I'm seeing a definite theme here. :001_smile: I'm definitely appreciative of the insight. I think I just finished 10 years (one would think I would know, but I haven't had my coffee just yet. . .) But, I'm grateful for the frankness expressed here. Feel free to add more.

This is actually a question for "old-timers". When a person comes up to you and asks what they should take into consideration regarding whether or not to homeschool, what are considerations that pop in your mind?

I know this is an "old" post (couple of months anyway), but I was looking for a blog roll (I know they come out occasionally), and happened on this one. Mine is in my siggie (life, kids, school, schedules, thoughts, etc.) Looking forward to view some of yours!

Thanks, I'm looking into the suggestions, and anyone can feel free to throw more out there (like from South America?)

Well, I can't get the K9 to work. And grounding and restriction used to work, except a lot of his work now requires the use of the 'net, and I work with my other kids in another room so we don't distract him.

:lurk5:

Hi all, I'm creating a unit study for next year (studying the world). . .feeling a might bit overwhelmed. . . One of the things I would like to do is to give the parents (this is done in a co-op) who would like extra reading for their children (grades 4-5). Therefore, I'm looking for good books that relate to each "continent". Preferably stories with excellent descriptions of locales. i.e. (maybe?) Island of the Blue Dolphins (Australia & Pacific Islands) Heidi (Europe) Oh, and while I'm at it, I'm also looking for good poetry from each "continent" also. Any suggestions?

Does anyone know of a way you can ban websites for certain times? i.e. I want to ban YouTube and Facebook from 0900-1500 every day. I think I can do it through my router, but I'm not 100% sure, and I thought I would ask here to see if anyone knows of a quick and easy way to accomplish the task. Thanks.

What are you looking for? Technically you can find any outline map without copyright and take it in to your local office store and have it blown up. (I've done this many times.) Or you could go here: http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megamaps.htm and print off your own to assemble. HTH

I have been asked to teach a unit study at my co-op next year. They are looking at a "social studies" type unit study v. "literature" or "science". This year, I did Paddle to the Sea and Tree in the Trail with Beautiful Feet. I realize I could do Minn of the Mississippi and Seabird next year; however, I'd like to move on. . . Does anyone know of a good world type unit study? One that is "do-able" in a co-op setting and preferably one with a "spine" akin to the Hollings books. (A book or two that every family could purchase and read throughout the year used as a jumping point for our study.) This makes a course spine like Galloping the Globe, not practical. And I'm not sure Around the World in 80 Days will hit the mark either; yet, I'm checking on that this weekend. Have you any thoughts / suggestions?

Thought I would ask here for ideas. I co-teach economics at a co-op. ("Co-teach" implying that I'm a glorified assistant.) The main teacher has requested that I put together a year-end project that would be worth 30% of the final grade. I have some ideas: personal life plan (micro - budgeting), production (creating a good and marketing it), and investment. However, I thought it would be wise to get some other ideas. Anyone have any to throw out there?

Boys who aren't receptive. . .who'duvthunkit! (Sorry, drowning in boys here. . .) There seems to be something about mothers and sons, especially in the teen years. My theory is that partly they want to get out from under "Mama's apron". My other theory is that they are male. . . How does your husband feel about this? How does he want to handle it? Sometimes, it has to come from the man. Is your son bothered, at all, by a low B? My thought with this one is that kids have a general idea of what they believe is "acceptable", and if a B is "acceptable" to him, then anything you say is just going to be "harping". My oldest son didn't want to hear anything from me during his younger teen years. He's 19 now and out of the house, on the far side of the country, and he calls or emails at least weekly asking for advise on such and such topic. It's all stuff I covered with him before, but he turned a deaf ear because . . . Really, I'm sure it was a multitude of reasons (I'm old, female, don't have a clue myself, what's it matter to him at this juncture of his life, etc.) Having boys, and all their friends around. I've notice something very unique to men. They don't want the village. Even grown, mature men, will bristle at a village mentality. (They won't readily offer advice, get a little freaked if someone asks for it, and certainly don't want to have emotional conversations with other men.) Men tend to count their "village" as their family and they are quite content with that. I'm not saying to stop offering advice. But sometimes it really takes a special push on your part to determine where your child is and where they are coming from to find a crack and make an impact. Even then, it may just take time and maturity on their part before they can "listen".

I'm constantly distracted! Sadly, I never get distracted by something small - like send out an email in response to a requested recipe from a friend. I get distracted by another large project - like create a brand new year-long economics unit with writing assignments. Which means I'm forever dealing with a "danger zone" of the previous project which may have been "declutter the living room". And I "declutter" by throwing everything out where I can see it before putting stuff away and boxing up all the stuff to go. Truly, it's a wonder my husband has stuck with me for over 20 years. . .

We are nearing completion of a kitchen remodel. We did not do well in regards to schoolwork. I could have gone somewhere, but it seemed there were always questions that arose that the contractor had to get answers from me ASAP. (We have a 1920s house, so *something unexpected* came up on a daily basis.) A good number of questions were of the have-to-be-there-to-see-it variety. We did basics when we could, and because we are in a co-op we did all the work that was required for it. I wish you the best in your endeavor. You will probably be much more successful than I.

This is an old post, but thought I would comment. You need to first know that this course is being taught by me at a co-op (6 students in my class), and I did not have any say in the matter over the book we are using. I have never liked Notgrass (samples), so would not have purchased it to use on my own. I seriously dislike it. The kids in my class find it incredibly boring. I'm forever reading the book and then spending exhorbitant amounts of time coming up with some way to better describe concepts. In my mind it is completely set up for the memorize / file dump technique of test taking. Which, as a student I excelled at. . .however, as an instructor I would prefer my students to actually walk away with some knowledge. That said, everyone I've spoken to that has used and liked Notgrass programs in the past will probably like this one just as well.