I agree with what everyone else has said. Especially, for us, having a routine has been wonderful. It gives kids stability, it means they can get used to doing a little academics every day (for us, first thing in the morning), so as the amount grows over the years, it is still just the same routine. And then, with a routine, be flexible enough to take days off if an opportunity comes up to go somewhere, or you have a headache etc Another suggestion is to start reading highschool stuff now. Learn some Latin now- not the whole language, just start before your kids so you have some perspective. Read SWB's history books- they are readable. Just gently, over the next few years, add them in to your own schedule, your own reading. It will make such a difference once the kids get up there. I have found I could keep up with the kids middle school reading because the books are still fairly easily readable for me and even fun- but when it gets to highschool, it gets harder and heavier. Not to make this a chore...just gently start your own education. I haven't done it much, by the way...I started later and always felt I was struggling just to keep up with the kids. Always peddling so fast. Always feeling I my kids and I were "behind". In retrospect, I should have relaxed even then, had some more fun with them, not worried about doing everything, and read ahead more. However, even so, I have gained an amazing education just learning alongside them anyway.

My exercise is walking and stretching (yoga, sometimes chi gung). I think your body is trying to tell you something- be gentle with it!

My 2nd was high needs which was quite a shock because my first wasnt (would go to anyone, slept well, loved her swing, could entertain herself, went to everyone). I thought I must be such a good mum! Then no 2 wrecked that idea :lol: but it made me MUCH more compassionate towards parents with difficult kids. I think one needs to accept to some extent that the baby is going to cry whatever you do, and do what you need to do and let them cry. I dont mean abandon, or control crying- I was and am an attachment parent believer- but still, if teh baby is going to cry no matter what you do, maybe it just needs to cry and let out that pain? Sometimes I would get so disturbed by the crying all the time I would have to put him in another room and shut the door for a few minutes to calm myself down. Mine wouldnt go to Dad much either, but honestly, he just had to learn to. In the end though...he is a very secure kid from all the holding and attention he demanded for so long (and still does!). He is still a high needs kid, really, at 13, but I wouldnt change him for a minute. He is who he is and he has many sensitive and beautiful qualities.

Dd15 is loving Gold American Lit.. Well, as much as she can love any curriculum. It is sufficient for us, but she does plenty of writing in other areas, as well as other reading. It's open and go, easy for us to use. I didnt want to muck around using Lit guides for various books I chose myself. I knew it wouldn't happen. This way, its getting done.

I would say my home is generally fairly neat and tidy, however, its not particularly clean if you look deeply. Its a huge house. The schoolroom gets the messiest and it's the main living area. I am ok with decluttering (although dh is a pack rat so its hard to keep up), and I like clear surfaces- it makes all the difference. And I vacuum regularly, and keep the bathrooms clean. But I dont wash floors very often, or dust behind furniture. And no one but me keeps the cupboards tidied out and ordered, so they often get messy before I get around to them.

Yes, I have read a lot about it. For some reason, the media is completely quiet about it. It is scary. I hope in this era of the internet and communication, they just couldn't get away with it...but apparently it is already in Germany and I would love it if I am wrong, but I have been told supplements there are hideously expensive, regulated and tiny quantities. If it goes through, it will truly be horrible, and a tremendous loss of rights. I am wondering why there is not media outcry, unless they have been silenced. I suggest anyone interested in organic foods or who even enjoys the freedom of buying some Vitamins at their local store, do some research on Codex. One thing that may be of benefit is that we may be forced, if we dont want irradiated food, to buy local. That might be good.

That's been in our local newspaper lately too. I do feel that you are better off eating fresh, alive, conventional food, rather than canned pkt organic food....which is often full of sugar. Who cares if it's organic sugar? And if it has been transported across the planet, a lot of resources have been wasted. However, I agree that it's not just about the nutrition....it's about the ethics of how people farm and relate to the earth. A good farmer is in a wonderful relationship with his land...he gives to the land, the land gives back. He is a caretaker. Normal farming nowadays is all about getting as much out of the earth as possible, no matter the cost to the earth...its all about the economics. So supporting organic farmers, especially local ones, is about supporting an ethical framework of give and take with our environment that is sustainable in the long term.

I recently read half of Sarum. I dont read much fiction and it has to be gripping (to me) for me to bother. My dad recommended the book so I wanted to like it....and I did for quite a while....but not enough to finish it. If I find it 2nd hand I woudl buy it and finish it....I had to return it to the library. I didnt really find his style appealed to me as much as I hoped it would.

I just havent had to instigate actual rules. Dd15 definitely pushes the limit at times, but really, she doesnt want to go over the edge herself...every now and then I say to her, hey, are you really trying to advertise that? Is that the message you want to give out? Or, I discuss with her whether it is appropriate to wear THAT to THAT place. For example, I insist she be a little more modest when we are going to be around her more conservative Christian friends who dress modestly....partly so as not to offend, partly because it has got really nasty in the past with a lot of *****iness from mothers toward a girl a couple of years older than my daughter who was wearing a singlet top which wouldnt be considered out there to me, but was to them. The effect on this girl was devastating when she found out what the mothers were saying. I want to protect my daughter from that, while allowing her to express herself. I am not conservative, but am sensible about what she will attract, whether from boys, or from conservative women who insist on gossipping.

My mum bought us this one (thinking my kids would actually appreciate it, though they didnt). I have tried to do our own timelines many times and its never been successful for more than afew months. However this one is on our toilet wall and we have all learned a lot from it while having nothing better to do than read it. :)

We used composite instead of mercury for the baby teeth- the govt dentist refuses to do it for adult teeth, but will for baby teeth, so I didnt mind having them filled because it didnt cost us anything. (FOr adult teeth, rather than use the govt dentist, we go to a private one who will also use composite- not mercury. My kids know if they dont take care of their teeth, from now on, they pay for their fillings).

I think what you are doing sounds good. As long as it isnt getting worse and spreading etc, I honestly tend to think these things will resolve themselves. Her own system will deal with it, but it could take a while.

I think flowers or for Indians in particular, sweets of some kind, would be appreciated just like they would be here. But probably, so would a home made card by your daughter.

But I think the point is that Steven doesnt bring Scientology into the CTT courses at all, nor are there any "hooks' within the courses to link you to Scientology. The methods he uses may be taught in Scientology but they are very practical and Scientology doesn't own them- things like using real objects whwnever possible rather than just abstract learning, understanding vocabulary so you dont switch off. Which is why he doesnt even want to talk about it- it really isn't relevant and he has been painstaking in making sure the courses are not affiliated with any religion at all. So a discussion of Scientology is futile and irrelevant unless you dont want to give your money to someone who is one. There is no way a child using these courses would end up brainwashed into Scientology- quite the opposite. They would think for themselves. I personally think the guy has absolutely every right not to discuss his religion. Gee, that is a very basic human right and if you dont like it, don't use the courses. There is plenty of information on the website to give you clarity on the position of the writer regarding religion or lack of in his courses. Plenty. For all we know he is no longer a Scientologist but likes some of their study methods, or never was one and we are doing a lot of projecting! I look at the courses and go from there.

I dont understand what all the hullaballoo is either, since swine flu is killing far less popele than ordinary flu is....but I think they are getting concerned when it hits your winter later this year, that it might take off, mutate, and get very bad. But the truth is, it is unknown- they may just be preparing for worst case scenario since so many scientists in the last decade have said there WILL be a superbug soon. The whole vaccination thing is seeming very suspicious, but maybe I just read too much. Here in Australia in my city there have been a few deaths but most if not all had underlying medical conditions. Yes, pregnant women have died. I don't know the stats though. Our newspaper did actually quote a recommendation- I cant remember whether it was the Health Dept or an individual doctor- saying that all pregnant women should be wearing masks in public and staying out of crowds. Then it went on to talk about the social stigma of wearing masks in our country, when it is very common in Japan- and perhaps it will become common here too. (I bought some a few years back for this reason but have yet to use them). I wonder how bad it would have to get for us to start wearing masks. I dont want to jump on any bandwagon with this one....I want to keep my mind open so that I can respond appropriately. It could get bad. There could be a govt ulterior motive (or behind the govts) in pushing it. I just dont know but I want to keep my eyes open. I wont be rushing to get a vaccine though and I am getting emails saying that govts are preparing mandatory vaccine laws in some countries. Now that would be bad- far worse than actually having the swine flu go through, because that involves huge erosion of freedoms. But that may be not true too. I am watching that more closely than I am watching the swine flu stats.

I sort of thought I would be a mother but it wasnt a goal, and I was surprised to have a 2nd child. After that I wanted more but dh wasnt willing. I had never really considered or planned on being a mother and didnt realise how much I would love it. My goals were more along the lines of being a writer, or a naturopath. I got my naturopathic diploma....but ended up homeschooling instead. My kids are teens and I am seeing that this intense childrearing season will actually end in a few years. My mind is drfting to what I might like to do. Maybe go back into naturopathy. Maybe write. My husband always likes to say it will mean I can just be with him much more. I dont feel unfulfilled. I have a tendency to feel that unless one has a career one is wasting one's life, but that is conditioning from my grandmother in particular and I have fought against it. I dont think its true, its just a stubborn feeling that is hard to shake. I may just do nothing in particular and see what happens. I dont have any burning desires to do anything. I do want to give, to be of service, to live for a greater goal than my own happiness, but I dont know how that will actually play out.

I didnt schedule it. I just had them do the next thing in the time assigned. But we didn't use the Omnibus or CD, just the book and website.

I agree with those who said it is not necessary, but desirable. I would like to add that elementary is a time that you can fit such things in....once they are teenagers and they dont know the difference between a Waterhouse and a Da Vinci and Picasso, it is much, much harder to fit it into the schedule. Exposure is so much easier when they are young...then if it drops off the schedule when they are older because they are still not interested, you can do so knowing they at least have some basic art literacy. You dont need to use a program. I have used the Charlotte Mason method of having an artist a term, putting some pictures around the place, and once a week (or less, depending on when I get around to it), have a deeper look at once picture and doing an oral narration about it, and once a term having a brief chat about the artist. Non artistic kids can do this and get a lot out of it. I dont think a formal art course is as important as basic art appreciation, and we too tried Artistic Pursuits and it didnt work for us. But I am glad I plodded away- even when we didnt do it for months- at picking an artist, getting some prints or even books from the library, and leaving them around the schoolroom.

My kids read half an hour or an hour during school time, depending on the day. They get through whatever they get through. I also have a read aloud going at half an hour a day. Then they read their own books in the evening- I tihnk its plenty of daily reading. I prefer to go by daily time than number of books, because it takes the pressure off, and avoids that terrible feeling of just swallowing down yet another book- another book to tick off the list.

Perhaps he just got a bit freaked out by the questions you asked (I dont know what they were) because Scientologists are probably rather used to being treated as wierdos and he was trying to avoid that whole discussion. Someone- I am not sure if it was here or someone who wrote to me privately- said that they, as a Christian, were going through his courses and vetting them for anything that might be remotely offensive to Christians- and that they were doing this on Steven's request. I believe he is trying, and that he actually is very clear about the fact that his courses are written so as to make kids think for themselves and not to swallow any belief system blindly - which may not be suitable for some people. The courses suit my secular family perfectly so far, and I feel no fear of being indoctrinated into Scientology from them, so it is not relevant to me that he is a scientologist, if he is. I get the feeling Steven is not very familiar with the homeschooling world, or with classical, or probably with Christians. He is on a learning curve himself. In a way, I like that because he has a very fresh approach. He wrote the courses for his own children, not to make a lot of money in the homeschooling world, and he is free not to share his religion, if he has one, with the public if he chooses (and to deal with the consequences of that, obviously). Today we, as a secular family, went inside a large, beautiful Catholic church to experience what that was like, because that was one of the lessons in my kids' CTT history course. Both my kids and I were touched by the beauty and peace inside, and my son got upset with me for whispering to him at the back while a service was on, because as he said, it was a sacred space and I shouldn't do that. That experience probably gave my kids more respect for the Christian religion than anything they have learned about it previously, because they experienced something for themselves in a certain context, rather than just being told.

Its interesting that you were banned....but his religious views dont comes through in the courses UNLESS you already know that the methods he uses are from the Scientology philosophy. But they are pretty good, common sense ideas, like understanding and difficult words before you read something. Nothing cultish at all. I think he has made a great effort to make the courses useful to everyone.

I feel so lucky we not only get raw milk, we get it delivered- well, to my friend just down the road. And, it's cheaper than some of the normal organic brands in the shops. ($3.50 a litre- dont know how that compares to over there). Dd15 and I love it and drink it all the time. Dh and ds13 find it too wierd (mainly the cream on the top) and only get it when I make kefir smoothies for them.

I prayed for both my kids because I had also had 3 miscarriages before them. I also spotted- at 8 weeks. For both kids. And I prayed, both times. And, they are now 13 and 15.

Lol, I love him already :) I don't really have any suggestions other than he will probably be a leader, that lack of fear of authority in this day and age of corrupt authorities has a definite good side. I don't teach my kids to respect authorities for their own sake- just to be polite and respectful to everyone. I suggest you never try and quell his spirit, or change the way he sees the world- it is uniquely him and it makes him who he is. I do understand your frustration though and I don't have any suggestions. My husband is like your son, through and through, and it got him into a LOT of trouble when he was a kid, but he has had an amazing life and he now helps young men, some of whom have authority issues! He is not a follower, he is a leader. Its not that I think you shouldnt discipline your son- I just wanted to say I think you should really appreciate him for who he is with those particular characteristics, as well, because they have a wonderful side when directed positively. Hopefully others can help you with the discipline side of things :)

What does motivate her? What floats her boat? What is she passionate about? I have found it is just about impossible to teach an uncooperative child- you have to somehow engage their cooperation. For most kids, a threat of punishment or some sort of reward (such as having free time if one finishes all their work ) is enough, if they put up resistance. What is your relationship with her like other than homeschooling? Are you a single mum? Do you have other kids? Is it just her you have such a hard time with? Surely if you put her in her room with a set amount of work and made her not come out until it was done- no meals, nothing- she would eventually do it? Or woudl she just come out anyway? Or, could you actually do that or woudl you be in there helping her? It sounds like perhaps some unhealthy patterns have been set up over time and this isnt just a new thing?