If you are burned out....are you implementing the mandatory rest time for everyone? I know it might be hard with the 18month old...but at least the rest shoudl be giving you a 2 hour break in the afternoon, and then be in bed by 8pm at the latest in the evening. And....the WTM sets a very high bar. Much higher than schools, generally speaking. So, if all you are doing is the basics, thats ok too, especially if your kids are ahead. In school they would probably do ok too...and if you need to put them in school for your own sanity, they would be fine I am sure...but they wouldn't get the one on one and they might lose that spark for learning. I would say your own emotional wellbeing is more important than whether you homeschool or not. Homeschooling IS exhausting and your kids are still young. It does get easier. You might just need a break. Or a different schedule. Or to worry less. Or to accept your limitations- either regarding homeschooling at all, or how much you can realistically cover. These boards can make you feel like you are inadequate, but plenty of people homeschool "the basics" and just enjoy the other advantages of homeschooling- free time, close family, less stress overall, and being able to have lots of play time and time to follow interests. I am putting my son back in school soon because I have accepted my limitations in being unable to give him the academic stimulation he needs at this stage , especially since he resists me every day- but he is not an advanced student, and he is 15.

Ds and I have grey eyes. Dd and dh have blue eyes. Chances are they might change...but they might not too!

We rarely buy anything new but we all have really nice clothes- my dd16 is terribly fashion conscious but has a fantastic wadrobe with many designer labels- all 2nd hand. Every Sunday morning we go to swap meet here- its a big shopping car park full of people selling 2nd hand stuff out of their cars- you get one car bay each, or two. It is huge, and there are 2 within 10kms of our home. We buy EVERYTHING there. Whatever you want, it will turn up there eventually. That's why we have so much STUFF. We also do garage sales, and buy our electronic goods- and underwear- on sale. Still...for new clothes that sounds pretty reasonable.

I think the mistake here is the expectation that they will just do it. That you only have to teach them once (or 15 times). That they will do it because its easier and more efficient. That they care at all. That they will treat you like their teacher. My experience is that my kids dont really care, that their default mode is slob, and that nagging makes ME feel bad. If their school area is messy, they dont care. If there are plates and food scraps everywhere- it might take them weeks to notice. Instead...treat them like the children they are, and train them- preferably cheerfully- including consequences for not doing as asked. Have a routine at beginning and end of school. Be patient, but consistent. The thing is...until they are really well trained, it's much harder for you. Its easier to do it yourself, and buy new supplies. But...you can do it with a nag or just in a matter of fact way. I sometimes tidy their areas myself- even now, as teens. Basically, that means I zen their desks back to absolute basics and get rid of toys and ornaments and scraps of paper. I think actually eyeballing what a tidy desk looks like helps somewhat- my dd16 can now tidy her own area and when asked, will do a good job. My ds14...not so much.

Wow, I was on her website last night- and come here and someone is talking about it. Must be a sign!

Wow, that was an interesting reference...very cool! Well, I am into that sort of thing so its natural and real to me...and I am also very glad to see it in mainstream press! I mean...it probably doesnt mean anything, or seems superstitious, to the majority...but there are many who will understand and relate to it.

Well...I don't really know. But are we then just talking tectonic plates or something? I just googled briefly and didn't find and reference to that- in fact, I didn't see any reason for calling us that at all other than perhaps convenience to bunch us together. In this article it is called a "continental area". wisegeek.com/what-is-oceania.htm I susepct there is no definitive answer to this one, BIll...you may have to settle with "there are various opinions."

I have been through stages of being right into it and probably naturally do parts of it nowadays- like not having my feet point towards the door in bed! I have always been colour sensitive. When I go through a Feng Shui stage, I usually declutter a lot. I like cleansing spaces and do that a lot with incense, essential oils, opening windows and doors, even sage smudge sticks. Dh is very intuitive about things like that too and we do take it all into account. He loves "stuff" though so we have a bit of conflict over that. Sometimes I go through the house with a map and check it all out and make sure we haven't got any major boo boos in place.

I think I fit into that category. 7 or 8 years ago I was a mess, always overwhelmed, a slob, and life was just always chaotic. My dh used to get very upset with me as he is naturally neat and organised (opposites attract, apparently). It was Flylady that did it for me, but it has taken years and is an ongoing journey...nowadays I am taking a walk into Minimalism (cutting back to minimal possessions and simplifying my life radically), though I am a far way from there yet. No, my home is not spotless but it is in order, and my life is not chaotic or disorganised. Regular decluttering has been a big factor. Making routines that appeal to me and that work for me is another. I do not like rigid routines- in fact, its a bet that if I write it down I will immediately feel imprisoned by it and specifically NOT do it- so I have had to form habits instead of schedules. Not beating myself up about any of it is another. And...I have enjoyed playing with organisational systems for years now, ever since finding Flylady. I love making schedules for the kids, and for housework- there is something about just making a schedule, even if I dont stick to it for long, that helps. I love having an organised, neat desk. My latest wave of refining my organisational habits has been inspired by the Zen Habits website (zenhabits.net) as well as the book Getting Things Done which has some great ideas in it. The tickler file concept has revolutionaised my desk and filing system (and therefore paying bills, checking my calendar and To Do list, and generally staying on top of things). I found underneath my inner (and outer) slob was a person who loves to be organised and I am still excavating and finding parts of her that surprise me! The thing is...if its not fun and doesn't inspire...it probably wont happen. I dont use guilt or a whip to motivate myself. I am motivated by the feeling of lightness, of satisfaction, of really getting joy out of a clean kitchen or uncluttered drawer...or cleaning out my wardrobe to 1/4 of it's previous size (I really did this recently). I also in the last months got onto teh Dave Ramsey plan and got my credit card spending in control and a budget happening. The thing is...I find these things FUN when the time is right. Perfectionism was my enemy, and Flylady- over years- helped cure me of that. I certainly never did her system perfectly! I learned that I didnt have to clean the whole kitchen. I could just unpack the dishwasher. If I wanted to stop there, I could....something is bettter than nothing. But..once I had done that, it didnt seem like much to pack it with dirty dishes, wash the couple of pots and wipe the surfaces. I learned that writing things down stopped me forgetting them. I learned to use a calendar. I learned that if school was going to get done, it had to be done first thing in the morning, nothing else booked in the mornings, and we had to follow a loose schedule and just do it. Every day. I learned to make time for fun, and for myself, every day. Anyway...the only way to start is baby steps...and it's still baby steps, years later. Even if you only take one thing away from the Flylady system, it would be worth reading it.

Oceania is not a continent. It's just a way of descibing a certain part of the world that the northern hemisphere tends to forget is down here- and bunch us all together. Oceania is made up of a bunch of islands including the CONTINENT of Australia (which is just a big island- big enough to be called a continent). I think the whole Oceania thing is just political. Most of us in Australia relate to being Australians, not Oceanians. But if you are talking parts of the world rather than continents...well, I can go with Oceania for that, geographically speaking.

I actually find that most clothes here in Australia, are fairly standard. I often wonder if they have become a little bigger, since I have and I still fit an Australian size 12 as I did 20 years ago...but overall I find there is a consistency. It would annoy me no end to have inconsistency in sizing. But...that is obvious isnt it? I am not sure why the question? Wouldnt everyone be annoyed by it? How could one actually enjoy it?

1. Who is God? A mental (and often personified :)) concept that people put onto the great intelligent and conscious life force that is everything and way way beyond our ability to comprehend. 2. How did the world begin? I don't know. I think we tend to think in linear time, wheras life is more cyclic. So, which world? I think worlds have been beginning and ending forever. The world we live in is just one world. 3. What is your purpose on earth? To love. 4. What will happen after you die? I don't know, and I am ok with that.

The main national one in Australia is the Home Education Network http://www.hea.asn.au/ There are various state organisations too, but you can find it all through HEA.

:iagree: Dh and I were both far, far wilder than our teens are, so its hard for them that we can see through their games and that we are not even shocked by them! I mean, we would expect kids of ours to be mischevious- hence we are pretty protective of them because we know what they could be getting up to!

It sounds gross but its really no big deal. Most animals have parasites- us included. The most common physical symptom is an itchy bottom. Keeping kids' nails cut short is another way of preventing transmission....when they scratch their butt, the eggs get under nails. At night time, the little critters come out to play, so you can actually see them. But, if you notice your kids scratching down there a lot, it is likely to be worms.

Meals Without Meat by Alison and Simon Holst It is a New Zealand book and whenever I find a 2nd hand copy I pick it up either to replace mine when it gets worn out, or as gifts. It is the best vegetarian cookbook I have ever used, and it is fantastic for making recipes that meat eaters will also like. Very down to earth recipes. I have made probably half the recipes from the book...and many are our family favourites. I cannot say that about any other cookbook I own, and I own many, and love many.

Lol. Full moon generally means it brings the loonies out of the closet. Or, brings the more crazy side of people out. Apparently more people do go psychotic at the full moon, statistically. So, it is a joke, obviously, and should be taken as such. The board rules are clear, although often unread...if a thread gets deleted it is generally because a board rule has been broken. I don't envy the moderators here at all- we are a fiesty bunch at times.

I would like to be more prepared than I am. Living in the city makes it a bit harder, especially since we rent. If we owned, I would turn it into an urban farm. We have a swimming pool full of water which we would use in an emergency. I used to store food but honestly it ended up being wasted a lot of the time. I do have a vegetable garden- 2 in fact. I intend to set it up more professionally to really serve us and feed us what we actually eat, rather than jsut be a hobby for me. We have chickens. I love the whole local food/slow food movement and I support it. Farmers markets etc- even dh has come to realise how much nicer it is to shop at the Farmers markets than the supermarket. Real food, outside, real people. I eat real food, and I know where various local wild fruit trees are. We have spear guns for fishing if necessary. We would pick up nets and fishing gear if needed, quickly. We are savvy- very savvy- with the 2nd hand market. I do not really like the hoarding mentality although I can see it could be very useful if one were actually in an emergency long term and had stores of food. I can see the benefit in that. But I would ideally prefer to support existing systems of local food communities as a strategy in the city. We have a motorhome which we are setting up with solar panels. As long as we could get petrol- obviously a dubious thing in certain emergencies- we could get out of the city and have a small home and power. I think you in the U.S. might well be in for harder times than we in Australia, in the near future. Here we are still living in a bit of a fantasy, as we sell off our minerals to China at a ridiculous rate- but the crunch will come eventually.

Yes, here in Australia you can buy worming medication over the counter easily. You can even get chocolate flavoured stuff ;)

I just treat them every few months- it's not such a big deal. I notice that when they get grumpy- or any of us for that matter- a dose of worming medication can do wonders for the temperament!

Man, dh has garbage bags full of curtains which we take from house to house. All 2nd hand. If it were up to me we would ditch them and when we move...usually every 3-5 years though we seem to be staying here longer than usual- we buy some more 2nd hand ones, if necessary. I generally only get a small pang every now and then from ditching something I miss later. Its usually a small thing and very replaceable. Thats my philosophy- but we have enough cash flow and a comfort with 2nd hand goods, that pretty much anything we got rid of is replaceable. So, for me, I would rather err on the side of getting rid of things than keeping them. Wheras dh is the complete opposite and likes to hang on to everything "just in case". Which I am learning is really ok too. I can get rid of my things and let him keep his.

It's a rare, rare person who never, never lies. Lying can be done for good reasons, too- to protect someone. It can also be done by omission. Most people lie to themselves- often unconsciously. I mean- how many of us are really honest with ourselves on all levels all the time? Its not black and white. Most kids do understand these subtleties by a certain age. In that case, however, I probably woudl feel the same as you...uncomfortable about lying in front of my kid who I was trying to teach not to lie.(It wouldn't bother me unless I was going through one of those "stages" with my kids of reinforcing telling the truth). It could have been an opportunity to model to him being straight....just by saying no, not today, or just No. And then talking about why I wouldnt give money. (By the way, I wouldnt feel guilty- maybe you did, which is why you lied in the first place? YOu have a right to take care of your family first!) However...I am generally very straight with my kids and would have explained similar to what you did...including that perhaps I could have handled it differently and how- to help him learn. So...teaching him that you are still learning, too, and not perfect. I have never felt like I was a perfect model for my kids so I have never put moral absolutes on them like "never lie" because I would be hypocritical. However, my son told me the other night that he finds our family very open and honest compared to others he knows (a friend of his just betrayed ds to his dad to get himself out of trouble). We are pretty open and I share a lot with my kids, including my own humanness. That is honesty.

Its a gradual process and I would say different aspects mature at different times. SO, while I might (and probably would) leave an 18yo at home while I went away for a few days, I would not expect them to make adult decisions in all areas of their lives. I would consider my 16yo virtually an adult...she was born mature. However there are many aspects where she just doesn't have the life experience yet to make mature decisions. I also would not be as concerned about leaving my 18- or even 16yos at home on their own for a few days....as I would be about them inviting their friends over those same few days! My two kids are rather extroverted and have many friends and love parties.....not such a great mix for leaving your home in their hands! Generally speaking, I consider 18 adult age. But, I was a teenager once too and am not blind to the things they might get up to behind parents' backs! Not meaning to be bad...but just not realising the consequences. SO, the issue of maturity is a little different from the issue of whether I want a bunch of teenagers in my home when I am not there.

I am sending my almost 15 yo to highschool next year (February), presuming he gets into the school we are intending. I never thought I would send him to school- and its not set in concrete yet- but I have struggled with him a lot this year- with his resisting me and the work I set- and I feel that school will benefit him, with the various teachers and also sport and subjects like woodwork. It feels right but I was highly stressed until i made the decision- then it felt like the right decision. DH was against it- I had to convince him. For me it is also that I feel I have had enoguh of homeschooling- I am ready to do other things. My dd16 will be at fulltime TAFE college next year so it feels like a good time to have ds go to school. Ds thinks I am too hard on him and he tells me so every.single.day. I have had enough. Even if all he does is realise I am a lot easier that the academic school he is about to go to...and gets a real reality check about how hard kids in school work....it will not be a wasted experience.

Sleep- plenty of sleep. Actually, I have periodic insomnia, but I try to get plenty of sleep- I am not a night owl. I plan my days around my energy level fluctuations- I am a morning person, so I rise early and do everything I need to do that requires energy and clarity in the mornings. Afternoons I have a nap and catch up on more "mindless" tasks like housework, food preparation and food shopping. I have one cup of low caffeine tea in the mornings, sometimes 2. I dont eat much sugar. I try and make sure I eat well and eat lots of fresh food. Your question sounds like it is coming from a place of wanting a short term quick fix solution to flagging energy. But anything short term that "boosts " your body like sugar or caffeine, will have a rebound effect- of exhaustion. Better off riding your energy cycles, eating really well and getting enough sleep.