and there's the million dollar question! what is enough? enough to pay for some expensive classes I think my eldest dd (pg, accelerated learner) needs, enough for my ends to meet, us to eat more foods that don't require as much prep time, gah! housekeeping help??

Blue collar and proud! Dh's uniforms are laundered by a service. He changes in a locker room before and after work. He's an aircraft mechanic.

Thanks, 2cents. I like how you described how homeschooling the little girl might affect my relationship with her mother. It's helpful to me to think about it like that.

The mother and I are on the same page wrt discipline, food, etc. The older brother told me the other day that his mom says my house is their second home. We are ecclectic homeschoolers, but we draw a lot from the classical model. I would need to fold her into what we do. I could be somewhat flexible, but I couldn't change styles entirely. The attention thing is a concern. I think it's ok, but it concerns me. I really appreciate hearing what has and hasn't worked for other families. I also love the questioning. Thanks for helping me think this through! eta--I drive a 7 passenger mini van & I only have 3 of my own. I agree that transportation is crucial!

No, no miscommunication. This same teacher put the girl on the wrong bus one day, realized it, couldn't reach the mom, called the girl's emergency contact (me,) and left me to sort it out. She didn't go to the principal, file paperwork, nothing. I tracked down the girl while in contact with the teacher via her cell phone while she was driving home from work. Sparks did fly, but after I found the girl and all was well, it was none of my business. The teacher. I think she needs more one-on-one than what she was getting in her classroom. She's not a troublesome child, so she's not drawing that kind of attention. She's not an ambitious child, so she doesn't get that kind of attention. When no one is paying attention to her, she's content to do her own thing. That tends to be wandering off and playing dolls by herself. I'm not interested in getting into any savior kind of dynamic here. If I do this, it has to be because it's mutually beneficial.

The little girl is a neutral influence on my kids. She's a playmate for my ds, and sometimes my middle dd. She has some behaviors that are negative, but those things tend to evaporate when she is with us for a stretch at a time. My kids haven't picked them up. My girls are too old to be influenced by a 6yo, my boy is still very much in my pocket. The job situation is flexible...I need a job, but if not this, then an evening/weekend gig. I know that will also cut into our quality of life. I did doula work for several years. I was good at it, but I can't do that anymore (multitude of reasons--philosophical, logistical, as well as the on-call schedule.) My other job options are likely retail, food service, housekeeping, data entry, home health aide....low paying all around. I've been at home for 12 years. I would also be babysitting. 7-5 is about right. I agree that it's too intrusive, but my options are limited. A school aged child who also needs instruction seems like about the same amount of work as a baby/toddler to babysit. I don't know if it would be better or worse for me/our family for me to take this child or to get an evening/weekend gig. The money would likely be about the same. I don't know if the mom would want me to homeschool her child. She's disenchanted with the public school & is looking at all of her options. I'm sure she would consider it. I want to figure out if I would be willing to do it before she and I have the discussion.

In my state her parent would take responsibility, submit the required paperwork, and leave me with the day to day implementation.

Why would you (maybe) not do it again? My concern is the upset to our family dynamic. That, and I would commit to the school year. What happens when I hit the doldrums in February??

Here's the situation: I've been babysitting for this family (2 kids) since the eldest was a baby (he's now 12.) I've kept both kids until they were school aged, and since then I've kept them over school breaks, snow days and sometimes summers. I have them this summer. We're close, but its mainly a business relationship. My kids are 12, 10 and 4. Our family is complete :) I do pretty ok with my role as homeschooling parent--I'm somewhat harried, but not excessively. Our kids have never been to school. I feel like I pretty much know what I'm doing. :) The little girl in question is 6. She will be repeating first grade this year. The recommendation from her teacher is that they medicate her for ADHD and give it another go (since when did teachers become qualified to diagnose/prescribe??) She's a pleasant little girl. She's spacey, and she struggles with academics, but her attention issues have gotten much better as the summer has progressed. The first week she was here she would ask me the same question over and over and over (what's for lunch, when are we going to the library, that kind of thing.) I started writing our agenda on the dry erase board and pulled out the learning time clock for her, and that has stopped. I seriously think her "attention disorder" is a reflection of her not receiving enough attention--but that's neither here nor there--I'm also not qualified to diagnose :) The bottom line is, I don't think she has issues I can't handle. Her mother would like to homeschool, but she's a single parent (never married, adopted kids, not that it matters,) so it's not really an option. We are not making ends meet, and haven't been, and I'm sick and tired of being frustrated with the money situation. I need a job. It seems like a good match...but I'm apprehensive. Has anyone homeschooled someone else's child? How did that go? TIA!

I made multiple google accounts for myself and gave one to each of my kids. It was the easiest, least dishonest way I could figure out.

Taking the dog(s) for a long walk usually does it for me--at least for a couple of hours. About your dog and the midnight potty runs--have you checked with the vet? If your dog is a spayed female, that could possibly be a very simple fix. Phenylpropanolamine changed my life. It's an inexpensive medication, comes in pill form, you give it once a day, it's v. safe wrt side effects, and it worked really well for my dog (also a greyhound.) I was about to lose my mind with the sleep vs. peeing on the floor thing, and one little pill changed it all. Good luck, mama.