Some of our midwives have given us a nice little booklet that had drawings of the baby at various stages in utero; I can't remember what it was called, but you could ask your MW/OB. Also, I signed up for the babycenter emails that told me what the baby was doing and looked like each week, and I'd read those to the kids and show them the pictures. They really liked hearing that the baby had eyebrows or was practicing the sucking reflex or whatever. We also watched some natural birth videos on youtube. (Not that it mattered in the end anyway, because he came so fast that we didn't have a chance to wake the other kids, but oh well.) Two years ago, when we also had a baby, we did a unit on genetics and made a family tree, where we recorded everyone's hair color and eye color and dimple status. They really liked that!

In the afternoon, usually around 4:30, since DH gets home about 5:30, my children each tidy an area of the house and put away laundry. They take out trash and collect dirty laundry and put away dishes in the morning, but once a week, they haul the trash and recycling to the curb in the afternoon. They also work any mess in their rooms in the afternoon, if they have time, depending on what else we are doing that day. They like when I have them help me with dinner too. I also sometimes have them vacuum the area they've tidied. Oh, and they get their schoolwork areas in order -- papers, small toys, drawing materials, etc. tend to accumulate on those surfaces, and I like them neat to start each morning.

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Some of the things my 6th grader has read this year are: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Eight Cousins Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island The Penderwicks trilogy -- she loved this She's in the middle of the third in the Wrinkle in Time series, after absolutely loving the first two.

If I saw your 4yo's beads and three tutu skirts, I would be sure to smile and tell her how much I loved her beautiful outfit! I do have stricter requirements for things like church and weddings, and honestly, I have really not gotten arguments about it from my kids. And it's not necessarily because they happen to be very passive and non-argumentative. I think it's because I so rarely make an issue out of clothing that they feel okay respecting my wishes when I do ask. Of course, then they take my suggestion that we find something nice and appropriate for Thanksgiving and run with it; a couple of years ago, my then 4 and 7yo sons got it in their heads that they needed ties and button-down shirts. We're not super formal at TG, and nice jeans and a polo shirt or even a nice t-shirt would have been fine. But no, we had to find ties for them (and they did look smashing).

Subbing. . .

Well, how fun! I have been waiting for a 7th grade thread. Math -- Finish Saxon Algebra 1/2, which we have started this year. We've been interspersing it with supplemental word problems, and we're doing two lessons over three days, which is working very well, so I think we will continue that. Writing -- Finish WWS1, start WWS2, and also use The Creative Writer. Probably will not finish WWS2 and TCC in 7th, and I'm okay with that. Language -- Continue LNST (we're almost done with Level 4 now, so 5 and probably 6 will be for next year). Continue Spanish with Mango, and then I'm not sure. I might have her run through DuoLingo Spanish, and/or we might also work through Getting Started With Spanish. I think I would like her to complete at least one of those two things before moving on to a different modern language. Might also have her try Mango Latin, just for a different approach. Logic -- Probably The Fallacy Detective, maybe also some logic problems. History/Geography -- Finish whatever of History Odyssey's Early Modern Level 2 that she doesn't finish this year, then on to HO's Modern Level 2. Mapwork to accompany that. Poetry through Art of Poetry -- I want to work through it with her. Fine Arts -- continue Artistic Pursuits, and picture and composer study with artists and composers to be determined later. She will probably continue to draw on her own, both with paper and computer programs, and she will probably continue to teach herself to play things on the keyboard using youtube. Also Adventus MusIQ. And we'll continue reading the Mr. Pipes series and listening to the hymns from it on youtube. Literature -- reading independently from a list of classics, family readalouds. We're going to try working through Narnia and FUFI as a family next year, and I am intending to have DD read some of Lewis's other works (considering Surprised By Joy and Of Other Worlds), as well as a very fascinating book I just got that talks about the allusions and such in the Narnia books. I think she will enjoy some of the inside jokes, references, and deeper meanings. I'm hoping to do some religious biographies with the kids, plus daily Bible reading and memory verse work. FUFI and some of the other books I got to go with it have Bible lessons in them too. Science -- Not entirely sure. We started this year on Mr. Q Chemistry, and we've really enjoyed it. We took a break to do the student book with our big SnapCircuits set, so we won't finish the Chemistry this year. I also bought the Earth Science book from Mr. Q, and that would be good to do in the summer when we're outside. So we might not pick the Chemistry back up for a while, and that's okay with me too. I may also look into some other Earth Science stuff for DD, since Mr. Q is maybe a little easy for her. Geography -- I'd also like to work through A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth with the younger kids, and DD will probably come along for the ride. Extracurriculars -- tennis over the summer, not sure about during the year -- possibly swimming and/or martial arts. Plus typing, and DD will continue to improve computer skills as needed. Might have her learn PowerPoint or something too. I need to put together some Civics stuff and find stuff for fulfilling the portfolio requirements for health/safety/fire safety. But I'm pretty pleased with how things are looking so far. It seems like a lot, but it's really only eight subjects a day, six independent ones, and two group ones, plus family reading at breakfast, lunch, in the car, and in the evenings (although not necessarily all four times every day).

We don't have a minimum, but sometimes I resort to worksheets for stuff like health, simply for the "make sure it gets done" aspect. I happen to believe, personally, that nutrition, health, and the like are best taught organically, as you're growing, procuring, and preparing the food, but sometimes a quick worksheet serves its purpose.

Is it because of the testing? That I understand. If he's only ready for second-grade level work at a particular point, but the district is calling him a third grader because of his age, then he'll have to do testing that he may not be ready for, and then if his scores aren't good, you end up with the district on your back. I think that probably isn't going to be a problem, because I am thinking that it'll be the opposite -- he might be ready for third-grade level work, but the district will call him a second grader because of his age. If it's a problem, I'd argue with the district that YOU are the one who determines the grade, not them, but otherwise, I'd just have him do whatever is appropriate for his stage and not worry too much about it. It's not going to be the end of the world if he needs to slow down or if he needs to skip a grade on paper. I have an October baby; he just missed the cutoff for Kindergarten this year, but if I were sending him to school, I'd have pushed the school to let him in this fall at almost 5, because he was ready. But he wants to be called a preschooler, so that's what we're calling him. Actually, he recently told me that he wants to be a Kindergartener, so I'm letting him call himself that and probably will until the end of next school year (2015); starting in 2015, we'll label him a first grader, at 6.5, and then when I have to officially register him, he'll be 8.5, a few months shy of 9, and he'll be a third grader. Probably. Unless something else seems to work better; I am open to change.

I think having him talk to your FIL was a great idea! It gave him a real world insight into what happens if you cheat, and it gave him someone else besides his parents, and presumably someone else he loves and trusts, who can be an authority figure too.

Great post! My little girl, who will probably always be my only little girl, is over the princess dress stage, and that's a little sad for me (okay, a lot sad, but I don't tell her that often, because I don't want her to feel badly about growing up), so I vote that you enjoy it while it lasts!

Some of mine go out in costume often. I don't mind, as long as they are weather-appropriate and can participate in whatever activity we are doing. DD often used to go out in colonial garb, or princess wear. My 5yo son frequently goes out dressed as Batman, with 2yo brother donning his Robin cape. I also generally don't care too much if they match or not; it's just not a big hot button for me. However, I do insist on no holes or stains or ill-fitting clothes in public. You can squeeze into your favorite t-shirt one more time at home, or wear those comfy jeans that have the hole in the knee around the house, but not in public.

Right now, my 8yo (9 in a month) isn't out much, because it's bitterly cold and windy, but in nice weather, he can go outside a lot. If he's working diligently, schoolwork might take him four hours, just kind of depends. He's a good reader but not that all fast yet. Typical schoolwork for him: -1 WWE lesson -- 10-20 minutes, depending on whether he needs to read a passage first or not. -20 minutes of math and geography practice games -10-30 minutes of math -- depends on whether he needs help from me or if he can just do it -- he's in Singapore 3, and I have him do a section a day, so 2-4 pages. The fraction pages are super fast, but the lengthy subtraction problems, while easy for him, take a while. -a chapter of a book, something of decent literary quality -- right now, he likes the Childhood of Famous Americans books -- a chapter might take 20-30 minutes. -either a lesson from Mango Language or a page from GSWL with me -- about 10 minutes -history -- under 30 minutes -- varies, but yesterday, he read a couple of pages from Usborne and looked up a definition in a dictionary. Another day, he might read a chapter of SOTW or CHOW, although if he's had a particularly long day otherwise, I might just have him read half of the chapter that day and half the next, and sometimes he is supposed to write two facts he learned or do a map. I miss doing history with him, but he's not at all an auditory learner, and with reading to himself, he's really thriving and enjoying history. -10-30 minutes --- rotating group subjects -- geography, art, picture study, etc. -science -- 10-30 minutes -- We were doing Mr. Q as a group, which takes about 15 minutes a day, but then we took a break to work through the SnapCircuits student guide as a group, and we might spend longer on that because they're so cool. Plus readalouds at breakfast, lunch, bedtime, and in the car, and memory work at breakfast. In his free time, he draws, builds with LEGO, plays with any available sibling, does origami, does SnapCircuits projects on his own, reads. . . He doesn't get a lot of screen time, but when he does, he likes playing games. He plays with friends at co-op get togethers but not very often, as we live in the middle of the country, a hike from most of our friends. In nice weather, he and his next youngest brother often go down the street to play with the two boys who live nearby. He helps with the younger brothers, takes out the trash and compost every morning, helps clean up around the house, and helps DH with hauling firewood. He generally seems happy and is a sweet boy and a great big brother.

Our state requires 180 days and a portfolio; we are allowed to start counting things toward those requirements on July 1, so this is what we do: We finish for the year right before Memorial Day. We then have off completely (last year I did require that they read something of decent literary quality every day, and I might do that again this year) from then until July 1, so about six weeks. The weather is still good for being outside a lot (not too hot), and that's just enough time for a good long break but not boredom. Then we start our new year on July 1, or very close to it, a few subjects the first week, more the second, and more the third. By then, it is so hot out that nobody wants to play outside anyway, so we might as well do schoolwork and leave time in the spring to enjoy the outside. All birthdays, holidays that DH has off (not many), and our anniversary are all holidays, and there will be random days when we do nothing that looks at all schoolish. We also will have tennis three mornings a week, starting the last week of June, for five weeks, and as I learned last year, it's too much to expect a lot of work afterward, so we will probably just do schoolwork on the non-tennis days, and be glad for the PE on the tennis days.

My distractible child sets up a tablet with her favorite youtube playlist, puts her headphones on, and plows through her work. As long as the tablet's case is closed, it doesn't seem to be a problem. I couldn't focus with music in the background, but it works for her, and she seems to be understanding what she's read. Also, for Saxon math, I have her do problems 1-20 one day, then 21-30 and 1-10 of the next lesson the next day, then 11-30 of the second lesson the third day -- spreading two lessons over three days. She gets 20 done quickly, but 30 takes forever. I think Saxon is often very tedious, although thorough, and I saw remarkable improvement in attitude and completion speed when I started having her do just 20. Also, Minecraft is a powerful motivator. I had been doing no screen time during the week, except for what they need to complete schoolwork, but we recently started allowing some during the week if they get their schoolwork done by a particular time. This has helped a lot; DD is highly motivated by Minecraft.

I wouldn't punish, exactly, as in, I wouldn't enact some other unrelated consequence, like no dessert or grounding, not for that. What I would do is make it impossible for him to cheat. Take away the iPod during school, keep him with you at all times, whatever. If you can't be trusted on your own, you have to have the adult help you. Same as if I had a toddler who wouldn't stay with me in a parking lot -- I wouldn't punish for that, but I would be sure to hold the toddler's hand or carry him or otherwise make it so he couldn't run away. When the child showed me that he could comply with the rules, then I'd ease up.

That's what my DD says too. It's hard work, and sometimes we take multiple days to do a lesson, so I think we will not finish it this school year, and I'm okay with that. But she says it helps with her history work, so I think the work is worth it.

Oh, that is so tragic! I'd have bawled through the entire thing. When I was about seventeen, our principal died from a brain tumor. He wasn't that old (45 or 50?), had young kids, had worked with my dad (a teacher at the school) for many years. I went with my parents to the funeral and just sobbed and sobbed at how unfair it seemed for his family to be left without him.

I do! I cry at everything. Doesn't matter that I've seen Return of the King several times -- I still cry at the end every time. I barely made it through my matron of honor toast to my sister at her wedding a few weeks ago. My grandmother just passed away, and I'm pretty sure I will end up crying through the entire funeral. I have no advice for you, just sympathies.

That does help -- I figured I'd need to wait until September to buy next year's history. Thank you very much!

Oh my goodness, saying a prayer for everyone. I think that happened up here on the PA Turnpike a few years ago, lots of cars just stranded on the road. Terrible.

IIRC, that's how Saxon teaches it.

Congrats! That was a great article!

I'm using it this year with my sixth grader. She is doing well with it, though she needs some handholding sometimes. The teacher book, in addition to the student one, is very helpful.

I don't know about other parents, but I planned to homeschool long before we ever had children. My parents pulled two of my younger siblings out of school, back in the 90s. It was mostly an academic decision, then, and I think they intended to put my brother back in school in high school. I think they then decided it was more of a lifestyle thing, and neither of the kids went back to school. I was in high school/college/newly married at the time, and homeschooling just made sense to me. DH and I had the same complaints about our own educations, even though they were good enough to get us into an honors program at a good university, and we knew we wanted more for our own children. Plus, having an at-home parent for our very little children has always been a huge priority for us, and homeschooling just seemed like a natural extension of that. So, for academic, religious, social, emotional, lifestyle, etc. reasons, we thought we'd homeschool. And then we actually had children. A traditional classroom setting could not have met the needs of our first, who was an early reader and who would have been bored in a traditional classroom. She's not a quiet bored either, and she's very active, so I think behavior would have been an issue. Maybe a private or charter school? Can't afford private, and we are in the middle of nowhere, so nothing's really close enough to be feasible anyway. Plus, we'd miss her! And here at home, we can tailor assignments to her needs. Pretty sure the public school down the road doesn't do Latin in elementary school, and that's her favorite subject. If I hadn't known about homeschooling before her, I probably would have turned to it out of frustration with the traditional classroom. And our second? He is also very bright, but he's a bit of a late bloomer, a sweet, shy boy, who really needed some extra time to be young and not to be forced out of his comfort zone. He also needed not to be pushed to do academics until he was ready. At five and a half, he was nowhere near ready to get on a bus and be away from me for several hours, and he wasn't ready to read until he was about seven. At just shy of nine, he has blossomed so beautifully. He is a strong reader and enjoys reading. He's thriving in math, and while he's still on the quieter and shyer side, he's really come out of his shell. Of all the things I might have gotten wrong as a parent, keeping this little boy home with me is one I strongly feel that I got absolutely right. My current 5yo is the first of my children that I can see doing well in a traditional classroom setting. But we're glad we have him with us -- our day would be so lacking without his little burst of sunshine, and I'm glad I get to teach him myself.