The problem is that all of us who homeschool DO have a dog in this fight. First, if the outside world sees this ugliness as the face of homeschooling we all lose credibility, and, quite possibly, public support. Also, if financial damage can be done to those publishers who do not carry water for the vocal majority it is possible that we may see a less diverse offering of materials in the future.

:iagree: Also, if adding these subjects is a source of stress for you, I would try to do more of a group thing with them. For us History, Science, and Art/Music are each 2x/week, and done as a group. (The thought of 3 kids in 3 different places in each of these subjects makes me feel like hyperventilating!) Of course there is only a 5 year age gap between my oldest and my youngest, so that does make it easier to use the group approach in these subjects.

First, :grouphug: Second, can you give the things you are concerned with more attention now? Have the factors that had your life off kilter changed/resolved? If you can answer yes to the above, I would quit kicking yourself and get on with the business of incorporating these subjects consistently. If the core subjects are solid, adding the other subjects now should not cause a problem. If the answer to the above is no, I would quit kicking yourself and get on with the business of finding a way to balance you life in such a way that you can give school all the energy you desire. :grouphug: again. This is doable. You've identified the problems, and what you want to change. Now you just have to make the change happen.

In a word, yes. We have weekly park days with an inclusive group, and love it. This group has been meeting for five years and has over the years included families from Muslim, Atheist, Sikh, Catholic, Baptist, and Methodist backgrounds as well several families that have never revealed their family's religious background. Sometimes people discuss religious topics in smaller groups. (Not in a clique sort of way, though.) Quite honestly the discussions about vaccination were much more heated than any other topic I've heard discussed. Only once have I ever heard of someone in the group being upset over a comment of a religious nature. It really just depends on the people in the group and their ability to share the sand box. :) BTW- AFAIK only one family has ever left the group for a reason other than an out of state move or a major scheduling conflict.

Now that I am over my dismay at the change in charts: All chocolate, all the time, and the darker the better. My faith is not based on the how of creation, only on the who. I homeschool because it is what I believe is educationally, emotionally, and developmentally in the best interest of my children. Our faith is a part of who we are and all we do; it is naturally a part of their education, just as it would have been if they were enrolled in a regular classroom. Love twisted peppermint and clean cotton. (I have to avoid most dyes in lotions and soaps because of some weird sensitivity. :glare: ) Most days I am happy to have a complete grown up thought that doesn't center on what I am serving for supper or the fastest route to the urgent care center. (I have a dare devil son.) :grouphug: ETA: I don't know my sign, then or now. Never seemed important.

Wait, they changed the chart? :001_huh: Um, maybe this is a sign I need to get out more.

We school 6 days a week, year round. Pros: *kids have no huge gaps of time that allow them to forget lessons *lots of flexibility in when we take time off *learning becomes a lifestyle *stability of structured time (I have a DS that really needs this) Cons: *occasionally the kids balk at doing school during the summer while all the other kids are out *it can be hard to plan (I secretly fantasize about spending a month doing nothing but planning out an entire year. I find planning the next quarter while I am still implementing the last planned quarter to be one of the most difficult things I do in the name of homeschooling.)

The bold is almost word for word what I said to DS#1 when he was about 4 or 5. :lol: He is almost 9, and is still *complicated*, but does not feel the need to take it to the wall as frequently. Part of it is he is older and more clearly understands the whys of some of the rules, part of it is because he has a little more autonomy now, (this is important to him), and part of it is because he knows that some lines, once crossed, will result in a battle he CANNOT win. According to DH, DS didn't get his stubborn nature from a cracker-jack box. :glare: (DH thinks he's a funny man.) Once I learned to tap into my own reservoir of resolve I found it much easier to hold my ground with DS.

People change their views all the time. My MIL firmly believed that women who wore pants were not *good* christians. She had held that belief for over 40 years, but shared with me that after DH and I started dating that God began to work in her on this issue. Before we'd even celebrated our first anniversary she had done a 180 on this topic. (And her original opinion of me! :D ) If I had not been willing to accept the possibility of MIL changing her mind I would have missed out on this wonderful relationship I now have with my second *mom*.

Yes, yes, please pick Dallas! It is central for several mid-sized cities, and I can already think of at least a dozen families locally that would drive the 4 hours for what you've described! BTW- Before now I have never attended any homeschool convention, or even wanted to for that matter. Once again, SWB has changed my mind on a subject! :D

DH and I have worked for many churches over the years in music and technology ministries, and have seen Children's Church and Sunday School handled a variety of ways. Where we currently attend they do it differently from all other places we have attended. There is no Children's Church per se, instead the children start out in worship with the rest of the congregation. After most of the corporate worship has been completed the children go down front for a special time with one of the pastors. From this time they are dismissed to their classes. On special days, (Palm Sunday, Easter, ect.), or if there is something special going on they usually sit together near the front for the rest of the service. (Although no one would bat an eye if they chose to return to sit with their family.) After they finish conformation classes they no longer participate with the children's ministries, but move into the youth group and participate in the services as an adult would.

If by careful you mean censoring my thoughts and feelings so he doesn't get upset, then no. If by careful you mean being considerate of his feelings and his importance to me when I choose the tone and timing of my words, then yes. We've been married almost 11 years and I can count on one hand the number of times I have let him have it both barrels. (This does not include the hormone-driven rantings of a pregnant woman; those should not be counted against anyone.) I probably get irritated him once every day or so, but he thinks that it is hilarious to wind me up and let me go. Only when I seriously hit the roof does it upset him. (BTW, my mom is German/Italian with a personal philosophy of "get mad, throw tupperware, move on.")

We have that situation in our family. My husband and his father share a first name, but have different middle names. Our eldest son was also given this first name in honor of both men. FIL goes by first name, DH goes by middle name, (actually a shortened version of middle name), and DS goes by his middle name. And should DS choose some day to go by a shortened version of his middle name, I will, (just as my MIL does for DH), steadfastly continue to call DS by the name I gave him at birth. :D

From the time my youngest was 13 months until he was 34 months I kept a little girl just a few months younger than him. (She was here about 50 hours every week.) They were like the twin terrors, and between their antics and a slightly fussy preschooler, doing school with my oldest was a definite challenge! I had several toys that only came out during school time, and I tried to do some of our school during the little's extended napping. The thing that was a life saver, however, was the structure I adopted. I broke all of the Mom-dependent lessons into 5-10 minute chunks. (I could count on a new toy keeping them happy that long.) So a mornings lessons might look like this: independent assignment (IA) 10 minutes instruction IA ten minutes instruction IA IA ten minutes instruction and so on, and so forth, you've got the idea. :) The small chunks worked so well that we still use that method. (Although now I never worry that I'll round the corner and find every book on the shelf piled on the floor, or a child helping himself to the dog food!)