My ds12 has been a reluctant and messy handwriter who has fought me for years on how much he needs to write. I do think it is particularly hard for some boys in particular, but a friend with an older boy warned me not to give in to it too much - keep him writing- because she lost control of her son, after waiting and waiting for it to click- once they are teens it gets harder to get them to do things if you haven't been consistent up to that point. Her son ended up in school because she couldnt get him to do anything for her anymore. So, I have been consistent, and had ds do a small amount of handwriting each day, even now (as copywork and dictation and sometimes as written narrations), and then let him write anything longer on the computer. He is quick on the computer due to playing computer games, so he never needed a typing program. At 10, I think he was only doing a couple of lines a day of handwriting, at the most. Now, at 12, he can handwrite half a page easily, and sometimes a page. And, after some brain gym/kinesiology therapy this year, his handwriting has suddenly gone from scrappy chicken scratch, to beautiful. I always let him print since he hated cursive, but every now and then I would get him to work on a cursive handwriting program so that he didnt forget how to do cursive. Suddenly over a month, he started using cursive for everything- he takes longer though because he has pride in it now that he actually can write beautifully. I truly think he couldnt before- he was doing his best, the fine motor control just simply wasnt there, and now it is- but he is 12. So, I would say, be patient and consistent, dont push it too hard, but keep it going and be encouraging.

I couldnt have got my 7year old son to do a spelling workbook at that age for anything. Too much handwriting. Even Spelling Power done orally was too much when he was 8. By 9 we did a year of Spelling Power, but then we have done it only on and off since then. Both my kids spell well, and seem to be natural spellers, and I put it down more to the copywork and dictation they have done, and the foundation in phonics they got in kindergarten when they were both in school. Perhaps all the reading, as well. Who knows, but its not something I put a lot of extra attention on due to trying to minimise and simplify. I dont think you need to yet, but keep an eye on it (without expecting too much). Some kids just get spelling anyway, without too much extra attention. Others seem to really need the extra attention to spelling that a program provides. Both my kids now write on the computer, too, and they do have spellcheck- and they both say spellcheck teaches them how to spell difficult words, as well. So, there are many paths to good spelling, and I wouldnt worry about it yet.

I don't think it IS only for sale board experiences. It's just that that is the primary reason for it and the benefit of it- which makes sense to me. But I don't think it is intended that one only rep on the sales board. One can develop a reputation on any board, and that carries over to the sales board. But if people treat the rep system only as a game, it does rather defeat the purpose.

The truth is, I dont know, but I can limit the distractions. One of my concerns is the peer situation- both my kids are very social and the oldest is a party animal- I mean butterfly- and dh and I both feel glad that they are homeschooling and yet have happy and healthy social networks that we have a lot more involvement with that if they were in school. I could get them into a good public school nearby, one of the state's top- but whether my kids would rise to the academic challenge or rather just have a good time playing with their friends- is another question. So, I just dont know. I dont homeschool for purely academic reasons. I like to be with my kids, and I thoroughly enjoy our academic journey together, so perhaps I am selfish, but it feels more like it should be, this way. They do need teachers other than me though, and they get them with various outsourced local and online classes, which is I guess a handpicked alternative to highschool. I don't doubt what I am doing- it feels right.

My perspective is that if there is too much work, the child will naturally dawdle, because life loses it's lustre and who can be enthusaistic about work work work, especially whe you are a kid? Looking at your schedule, I would say simply to do some subjects 3 or so days a week instead of 5, which has been said already. Perhaps grammar, spelling, Wordly Wise and, Writing Strands and Building Thinking Skills could all be dropped back to 3 days a week, and it might cut her days back to the point where she can see that its doable, that if she gets in and does it she will have plenty of free time. But if she cant finish it by mide afternoon, I would in fact prioritise some time off- simply stop working after a particular time- no 12yo should be working all day till well after dinner, day after day.

You guys should read this post by Susan Wise Bauer yesterday. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56983&page=7 I will copy and paste it here, though: Quote SWB: Yes, we upped the number of rep points needed to give positive rep. Why? Because there are a group of posters who rep each other regularly for random reasons simply to boost their rep power, and simply to poke a thumb in the eye of the rep system, and that small clique had gotten too much rep power. This annoys me because I had hoped that the rep system would serve a useful purpose on the sale and swap board. Which it does, and if we turn it off HERE we have to turn it off across the forums. So far I think that its usefulness on the sale and swap sections of the boards outweighs its abuse elsewhere. I'm guessing that, ultimately, this small and determined group of posters will force us to remove the system from the entire forum, which is too bad for those of you who might have found it useful in evaluating the trustworthiness of vendors on the board. Sometimes good intentions are, in fact, overwhelmed by determined resistance. I have to say that viewing the rep comments has opened my eyes to the ways in which women feel desperate for approval. Posters complain to us, or publicly on the boards, if they have receive one negative rep point--even if they've received fifty or more positive rep points for the same post. In fact, posters quite often complain about receiving negative rep points when they haven't gotten a single negative rep at all. We kind of scratch our heads over this. The comments are private, after all; so are the points. No one sees them except the person to whom they're directed. I almost think there's a book in this somewhere. (Okay, before you all send me messages, I'm not completely serious. But...almost.) SWB

Well, you have a 2year old. Of course you need a break. It's gets easier. I do my own thing on Saturdays- I work a few hours, and I go to band practice for myself. the kids fend for themselves, but they are 12 and 14, and dh is usually around somewhere. I get lots of free time and I have my own interests which take me away from the family, and it keeps me happy. I remember when the kids were little though, I would just book something one night a week for myself- like a cooking course. I would go to playgroups to chat with other mums. And I would hand the kids to Dh when I needed a break. Nowadays though, I have no problem leaving my kids alone at home while I go and do something, so where dh is is not a concern.

Mostly we read and discuss, but like Momof7, we did LLfromLOTR and covered literary analysis last year, and so we covered a lot of terms and concept which seem to recur at other times, such as during poetry. I am taking a fairly relaxed attitude to the analysis because I never enjoyed analysing books when I was in highschool, even though I love reading them. I felt the analysis really destroyed some darn good literature. However, I will integrate it and fold it in here and there before they finish highschool. I feel discussions, telling what parts they love about the book, telling me what they think of this character or that, is an adequate way of covering it for the most part, and every now and then delving into the other concepts like plots and themes and analogies and literary devices.

I like fat- to eat- personally- so does dh. He is a bit overweight but it isn't going to stop him. Sometimes I buy low fat cheese, but I am not really kidding myself :) My understanding is that eating fat helps you feel satiated, full, nourished. When I eat low fat I just eat more because its not filling that hole.

Lucy in Australia!

I try and focus on quality over quantity here. I am big on the kids getting lots of free time, so I prioritise. If they are good at something (e.g. outlining) I don't keep on hounding it week after week. We just get to it, or use it, now and then. We do less writing, more reading and discussing. We do 2 languages but on alternate days. I try and work with where the kids are at and keep moving them forward. I don't know how anyone could do TWTM as is, with schedules. But it is a wonderful and inspiring guide- I think one should use it as a starting point, rather than adhere to it too strictly. Find what works for you and your kids. For me, 'simplify' is one of my homeschool mantras.

We have three rabbits- in separate cages- 2 dogs (one is a 8 week old puppy), 2 chickens, and fish. And we rent. I am a sucker for baby animals and a friend was selling off some baby Mini Rex rabbits. I bought two, and yes, they ended up being a male and female. My husband, not to be outdone, noticed in the newspaper that someone was giving away two lop eared rabbits- ex circus petting animals. So, we had 4 for a while, but then one died. I would recommend the larger, lop eared variety, to smaller varieties, because they are less skitish and just more cuddly. Our lop eared is just the most beautiful rabbit- she comes when called, she sits like a pudding in your arms, she has a very distinct personality and presence. The two mini rexes are great- and the boy is fairly friendly and a sweetheart- but they are far less friendly than the larger lop eared. The girl is fairly wild and will occasionaly nip. We try to pet them every day, and I would say, if you get a big, friendly breed, and you pet them a lot, and train them (they are even house trainable because they tend to toilet in the one place), you will have a very wonderful pet. But, it is work. We let one rabbit out of their cage each day. If we let two out together, there is either massive rape, which is traumatising to the female, or, the two females fight and fur flies. So, one gets freedom each day, and then they are put back into their cage at night. I have had many pets,although I never had rabbits as a child, and I love the rabbits very dearly and I think that I might even keep rabbits once the kids are grown and gone. However, I will definitely go for the larger breeds.

Twice daily. Sometimes 3 times. I like water. But I don't use soap, just water.

I made the same mistake. It does end up being a lot of books.

I am reading the Twain one in preparation for next year when my kids do Ambleside year 7, and I think it is very good, interesting, but a meaty read. My kids will be 13 and 14/15 when they get to it. Apparently Twain, who spent several years researching for the book, felt it was his best work. He was passionate about writing it. I don't know about the others though, so i can't compare.

:iagree: I relate to this. I feel much more assured and relaxed about myself, accepting of myself, less self critical. So that makes me direct rather than presenting a face I hope people will like. That relates to being less self centred as well, and realising I really am not the centre of the universe :) I think I have also gone through a period of getting very irritated with people, but I am coming through that and feel that I really want to be compassionate and understanding, not just right, lol, so that is where my intent is, even if it doesn't always come out that way.

Hi Colleen, I have watched you research and learn and try so hard to do your homeschooling job as best as you can. You are incredibly dedicated. I do wonder if perhaps you need to relax, cut yourself some slack, make sure you are all enjoying the journey? I find when I try too hard, there will necessarily be a consequence of a period of inertia, of not being able to live up to my own ideals. It's natural balance. Now, since you dont know your kids' 5th grade grammar, and you are an intelligent women, maybe you should get things in perspective- that grammar is not the be all and end all of your kids' childhood or their education, and getting it perfect in year 5 is not really worth losing sleep over, KWIM? As Jean says, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Dont give yourself a hard time for being human an for not getting it all done right now. Holidays are not for working in! I also have tended to give myself lots of tasks for breaks- I have found it doesnt work so well for me, and I am learning to try and fit in planning and preparing ahead more during the previous term, so that I am truly able to have a break. Because somehow during holidays my brain switches off, and I get out of the mode of school. I suggest you remember that life is short and its more important to enjoy your kids, play with them, take them somewhere different every now and then, and remember to have fun. Childhood slips away all too fast.

my husband has always been pretty good at seeing how high my stress meter is running, and insisting I change something, go to my room, stop trying to be super mum, whatever. Sounds like your dh senses he needs to make sure he steps in. You know, your kids doesn't HAVE to go to Tai Kwan Do every single night. No activity should be a prison when mum is overtired and overwhelmed. The kids can cope with a night off a regular activity. Your house doesn't HAVE to be cleaned right now. I often feel much more like doing chores after I have had a nap or a good night's sleep. I am much better about putting myself as a higher priority than I used to be, so that my energy levels stay high enough to have plenty of joy in my life. Sometimes that means everyone makes themselves cereal for dinner.

Ummmm...we never ended up using it. Reading encyclopedias runs very low on the list of desirable activities around here- we all much prefer narratives. Makes a good doorstop?

:iagree: And, I did a year of Latin that I never thought I understood at ALL, although I passed the tests. However, some of it did go in, apparently- at least, I had a sense of familiarity when I did the same course (Cambridge) with my own kids. I never got to the point of being fluent in French, either, even after 4 years of it and no failed exams. Yet, the vocabulary and conjugating verbs all comes back to me easily. The Science were ok- I didnt do Chemistry- I did Biology, Geography (which is more like Earth Science here in Australia) and Agriculture, little greenie that i was, and I loved and understood them all.

I think it does matter. I think it does matter how we live our lives, how we walk upon the earth. I think it does matter whether we treat animals as mere objects for our use, arrogantly thinking we humans are so superior to every other critter, or whether we respect them as fellow beings with a place of dignity on the planet. And I dont think the planet will become a place of peace, love and prosperity, if it ever will, until we can see ourselves as guardians and gardeners of the planet, rather than mere users. I have been vegetarian on and off for years, and my dh is vegetarian, but presently I am not, due to the fact I do not easily assimilate iron and get very run down on vegetarian protein sources alone. I also enjoy the taste of meat. It doesnt mean I don't care, or that I am not conscious. There is a whole world of difference between mindlessly eating meat and not caring about the terrible suffering of the animal that was not treated with some dignity before it landed on your plate, and being aware of the whole process and buying and choosing where to put my money. Here in Australia cows and sheep are generally brought up on open pasture, however their treatment is not always humane- we have sheep ships which take our live sheep to the Middle East, and many die on the way, in great pain. If you have ever had a pet, you know animals do have feelings, and can feel pain. Is that any less than our pain? I think it makes your heart break if you let it break, when you realise how cruel we humans are to the other creatures we share our planet with. There are ways of raising animals for meat that are relatively humane. If we always put economy first, its very sad, but thats the world we live in. I dont think anyone should feel guilty, particularly if they can't afford organic, humanely raised meat where the animal at least had a decent life before it was killed- I dont want to be hypocritical, I don't always buy organic meat . But I do think more awareness is always a good thing, and I personally cant understand the mentality that says I just dont care that they were treated cruelly before I eat them. But then, there are so many issues like this in our world nowadays, I guess I can understand that people dont want to know, and to just get on with their lives, because its too overhelming to really be conscious of the horror that we support with our money.

On days like this, which we had a week of recently, I cut out the maths, latin etc, and do extra read alouds, and take the opportunity to watch documentaries, which we normally rarely get to, but have a whole stash of. If I am sick too, and don't feel like doing much reading aloud, it's extra tv! I know its hard to stop the work- I find it hard- but I think its important we dont get stuck in the role of teacher, and allow ourselves to be the mother/nurturer/healer at times when it's called for.

I think that is well well within the range of normal. I can easily go without tea for ages, so can dh, but we usually really, really enjoy it when we get around to it. What is really hard is when one wants tea much more or less than the other. Then some negotiating and compromising and lots of communicating and reassuring is in order.

I find as my kids get older, issues like you are concerned about- that if you memorise something now, and next year in the same book, the concept is taught more in depth and so the words change- become less and less of an issue. I think it's more likely to upset a younger child, and only some kids. An older child understands what's going on and can roll with it and learn the new depth to the concept. I have started R&S6 with my son, after not using R&S for several years, and we just go over the memory work as we come to it in the TM, and it's not long before it is memorised. I dont try and do it all at once- as in, here is the box, I want this memorised for next week. It comes up over and over again anyway, so after a while it does become memorised fairly effortlessly.

My dh is done too, and had a vasectomy after my now 12year old was born. I agreed at the time, too. I have regretted it ever since, and have wanted another child ever since. Dh has never regretted it- he has 3 children and I have two (I have a stepdd19). He is very clear he doesn't want another, but he has compassion that I do. We do talk about it every now and then. In the end, I believe that in this case, it is always the one who doesn't want the child who gets the final word. I know it's hard to deal with the longings, as I do regularly- often monthly it will come up strongly. But it's just a part of maturity, of being an adult, that we cant always get what we want.