Thanks for the replies everyone. Sevilla what you said really encouraged me. I know that when he was little I told him stories and read him stories that were way over his head and he still enjoyed them. I am really looking forward to expanding on what we read and seeing our shared growth in this area.

I forgot we did read Rikki Tikki Tavi and he did understand that, so I will probably read The Jungle Book next. It sometimes bothers him when he does not understand what I am reading, but other times it doesn't. I guess I just need to incorporate more older literature and make a point to read it weekly. I was thinking The Selfish Giant is sort of in between older and newer. I know he will understand that story. I will check out the Enid Blyton short stories as well. Thanks everyone for the ideas.

I have been reading through the threads about newer vs. older children's literature. I have read mainly newer picture books to my almost five year old. We have read Aesop's fables and The Wizard of Oz but those are the only two older books we have really read. I would like to read Peter Pan or short stories like The Emperor's New Clothes, but I know that my son wouldn't understand them. We do read quite a bit and he has a very good modern day vocabulary. What should I read to introduce him more to the language in older books? I don't want him to be intimidated by this type of language when he gets older. Thanks in advance!

Thanks! So glad we were able to do this today. I didn't know he would find it to be so interesting.

I received my order from Elemental Science today and I had no idea I was supposed to order More Mudpies to Magnets to go along with it. My son really wants to start the program and I need instructions for the crayon cookie experiment on page 38 of More Mudpies to Magnets. I think I know what it is, but I am not certain. I already ordered the book I just wish I would have known that I needed it. Thanks in advance to anyone that will share the instructions.

It may have been because he had watched the movie several times but The Wizard of Oz was a success with my four year old. I was surprised that every night he would remember what had happened the previous night. I did edit the book a little because I was uncomfortable with a few things.

I am about to finish up my rainbow resource order. I am ordering FIAR level 1, RightStart A kit, HWOT K workbook and teacher's guide. I remembered to add on a world map because I wanted to track with my son where the book characters from the FIAR books lived. Would you add anything to this order that I might find myself needing/wanting later to go with these items? I don't want to make another order later and pay for shipping. Thanks!

haha well I still have not been able to decide. I think I will order both because it seems RightStart retains its value pretty well and I think it will be easy to find a buyer if I don't like it. Thanks everyone!

In a Peggy Kaye book (either Games for Math or Games for Learning) she talked about making a number necklace. You cut out the number from cardstock or construction paper and let her decorate it with glitter or plastic jewels or whatever you might have and let her wear it. Maybe she could learn her numbers from something like that.

I have been hemming and hawing for weeks trying to decide which math program to buy. I guess I could get both and try match up the subjects. I like Essentials because it seems really simple. It is hard to ignore all the positive reviews for Rightstart though. If anyone has any info that will make this decision easier please comment. Thanks in advance!

I was hoping some of you might have some suggestions for me. My son is almost five and he only has a handful of things he is willing to leave the house to do. I like to get out of the house to go to the movies, a local play or leave town to go to a theme park or museum for kids. He pretty much freaks out whenever I mention any of these ideas. He does not want to even go to Disneyland even though I showed him pictures and videos and told him about it. He is only willing to go to the grocery store, library (but not for story time), and the pool. Just a few days ago I put my foot down and dragged him to the puppet show that was at the library. He always has a good time so I don't understand what there is to protest. He has been this way since I he was two or so. I guess I am just wondering how other moms deal with their little homebodies. Also please be nice. Every time I post a question I worry someone will read something the wrong way or that maybe I worded something incorrectly. I hope it reads that I love my son and that I would like to know if anyone has achieved balance between a homebody child and a mom that loves to get in the car and go! Thank you.

I am not sure if this is what you are interested in at all. I remember reading Patty Reed's Doll: The Story of the Donner Party in the fourth grade. I am from California and fourth grade was the year we studied state history. We also made clay models of Ca and painted them. Oooh and we built models of missions. I also remember sewing a quilt as a class that year. Sorry about everything being in bold.

Sam's does not accept coupons but they do accept checks from formula companies or certain dog food brands send out checks instead of coupons.

I moved from California to south east Texas and these are a few I had never heard before buggy instead of basket/cart @ grocery store billfold instead of wallet What's your no good? instead of what's up? I love using "y'all" though! I use it all the time.

Separation anxiety

I don't think you should haul them around to classes if you don't want to, but I disagree that the classes are pointless at this age. My son was scared to jump off a tiny 4 foot step or even a curb. Gymnastics has helped with his fear and you can't tell him apart from the other kids at the playground now. Also I have not verified any of this but I did read this http://www.schoolmoves.com/pdf/techniquechart211.pdf I don't disagree with your choice not to take them, but I don't think gymnastics is a waste either.

I used this for a short period of time with my son who was just four at the time. It did work well and he learned very quickly. The downside was he did not like the style and was not mature enough for any program. Also because there is so much practicing of the same word he would get frustrated "I read that already!" I think if the child is mature enough for 10 minute lessons daily then they are ready for the book. My son could handle the 10 minutes part but not daily and not reviewing the words he already knew. I don't think I would use it again because I much prefer OPGTR and think I am going to use that instead. Oh the book did have some cute ideas about incorporating stuffed animals in the reading lesson. My son really liked teaching Grover how to read.

I know a lot of people mock this program, but 1-2-3 Magic really helped me when my son was three. Now that he is four I only use it if he is doing something that needs to stop this very second. Oh and my son used to throw up easily and I've taught him deep breathing to help prevent that.

Punch Drunk Love

No, I understand you didn't mean to be harsh. Having an aunt that has suffered a lot from mental illness and even had family members abandon her, I know that there is a lot of rumors, for lack of a better word, about mental illness. I am glad you clarified because I don't want people to think that exercise/personal time is some miracle cure and depressed people are just not helping themselves. I know a lot of ppl need medication or professional help and their mental illness was nothing that they caused or could have been prevented. So I am not offended at all that you pointed this out. :)

So glad to hear I am not the only one that needs a little bit of time for myself. I think I will start taking him again and try short periods of time and slowly stretch it out. Thanks to everyone for the support.

Maybe it can't prevent mental illness, but I do get really down/depressed when I don't get this time. Maybe that is the real issue that I need to address with a doctor.

I really hope/pray anyone that reads this will attempt to be understanding and realize we are all different and some people have different needs. My 4 year old son and I are close and have a loving relationship. He does suffer a lot from separation anxiety even since he was a tiny little guy. He used to get so upset that he would throw up (one example is that my mom had been visiting and he had already been around her for a week so I went to the restroom at a restaurant and while I was gone he threw up). He outgrew the vomiting around age 3 but does have a fear of school because he will "miss me too much." To help him he has been in play therapy and we also attended a Mommy and Me gymnastics class for six months and now he attends his own gymnastics class by himself for one hour while I am in the parents waiting area, and he's doing well with that. This is the part I hope people don't judge me too harshly, I have made peace with homeschooling him and I am even excited about it, but I really need some time for myself. I know there are moms with lots of little ones that get zero time for themselves and don't complain. I take him the nursery at my gym for about an hour and a half 3 times a week and he was doing well until our last visit a few days ago. He cried and cried that he didn't want to be separated from me, so I didn't make him. The ladies there adore him and he has never had any problems with the children there. I feel like this is the only thing I have in my life that is for me and if I can't get even that little bit of time I am going to crack. Mental illness does run in my family so I might spoil myself more than the average person to try to prevent this. I guess my question is, am I selfish for needing this time? Do I force him to go? I have never forced him to go, if he can't handle it that day, we just try again the next week, but now he doesn't want to go at all. Any KIND advice would be appreciated.

My son burned his finger on a super hot hair straightener and my sisters MIL rubbed tomato on the burn and it helped a lot! She worked in a restaurant and had used tomato for burns several times while she was working there.

Thanks to everyone that responded. I think I was getting too involved in what I see everyone else doing and was thinking that we need to be doing more. I think I also feel like the things we do already are just normal and that we are not really doing anything special right now at home. In truth we play, read, paint, bake and make simple projects right now and from what y'all said I need to be at peace with that. I am going to focus more on fine motor skills and then revisit my plans on HWOT in the fall. I had never heard that some people wait to teach math until the higher grades. I am going to research more and take things slowly! Y'all are definitely a voice of reason. I learned something from each of your responses. Thanks again.