Was it this board that used to call it boot camp a long, long time ago? Tis a great concept. It's the opposite of "choose your battles". You single out the transgressing child and address every infraction Every Single Time. Nothing slides...it's consistency on steroids. No need to be harsh or vindictive--just stay on him like bees on daisies. Let him know each time his behavior is unacceptable and dole out the appropriate consequences. All kids accidentally mess up, but this boy is testing the bounds of your authority. Stand up to him now, or it will get much worse as he heads into his teens. Boot camp generally only lasts a few days before you begin to see changes. Basically you are helping him to break ugly habits. If you let some things slide and not others you'll prolong the pain. It's funny, my 17yo is the one I've bootcamped most often over the years. As she grew older, it would take about 3 hours before she'd look at me and groan..."oh no, I'm in bootcamp, aren't I?" When he begins to come around and catch himself before he's nasty, or better still apologizes, that's the time to offer grace and compliments. Do it before then and he will likely see it as weakness. Barb

I've never been to SF, but I just wanted to chime in and say welcome to posting. Great picture of you and your dh at the top! Barb

Back in her 30's, my mom lost a considerable amount of weight (like 90lbs on a 5-ft, 3in frame) and experienced hair thinning throughout her strict eating program. Are you dropping the weight too quickly? It may be upsetting a hormone balance that is already delicate in your late 30's. That is a very low percentage of fat...like the others, I wonder if that isn't contributing. Barb

No, I wouldn't do it because it doesn't benefit me in any way (except that I would need to look over my shoulder a little less), but penalizes me time and money. It's would be a piece of paper that is essentially worthless and allows me to do what I've been doing successfully for 14 years. Testing? Sure. I've done portfolios and complained every minute, but I've done it. Out of principle I would dig my heels in at a teaching credential I don't want and don't need. Barb

I agree with everything Sharon said. Thinkwell is a very strong program, but contrary to their sales pitch, it is not a good stand alone program. Think of it like a personal tutor, not a textbook. We weren't impressed with the problem sets because they don't require a high enough level of thought. Half the battle is to understand the concepts, the other half is to be able to do the math. The first part is Thinkwell's strength, the second is its weakness. Take a look at the Dolciani, Foerester, Jacobs discussions we've been having. I would suggest a challenging Algebra II/Trig textbook and a combination of ALEKS and Thinkwell for reinforcement. You can get the Thinkwell lectures (no problem sets or tests) for just $20 a year at Hotmath.com. It's a good idea to slow him down and have him overlearn the concepts at this stage because they are a hugely important stair landing (not just a step, LOL) on the way to college math. My radically accelerated math girl was about where yours was at the same age, but we began to bog down a little in Algebra II. We had to wait it out until she hit puberty and her development caught up with her intellect. She's 13 now and after taking about a year off formal math, spent 6 months redoing Algebra I and Geometry on ALEKS and then going through Dolciani's Algebra II. She is working through Trig now and will begin Calculus at the community college next year. You may or may not hit the same development-related difficulties, but be aware that they may come in the months ahead. You may need to change tacks on occasion to accommodate his brain growth. Good luck to you both! Barb

Oh, my instinct is to celebrate the difference. It is obviously different...they are not stupid and will figure that out for themselves. I remember reading something in "Siblings Without Rivalry" years ago that has stuck with me throughout my parenting career: children actually don't want to be treated as equals, they want to be treated as individuals. You obviously intuit that or you wouldn't have asked the question. Don't borrow trouble...deal with the problems as they crop up. With the scenario you've described, I can't see that there will be many, at least at first. Congratulations on starting a new chapter! Barb

LOL, that's okay. I dunno, a couple of years ago we were advised to head on to Calculus right after completing Dolciani. We had no problems heading straight into Calc I. Maybe it's the book, or it's the particular kid. My oldest two are math brains...I'll keep your comments in mind as my 11yo begins to head through the math sequence. Barb

That's true...I've conveniently forgotten how bad many school texts are. Now you're giving me the vapors. :D Barb

I don't know, I kind of like having a resident drunk. Could we just pretend? Barb

Hey, if she gets one, let us know and we'll exchange friend codes. Barb

Big ticket items are the one thing I wouldn't usually buy used. I've gotten burned once or twice and I'd rather spend $13 on something that isn't worth it than $50 and feel the same way. That said, I would jump at the chance to get a big ticket item from someone I knew and trusted...either this board from a regular poster or from a friend where I could see it first. Barb

How many posts to hit Builder Bee status?

Heh, no one she knows that'll ADMIT it. Cool, thanks!! Barb

Cool! Thanks! I've never seen this one...heading over there now. Barb

Yeah, you're right. I came on here a few years ago completely bumfuzzeled about the difference between Alg. II, Trig, and PreCalc. I've come to the conclusion that PreCalculus is the same course as some Algebra II review, trig, and a couple of early Calculus topics thrown in at the end. PreCalc is sort of like Pre-Algebra...a great way to segue for kids who need the extra practice, but wholly unnecessary for kids who are ready to move on. So a transcript could look like this: 1 credit of Algebra II and 1/2 credit of Trig -or- 1 honors credit of Algebra II/Trig between Geometry and Calc -or- 1 credit of Algebra II and one credit of Pre-Calculus -or- 1 credit of Algebra II, one half credit or trig, and one half credit of Pre-Calc. I'm sure there are other permutations I've not thought of. Barb

Hi everyone! My 13yo dd just bought a Nintendo DS with her babysitting money and got it set up for wireless. She and her 11yo sister play a lot of Animal Crossing and would like to trade friend codes with someone so they can visit each other's towns. They don't know anyone their ages that will admit to still liking Animal Crossing, but I figured there had to be some on this board :p So does anyone have pre-teens or young teens that would like to visit Rivendel? Barb

Well, you really can't go wrong with any of these three. What it comes down to is personal style and which text you and/or your student clicks with. I didn't like Jacob's, but there is really no reason for it. Probably for precisely the same reason it appeals to other people. It's very wordy and liberal artsy in feel. Most people have a gut reaction to Jacobs, either positive or negative. I like both Forrester's and Dolciani, but we used Dolciani in my Catholic high school, so it was nostalgic for me. Not very scientific, I know, but there you go. My suggestion would be to find the cheapest copies you can of each book then look for yourself. Jacobs will probably be pricey, but if you choose not to use it, you can always resell it on Half.com or Amazon. You may be lucky enough to find a review copy of one or two in your library or maybe your local school district. It's an important decision and IMO cheaper to blow a little money on some used texts rather than a lot of time and money on possibly choosing the wrong curriculum. Barb

Sure, other opinions are fine and I'm not trying to convince anyone that mine is the only option. I just felt that the other side wasn't represented at all. Most people were looking at this situation as a simple preference rather than a serious decision to be made. Barb

You're right, and it isn't just the one day...it's the 9 months of being rushed and herded like a farm animal, often treated as a brainless vessel, poked, prodded, and at times humiliated. A child in school for one school year (9 mos), vs. 9 months of prenatals leading up to that one day. I think it's an even trade. Barb

I don't know that it is. I think for some, homebirth is as fundamental as homeschooling. I would actually send my kids to school for a year rather than see an OB for the same amount of time and deliver in a hospital, given a forced choice. To me, public school for a year would be less of an upheaval. I wasn't trying to be argumentative, but to give a different perspective. Many posters were answering with a shoulder shrug and a "no big deal" kind of toss off. I think it would be more helpful to dig down and find something deeply important (like homeschooling) and then weigh it against the money before answering. I can't walk into an OB's office without my blood pressure spiking. Literally. I almost got myself tossed from homebirthing a couple of babies ago because my blood pressure was sky-high in the office. I had to go in once to see the backup physician, who was very kind and a friend of the family, BTW. I never had the same problem with the midwife. I go into fight or flight mode. It's probably a phobia borne from my horrifying first birth in the hospital. It would be a no-brainer for me to avoid the nausea, tears, panic attacks, and feelings of violation that have gone along with later attempts to connect with an obstetrician's office, no matter what the cost. It wouldn't be good for me or for the baby. FWIW, I agree with you that homeschooling is a very expensive luxury...one that most of us sacrifice for on a regular basis. That was my point :) Barb

A thought experiment for those who advise Audrey to put the money toward a van: Would you advise her to put her kids in school for a year in order to make the same money? Or would you help her to figure out an alternative solution? Would trading in the car for a single van be acceptable in this situation? Borrowing part of the money? Is homeschooling a need or a want? Barb

Translation please? I'm not hip to the acronym.

The "journalist" who "wrote" this article needs to get out more. I do have long hair, but that's because my husband thinks it's fabulously sexy that way :p Barb

Well doy... I just related the information you all gave me to my 13yo. She said she'd already figured it out. Tell me again why I have a job here? Barb

ALEKS. This situation is what ALEKS is tailor made for. I don't like it as a stand alone curriculum for the very reasons that make it such great review or intro to tougher material. The student can test out of the material he's mastered and go back through and catch the things he may have missed the first time around. It's cheaper than a tutor and probably more efficient. I know that sometimes when my kids hit a wall in higher math, it's helpful to take a different tack for a while and let things marinate. Sometimes a little leap in unrelated brain growth brought on by simply maturing is all it takes. Let him take a break for a month or two, work on ALEKS (use the homeschooling trial: http://www.aleks.com/webform/c25), and you may be shocked at how things fall into place after just a few short weeks. Barb