I would not call it offended but I feel it shows a lack of intelligence somewhere with the person using it. No reason to use it actually except as a crude factor. It is also not dignified...in my opinion. Also if you regularly use it then how will you not use it in front of children? It will slip out. If you cannot use a word in front of a child, then why use it? The world is full of words...pick a more more creative way to express anger, something you do not mind your 3 year old using. Foul language=foul person is what my grandmother says.

BJU English is a very solid program IF you use it with the manual. The program is set up to do a chapter of grammar then a chapter of writing, alternating through the year. The grammar is work on together prior to the workpage and the student has a chance to actually practice what they learned by writing an original sentence or two containing the lesson learned. The writing portion is excellent in my opinion. It firsts walks you through a writing assignment you do along with the child. (each different writing chapter will include a different type of organizing to show the many ways to organize your thought before writing). After you go through the many stepd of writing together and the child is then given a writing assignment they do solo (but the together work gives the confidence to do a solo). The reading is very good. Stories are interesting and are not watered down. The manual will give discussion questions that will apply different skills to answer. Some make the mistake of trying to use all the questions and they burn out....the questions are meant to pick and choose from. There is a work page for the days reading, for 2nd grade there will be a phonics review included on the work page. Every so many lessons you will get a literary lesson: character, setting, reference books, theme, main idea, and so on. There is also enrichment work at the end of some lessons which might include art or writing.

I used the following for my High School aged children: My oldest used 180 days and did not mind the researching. He actually enjoyed the curriculum. The researching encouraged him to rabbit trail within a country so he learned more then he was asked to. Another son used ACE Paces World Geography and I thought this was an excellent program. I loved the way you needed to draw the country and then label it. My youngest son used the Eastern Hemisphere Explorer...the 2011 (maybe 2012) version...but not using the World Book Encyclopedia. He just used research to find what was needed. Middle school aged we used Trail Guide, but just the mapping portion. We just finished an elementary aged Geography year using the book Children Just Like Me and this web site http://homeschoolcreations.com/Geography.html (scroll down for individual continents)

I honestly do not know. We bought the set but ds has only used the CDs. Supposedly the text is word for word with the CDs but I have not looked.

My math hating son (16yr) changed to enjoy math once we switched to Teaching textbooks. He says they explain things so he can understand. If he is still stumped he can view hints. So far he went from a borderline passing to making A's now. He even says math is one of his favorite subjects now. We did try AOPS before TT (I really liked AOPS) but the teaching method was different. They give you problems to wrestle through first, then explain the answers and better ways of working out the problems or common errors you make while solving the problems. They make you think in a math way which is great but if your child does not think in a math way naturally it is really hard.

Will be watching this thread. We love those cookies and get them for special pick me up times.

:grouphug: I agree with the hand washing. :cursing:

:laugh: Never even crossed my mind. But older books with mature themes could mean there are adult situations in them that are of the s*x nature even amid war and other serious story themes. (I found out the hard way when I gave, what I thought was considered a new classic to my oldest son, and found out there was a lengthy, descriptive scene in it :huh: )

I can understand a teen needing a cell phone but why all the bells and whistles? A phone for emergencies or to set plans when out, the house phone is for friendly calls.. If the phone is capable of more then calls I would not pay for it, let them. A pay as you go phone that will cost $$$ if texting is abused will put a damper on it. I HATE seeing people of any age walking around texting. It is rude, plain and simple.

We did BJu for many years. We have used pretty much all the subjects from K-9th and some beyond that. All of it is very good IF done the way it is intended, with the teacher manual. Other wise it is no more then a workbook curriculum and you can buy any ol'thing for that. The teacher manuals are scripted (but I used it as an idea on what to say not word for word) but it also gives one on one work to do together teaching the lesson. Science there is a boat load of demonstrations and experiments when using the teacher's manual and includes a guide to logical thinking, taking what is given and showing them how it fits with the big picture. Heritage Studies also has lots of hands on activites to do besides just read and discus. It is history and social studies in one curriculum. Going all BJU will give your child an excellent education. With that said I will warn you, doing it with the manuals (which is how the curriculum is set up) for multiple kids is a lot but doable (I did it with 3 children for years). It just takes time and planning and a schedule you stick to. The heritage studies and science can both be used for multiple age children so that helps if you combine your children here and that leaves math, reading, and language at the childs individual level. I use to teach one while the others were working on corrections or workpages or readings. THe only reason I left BJU (we still use the math) is I wanted a different approach to school and dd has a different learning style. I have gone back for different subjects because with BJU you know they get a solid curriculum.

The do not have the best business sense and they do not know how to treat their costumers. The cores are getting dumbed down. Books that have added to the core and time period have been replaced with junk books. Some of the choices they have made recently have been eye raising. I am using SL this year and will use core E next year (purchased soon before they screw it up any more). I am not using them as a whole but more as book buys. Not sure how much of the SL notes I will use, somehow I do not feel like they mean much now that SL has tainted themselves with whiplash like changes from one stance to the next. This is definitely NOT the SL I bought into years ago and from what I see and hear the SL in years to come will certainly NOT be a company I will do business with. If I do happen to use Sl in the future, it will be from used IG's from the years I felt the company had the right ideas and the books will be purchased from other sources.

Good idea. My space child gets a daily schedule. What kind of more mature reading? By 7th grade I allow free reading with the exception of books with adult s*x themes and heavy occult topics. They are ready to explore but at age or even below is too censored or written down to the child which makes the content boring even for subjects they are interested in. I would try it...if it is too mature he will either ask questions or try and seek answers himself, or drop it all together (and then you know it was not time). You mentioned Unit Studies. I don't know of any specific curriculum like this but it is a good idea. Let him choose a topic and together make out a course of study for it...start out with just a few weeks dedicated to it. Require writing of some sort, even if it is a journal of what is being studied. He might explore topics you did not know he was interested in. For me the act of learning even if it is something not traditionally in a textbook is still learning.

We lived in Louisiana for 43 yrs and had to deal with mosquitoes. 18 of those years were 1 block from a bayou and ditches along the street. You can never get rid of them. However there were things we did that helped keep them from getting in and if in to keep them from biting in the night. We put fans up near the doorways into the house. This was the most effective way to keep them out. Just a cheap box fan we kept running 24/7 and aimed at the front door. Dryer sheets under the bed...sounds silly but it worked, the stronger the smell the better they worked. Dd's bedroom was a magnet for mosquitoes, if one got in the house it always went to her room. We put party streamers on her door way (in strips side by side hanging down to the ground so it makes a solid wall when no one is going through). As far as keeping them out of a screened in porch, use the box fan idea....might help.

My youngest son is exactly like your son. Stares into space. Takes hours to do math (not because it is hard, just cannot stay focused from one problem to the next). No medical problems or diet problems, just a boy who is lost in his own world and will come out every now and then to do a math problem, then pop back to his happy place. Wants to read and build Lego's, work on his model weapons (he makes replicas of guns and other things), and fence. Here are the things I have done that have shown significant changes in how my son finishes his work, maybe you can get some ideas to use.Sometimes I had to think outside the box. I know you said you want to keep saxon math but I wanted to keep BJU math and did for years while son spent hours on math. Last year I finally caved and switched to Teaching Textbooks and Math is done quickly and with no constant, "Did you finish Math yet?" from me. He stays focused and gets it done. Another switch that has been for the better was dropping textbooks for history and switching to Mystery of History, it is more of a research based curriculum. You read a page or two about the history subject, then go online and research something MOH suggest, usually related to the topic you read about. I don't know what other curriculum is out there like this but It was definitely a very positive approach to studying history for my ds. We added in documentaries and books associated with the time period that I wanted him to read (most of which you can get in audio format. What if you try a different approach to English subjects....One year Adventure Novel, Movies as Literature, Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings...are not the typical grammar/writing curriculum you find with English. My son is going into 11th and I feel he has had all the English he actual needs for now so he is applying what he knows: working on writing a book, blogging, letter writing to statesmen, technical writing for science, and other things. All these require grammar and writing skills. On his book he will be applying literary techniques he learned about. We dropped the curriculum. Sometimes it is okay to drop the actual curriculum and start applying what they know. Does your son like to write in any form or fashion...it could be anything from keeping a blog to writing comics. Take what he likes and let him run with it. Or drop formal English for the year and use his writings in the other subjects as teaching moments...."Oh, you did not put a comma here in this sentence, a comma goes here because...", "Hmmm, you have good content in this paragraph on the Washington but maybe the order needs some work or clarify this sentence with a little more info.." Work on vocabulary in fun ways, crossword puzzles, word finds (the ones that have lists of certain subject matter) and keep a notebook of all the words he does not know that he comes across and look them up (you can use this list as spelling list or for writing original sentences), get a word a day calendar and everyone tries to use the word in regular conversation through out the day (this was a fun year we had with this one). Does he like nature, have him keep a nature journal or photo journal. Science, my son loved it as a child but then once it got textbooky he hates it. We have tried BJU, Apologia (he likes this one, but it still is a textbooky type science). This coming year he will use ACE Paces for Chemistry and read about chemists (watch lots of documentaries too). For a 7th grader I would make a compromise, do the Apologia book but also offer him hands on equipment to study science at his leisure...a microscope and field scope, telescope, and chemistry set are things that can inspire a love of science when there is no school work associated with them. He just has to keep a science notebook of what he does and sees. This takes the science out of the books and makes it more fun without it being a lesson. Sigh, when all else fails I have resorted to using a timer. One that he can see so he can regulate his time. He has x number of minutes to work on history and then it gets put away for his own time later if it is not completed. Seeing the actual time helped. It was not a perfect fix but it did help him see the wasted time and he started getting better, less left over because it was cutting into his after school time. He also saw how fast he could work when trying to beat the clock, liked the extra time in the day once all the work was completed too. Have you looked into Charlotte Mason? Maybe this is a method he might like. Good luck. it is hard when you have a day dreamer. I am still trying to find the perfect way to get my dreamer motivated to focus. What I mentioned above helped. I did find one big key to getting him to work faster was to find his strengths and gear his work to that. Sometimes it was how can I make this work in academia and then think way outside the box. Another idea, ask him. I incorporated my ds in trying to figure out what will motivate him.

:smilielol5: Sorry but that is a funny question...enough curriculum? Really? But in all serious...yes. Yes I do. I can at this moment never buy any more curriculum (that actually hurt to type) except for 12th grade civics/economics, Physics, and Pre Calculus/Trig and those I can get at the library (they have want I want to use).

Another thing, set up a 1st week meeting. There will be things that you all have not thought of but will crop up the first week. Sit down and discuss those things. Having in laws living with you can work but the lines of communication need to stay open and easily offended feelings need to be put on the shelf.

As others said, document, document, document. Keep a copy of any email or letter she sends. Get an answer machine and caller id, do not answer when she calls but keep any messages she leaves. Do not engage her with the exception of a certified letter telling her not to contact you again. I do like the idea of talking with the police. This is harassment. I also like the idea of talking with a lawyer. Do it before she acts on her threats. It will look better to have the paperwork in place before anything happens. It sends the message you feel threatened by this person and are trying to stop things before they get worse.

One year our Louisiana Library offered Rosetta Stone free from the library web site. It was perfect, we got to try it out for the year to see if it was worth buying. Definitely worth looking at what your library offers.

We will be using their Zoology 1 lapbook this year and a few others later on. I actually received the free 17th century US history one free many years ago and never looked at it until a few months ago and was wowed. That is why I went looking at what else they offer and found the Apologia Lapbooks....so much better then the ones Rainbow resources offers and cheaper.

Get a periodic table shower curtain. Ds thought I was silly to buy one, but in just 3 days he has managed to learn quite a bit of the table. He is asking questions and seeking answers besides just learning the names (Questions like Why is Hydrogen in it's own group, and What's a Noble Gas?) Even the bathroom is now a place of learning :party:

TOPS has Rocks and Minerals book that we used and enjoyed.

I think as their brains are being rewired for manhood they often speak during times when things are offline up there. I hope this is it.

I voted other. For elementary I have used and loved: 1.to make sure science gets done: Elemental science. It is fast and easy to use. The weekly experiments are simple but have great learning value. You can add in RSO to add more hands on if needed. 2.to cover lots of topics: BJU science is full of different topics covered each year however they are not just visited but covered in detail. Tons of experiments. It does use science equipment so could be pricey but science loving children like to do science with actual science equipment. 3. Single topic study: Apologia Exploring Science series is excellent. You can do them as readalouds and add in notebooking or a lapbook or have an older student read them covering 2 books a year. The dive deep in a subject approach leaves the child with a very full working knowledge of a topic that he will pull from for years to come.

I voted other. I was thinking something like this only was not thinking adding in HOD Geography but adding something like Paces World Geography do do in the alongside the HS years or during the summer times between HS years.