Must admit :iagree: but I guess everyone is different. I have instigated a one metre safe zone around myself from my dh's burps, and 3 metres for farts. Dh tries to maintain it but fails frequently. The word fart is absolutely no biggy here. Much worse is said. I do not necessarily share the sense of humour my family has around farting. I grew up in a fmaily where it was done within the family, no big deal, no comments made, but dh? Very "hung up" mother and lots of boys- obviously he still hasnt got over his childhhood and still thinks farting is funny, and to some extent, naughty! So, no hope for my kids, unfortunately. If it smells, I will be offended, but thats about it. life is too short to get upset by stuff like that.

Rest. And, there are viruses and bacteria around us all the time. It has a lot to do with our state- our immune system state, which relates to our stress, our diet, whether we are just getting over something else, etc- we are not just passive victims and we don't all respond the same to what is already in our environment. In my family we all tend to respond to things differently and its often not obvious whether we have the same bug. But when we are sick- I make us rest. If the kid is up and raring to go to gym or whatever, they had better have been well enough to do their schoolwork that day :) Flu is serious...it kills people every winter. Don't muck around with it. I have only had it once in my life and it was SO different from the normal run of viruses, I understood why so many end up in hospital with it. Of course, many people just try and carry on as normal, when they should be in bed.

Thanks everyone, my library has quite a few of these and that should get us started. I am not actually doing a "study" of Native Americans at the moment, historically speaking, so much as trying to share the views and beliefs of native cultures with my kids, including their spirituality and connection to the earth.

Thanks kathy, I get your point....we have the same issue with the Australian aborigines.

I am looking for some good novels (one will do but I know there must be many) that teach about the Native American culture in a way that is suitable for teens. Basically I want to introduce my kids to Native American culture in a way that grabs them but is authentic. Can be historical or just fiction. Could be from male or female perspective. Any ideas?

Where is she picking up the attitude and words from? I would cut her off from the source, whether its TV, friends, movies- if you do daycare, is she picking it up from the kids that visit? Or, is she picking up stuff from you? My kids were very different and my son has always had a temper that is difficult for him to control. Tantrums are just part of his personality. When he was little and he starting understanding swear words, he imitated them when he was upset and angry. We weren't going to allow that...but we compromised with him, made a deal so to speak. He was allowed to use one swear word....it was "bumhead". It made him feel great ,and it wasn't actually offensive to us. Swearing hasnt been an issue since then. There is a time and place for strict punishment, but it needs to fit in with the child's personality. One thing I have tried to be careful of is going "against" my kids....as in, I would rather they trust me and stay open to me, and me be more lenient with them, than be so strict that they act up only behind my back. I don't know your whole family dynamics, but I would work "with" your daughter rather than directly against her. Try and get her on side. Is she sometimes funny and witty? I would honour that, while guiding her in how and when to use her talent. It is a talent, really...just a misdirected one.

Wow. A mango novice. We drown in mangoes every summer. they are our favourite food! We slice off two sides close to the seed. Then we cut criss cross over those pieces and push in the middle on the skin side. Voila, lots of chunks of mango to eat. Dont know if i explained that well though. Then, just ho down on the rest of it. Its normal to get messy eating a mango. Dont eat the skin, althiugh I dont think it will hurt you. I cant imagine adding sugar- our mangoes are sooooo sweet and juicy. if yours isnt, maybe its not ripe yet? It should smell yummy and be a bit soft. Oh, you are so lucky, to have whole world of mangoes ahead of you :)

I have had good success with home2teach.com. However I dont guarantee she would start your kids off on essay writing- most have to start with Paragraph writing. It includes a lot of grammar and is in depth. I like that the classes are 6 weeks long, so I could "try" one without too much risk or committment. I cant say DD was absolutely thrilled- because they really pushed her- she was fine though, no rebellion. I was very happy and intend to have her do more (we did 2 so far).

If I had to get up to that list, I wouldn't want to get up in the morning! My 13 and 14yo kids do some morning chores, but even they need reminding (and nagging!). Dh has been trying to get dd to take responsibility for doing the pool each day- checking the pump is working, chlorinating, and topping with water if necessary- and its taken months for her to "own" the job. I think what you want is to form some habits, and you don't need to call them "chores". Teach them to get dressed in the mornings- it's not a chore, it's just what you do! And you don't start your schoolwork till you are dressed, bed made and kitchen tidy. By setting a routine- no matter how much you have to help to establish the routine- you are taking it out of the realm of "work" and "chores" and simply creating a daily rhythm and routine. The only thing on that list that I would call a "chore"- well, maybe the dishes, but if each person puts their own dishes in the dishwasher it's not really a chore, it's a habit- is the "extra" thing on your list. I dont think theres anything wrong with chores for that age, but i would eliminate most of those things as chores, and just expect them and help them form the habits. Keep actual chores to a minimum.

I use the Medieval one and it is going very well. Very easy way to cover "writing" and "writing for history" at the same time.

I tended to separate the various aspects of writing for a long time. Ds13 did copywork as handwriting practice, and that is where I would expect the best handwriting he was capable of, but it only had to be legible for handwritten assignments because his brain was working overtime jsut getting thoughts on paper. Imitative writing (as in Classical Writing, or Logos school books, and written narrations) was very helpful for my reluctant writer because it helped him not have to come up with his own ideas. Dictation has also been good. Bravewriter taught me to only critique one or two things each assignment. Bravewriter also introduced the concept of freewriting to me, where I set the timer, give a topic and let him write non stop for 10 minutes. I dont critique it at all, although I have him read it back to me and i usually ay something I like about it- it has helped him to allow his adeas to flow, and makes him more willing to accept my critique with his other assignments. Bravewriter ideas also helped me help him to learn to own his work more, rather than just try to rush through it. That's still a work in progress though- rushing is still the norm! He writes every day. At the moment he is using IEW Medieval Writing Lessons and that is going well. It has its own built in rubric which I find useful, and he is ready for it. He can handle much more feedback that he could a year ago. I would keep plugging away, finding that balance between moving him forward with helpful criticism and finding positive things to say about his writing. Just dont try and fix everything in every assignment unless you are willing to keep coming back to it day after day.

If I was content to use the 2nd grade books with my older kids I would have used it, but it was too easy for too long. Basically, I had trouble using the website and making it work for me. But if you can get over that hump, I think its a good program.

I plan big time. I have a general yearly overview plan. Then I plan in detail one term at a time ahead. however, having a weekly timetable is what keeps us on track. I break away from my plans frequently- but I am glad to have plans to change my mind on. When I first started homeschooling, and for the first few years, I was learning so much myself, it was hard to plan because I would keep changing my mind when i saw a better idea, or something obviously wasn't working. However, I still planned, and just gave myself permission to change my mind a lot. I have tried a lot of different ways of planning- and actually find the planning part of homeschool to be one o my favourite parts. It all looks so good on paper!

I thought continents were large land masses surrounded by water. There are either 6 or 7. I have never heard of islands like New Zealand being referred to as part of continents before. Australia is a continent, but even Tasmania isn't part of the "continent", surely? Certainly the general understanding Down Under is that NZ is not part of the Aussie continent. I am pretty sure NZealanders would be mortified :)

Last year dd was in a Hamlet production (which they somehow turned into a comedy while sticking quite closely to the script!) and so I got out a BBC production on CD form the library, of Hamlet. Just listening to that for 15 minutes a week, along with having teh script in front of us, allowed us "access". As in, we enjoyed it enough to not dread it each week. It helped me to enjoy my daughter's play, too. I intended to do Henry V at the moment but I got out teh Branagh version of the play and just coulndt get a feel for it at all. TOo much was going over my head. Both the kids asked to stop it, it was just too boring. I agreed. So we are not Shakespeare experts. So I decided to try Romeo and Juliet instead, since my pubescent teens seemed to relate to things romantic at the moment (reading Twilight and all), and so far we have watched the Leonardo de Caprio version, and been to a university production that was word for word, 3 hours long, and cast teh Montagues as Moslem and the Capulets as Catholic! It was interesting but too long. But its enough that now we will be able to read, or listen to another BBC production of, the play. My kids are better at catching the language than I am. They often understnad teh gist of what is going on better than me. But they are very good listeners. I cant understand much unless I am also reading.

The one that sticks in my mind from my highschool, that hasn't already been mentioned (because P&P and Jane Eyre were important to me) is Tess of the D'Urbavilles. I found that book hauntingly disturbing buy beautiful. Also, although its not "classical", The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart was probably my most memorable book from my early highschool days. It triggered a lifelong passion for all things Arthurian. I prefer it to Sword and the Stone which is considered more a classic. I also studied 1984 in my last year of highschool (1984) and I will probably have my kids read that at some stage.

I think it sounds very sweet. I wouldn't try and contrive anything for them, just let it unfold naturally.

I think temperament might make a difference. Some kids need "space". My kids are opposite sex but close in age- they shared a room till about age 11, not a problem, but then dd was very ready for her own room and some privacy. A friend has her two daughters share and the spare room is their play room. She does it so they learn to get along, adn they do seem to be close. My brother and I always had separate rooms after about age 6. I still have my own room, as does dh- we both just need our own space, and it makes for a much happier marriage. I think if I was 12 I would want some space from my 4 year old sibling, but I am obviously a high space needing individual and I am sure there are many who would appreciate it :)

I dont colour my hair because it is already a nice colour I have always received compliments for. The one time I coloured it, I tried blonde henna, which turned it bright yellow- horrible. If I had a more mousey or even a darker blonde, I might colour or highlight it. My dd's hair is a darker blonde and she has already highlighted it once. I have no signs of grey and I might not get them- I might go straight to white. Some people do look good with grey hair. I have one friend with black hair going grey and it really looks effective. But others just look fairly drab. I just picked up the book Colour Me Beautiful in an Op Shop last week. Its about knowing your "season" and the colours that suit you. I saw quickly that I am a Spring. I really needed some inspiration to clean out my wardrobe, so I picked out everything the book said wouldn't suit me (yeah, I know, I am a bit obsessive, but it seemed like a good excuse to zen my wardrobe) and am left with clothes I actually like and wear. The book said Springs dont grey well (but Winters, like my friend, do). If it turns out I don't grey well, I am not beyond doing something about it, but I doubt its going to be an issue. To me, its play. Theres nothing necessarily narcissistic about colouring your hair. Women have been doing it for thousands of years. And if its not a big deal to you, that doesnt matter either. But sometimes I think people secretly want to be more adventurous with their image but cant bring themselves to, or feel its immodest or whatever, and even sometimes make comments about people who "colour their hair" as if its just outrageous...but its just play. That woman seemed rude, and its not somethig i would say to a stranger....but theres all types and it wasnt malicious...just too personal a comment for stranger to make.

I would do whatever is most convenient and works for you, and not worry about the gender issues for a while yet- if it's not bothering your kids. My now 14yodd and 13yods bathed together - and slept in the same bed, then the same room- for many years (finally got their own rooms about ages 10/11), and now have a very healthy modesty. We never made a big deal out of it.

Yes, a stupid fictional book set in the middle ages that ended up taking way, way too many weeks to read aloud. I have always been very fussy about our reading, and it really annoyed me that I let this twaddle through my filter system and was then stuck with reading it aloud for weeks on end (because I could never let THEM know that I was so fussy about what I read to them, or they might have rebelled, so I had to keep reading it).

oh, my first reaction was...that's so sweet. He would pick his brother first :) I think I am fairly immune to boy humour nowadays. My dh is as bad as my son. We have not yet reached the age when farts are no longer a source of humour.

I havent read the whole thread, but I must admit I don't "expect" kids to be particularly polite much. Unfortunately. But in a way, that's not their fault because its becoming less and less a part of the culture. For some reason my son- who is not beyond being quite rude to me at home regarding food, since he is very fussy- is very polite at other peoples' homes. His friends' parents actually tell me he set a good example to their kids, he is so polite, and I believe he actually does know how to behave. My daughter is a little less ...um, perhaps manipulative is the word? My son is polite so that he gets invited back. My daughter presumes she is loved and adored anyway and is just herself, which is loving and friendly and sometimes thoughtlessly impolite. OK, that's my quirky kids. But recently my son had his best friend, a farm boy, over for a weekend, and no, this kid was not polite. We, like Colleen, are regular partakers of food such as tofu, but this kid was used to very plain, meat and potatoes fare and had previously barely eaten when he spent time with us, and commented to his mother it was good to get back to her home cooking. She told me that- and I didnt mind her bluntness because she was being matter of fact about the fact we ate different styles of food. We are friends and often joke about her country ways (things like naming their cows Lunch and Dinner and after a year, slaughtering them for the freezer. Makes us city folk cringe. ). So I try and feed this kid the type of food he will eat. But this last time, he ate- it wasnt an issue- but he barely looked at us or talked to us- my dh and I- the whole weekend. It was like he had suddenly become a moody, sullen teenager who hated adults- wheras before he had been open and friendly. I didnt tell his mum- even though my dh said he didnt really want the kid back in the house,and that upset me somewhat. I didnt know what to say to her. She has already told me he has become more difficult for her. I didnt want to tell her that it was actually unpleasant to have her son that weekend. I hope it was just a phase.

I wouldnt vaccinate, personally. My kids hadn't had chicken pox at 11 for the younger and 12 for the older, and I made them play with a kid who had it. They were old enough to be very upset with me once they got it and realised I had orchestrated it! However, I have no regrets. It wasnt nice, they looked shocking, they got spots EVERYWHERE- it was worse than if they were younger, but they are fine, their immune systems are stronger and I personally feel it was better than having them vaccinated. But I think its the sort of issue everyone needs to educate themselves about, read widely and dont just listen to people's opinions, because opinions mean diddly squat. And even doctors disagree, so dont give up your power to them either. Do the research- there's no short cuts. And even then, you can't know for sure what the best option is- but you can make an educated rather than an uneducated one.

I have to do a combo because my two kids are quite different yet close in age. My son could have done with a lot more hands on, but I found hands on burned me out so quickly. My daughter could have done with more arty stuff- again, it burned me out. So they did that in their spare time (and we did some in schooltime, just not as much as I feel we could have or should have), and my style is to do a lot of reading with them. I managed to get them both reading prolifically fairly young, and to love me reading aloud, so we were set :) I still read aloud to them about 90 minutes a day, and its our favourite time of the day (they are teens now). While I read, dd does her art. Ds...well, generally he just eats. Then we discuss. I know I have contrived it so that they enjoy this and this is "our" style- it is definitely my style to prefer to teach by reading and discussion, but they may have thrived more with other styles. Ideally, yes, I would cater more to them, but I have temperamental energy levels. I have done it this way because I crash and burn rather easily. I can go from enthusiastic and energetic to barely able to function in half an hour. Meanwhile they do a lot of hands on stuff with Scouts and music and other classes I pay for.