yo plays half an hour most days. The first few days, it was a whole hour. He didn't ask to play over the weekend.

Yes, it's also $39.99 on T&K's website.

Woot! Thanks. Got one!

I'm a Kern fan, but I don't know what "LTOW" is. Please enlighten me. Thanks!

Similar to what ezrabean said, use the currency that works. My now 7 year-old used to be the ultimate complainer. About six months ago, a poster on this board talked about a penny system. I created a derivative of this that HAS WORKED WONDERS. My son's currency is video time. He starts out with 5 pennies in the jar and 5 pennies out. When I call him for school, if he comes without complaining, it's a penny in the jar. If he complains, it's a penny out. The rest of the school progresses the same way. If he's going along with a good attitude, I casually drop a penny in the jar. If he whines, I casually take a penny out without any recriminations. If he has all 10 pennies in the jar at the end of our school time, he gets to play a half-hour of video games. If the jar is not full (which has only happened once), he sits with me for half an hour while his little sister gets to watch TV.

For your 16-year-old, I would recommend books by Gene Stratton Porter. These are old books. Laddie is about a wonderfully courageous family. The story line is not exceptional but I enjoyed reading about and gaining inspiration from the family. A book with a girl heroine is Girl of the Limberlost, which is by the same author. For adventure, wholesome characters, and a touch of romance, I'd suggest The Woman in White by Wilke Collins. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is an excellent coming of age story set around the turn of the century. A newer book either might enjoy is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Socieity by Shaffer. Something that is more "PG-13" is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.

:bigear:

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/11/23/china-to-cancel-college-majors-that-dont-pay/ This is China's answer to worthless degrees....ban them.

Thanks! Just downloaded it.

:iagree: I've already seen Facebook posts opposing this, though, decrying a return to child labor. One of my fb 'friends' is claiming the next step will be children being forced into coal mines. It may be an uphill battle for apprenticeship programs with that type of rhetoric floating around.