You just aren't going to know if its do-able until you jump in and do it honestly. I have had MANY things look great on paper and SO NOT in real life. As far as the academics- they look pretty good with not too much time spent on each thing. I am a little concerned that Weds. and Fri. seem sort of long to me. I think an hour and a half at 1rst grade is plenty. Some kids can do more and yours may be one. So, just watch your child. You do NOT want to overdo and burn him/her out. If they tire out on those days, cut down your geograpy time- which honestly is as long as my 7th grader is going to spend on geography this year. HTH, Laurie

I wanted to add the Kay Arthur Children's Bible study series. They have one on How to Study the Bible and also How to Pray also. :)

Well did things go well the first time through the book? I mean is he reading and he knows his phonograms, etc? Did he enjoy the book? Did he like the worm and you didn't get a lot of complaints from him? If there are only certain areas you are needing to revisit with him and he liked the book I would just save my money and go back through the book maybe skimming over things he is good at and spending more time on the trouble spots. ETC has lots of writing and activities, so imo it is not really the same type of book as PP is- it is going to require more of him than just reading. I'm sure others will have more suggestions, I am just trying to get a feel for maybe what your experience has been with PP and what you are really wanting to accomplish (the trouble area that needs work).

My son has very poor manual dexterity and so handwriting really tires him out and I think distracts him from what he is trying to accomplish in ETC book 1. Will this be as effective if I work around it? There seem to be quite a few pages with exercises involving his writing something. Anyone have this? Or anyone who used this think it will be OK with out doing all the writing? Thanks!

Ok, so DH met a Chinese exchange student. He is the analytical, inquisitive type and asked A LOT of questions. He talked to her about what they eat and since we had been talking about eating healthier (I was thinking whole grains, less refined sugar and flour) he is WHOLE HOG on this thing- to the point that we had a HUGE fight this afternoon (probably biggest one ever- don't fight much) because I went to the store and came home with a box of Cheez-its and Vanilla Wafers for my kids. Never mind all the fruits and veggies I got and all the other things (chocolate) I wanted to buy. So apparently they eat meat (how do they cook it?), some rice and veggies. Sometimes together, sometimes not the exchange student said. Fruit MAYBE for special occasion dessert. No dairy, no other grains I guess? So, how do they cook the meat? Do they wok everything? Have a hard time picturing this. I mean I know what we eat in chinese restaurants is NOT the same, otherwise all those chinese people would not be living quite so long. Hello, salty soy sauce and msg? Do they eat the rice just steamed, dry? Eww. I appreciate anyone who knows anything about this. I am a meat and potatoes pretty darn good cook, so this is killing me. Sigh. DH has not spoken to me since. :001_huh:

for a solid foundation going through "Leading Little Ones to God" as a daily devotional before school- sing some hymns with that. Also, you can alter the prayers to not include "thee" if you wish. Then use a story bible or something similar at bedtime or as a family in the evening to help familiarize your child with the Bible and its chronology. HTH, Laurie

I think it depends on what you are "thinking" about and haven't decided on. Sometimes you will go look at it, thumb through the first few lessons, look at more of the curriculum and say "Whoa, this is not right for us!" May I just say, I am SO JEALOUS! This is one of my FAVORITE things to do. It is so much fun and I am literally just lost in my own world as I walk around taking it all in and perusing everything. Have fun! Laurie

I have an older brother and he and his wife aren't leaning toward homeschooling at all. DH is also the youngest, although in all fairness he is 6 years younger then #2 sibling and 10 years behind #3, so I see a lot of first-born features in him. We also are both the over-achievers in the family. Interestingly, his brother's wife did begin homeschooling after ds was expelled in Kindergarten for threatening to "shoot" another student with his cap gun. I had talked to her about homeschooling prior to this and she had been VERY obnoxious about it all, as if it were crazy. I find it all a little amusing now. Both of our parents were not crazy about it, but have let it go. Now, DH's folks are more supportive since their other grandson is also homeschooled.

You would think so, wouldn't you? But not so much. My DD 12 has a phone with texting that her biological father got her so they could keep in contact. She uses texting a lot. We have rules and sometimes I just get annoyed :glare: and tell her she has done it enough, get off! However, she does not text when she shouldn't so that is not it with the calling. DH asks her that all the time. He says "Why not just call, is it that hard?". Oh, dear heavens the abbreviations will make you insane. took me a week 2 figur out IDK & how 2 spell w/ #s. (A small sample for you!) :D Ugh. I began to think maybe she was texting things she felt uncomfortable talking about in my presence, but after some snooping (sorry I am one of those parents- after DH and I were both VERY horrid, mischievious youths) that is not the case either. I say let her have it, keep on top of it though. It is not a diary, it is an electronic device that if she were in contact with the wrong person, could be to her detriment. It should be open for inspection anytime, including contacts and messages. You have a right (a need) to know who she is talking to. (Nothing said in the previous paragraph is to be a reflection of said child, just a comment from a somewhat over-zealous Mom who watches "Americas Most Wanted".) It is probably something she just wants because a friend has it, right?

:lol: I am still laughing. The kids are just looking at me. I've been run through the trees quite a few times. Oh, so funny.

We got our dog (almost 2) when he was 3 months from the pound. He was a cute little yellow, short-haired lab looking thing that was to have been part beagle. They swore he'd never be 35 pounds. He is HUGE! He is like 65 pounds and a horse. He looks like a lab with some hound in him. The first year was like doggie hell. He chewed up everything we owned, including the kids stuff. It was worse since most of mine were little then and they would not keep anything up. He chewed up bushes outside, pulled them out of the ground, shoes, clothes, toys- you know. We got him neutered right away, so he was never aggressive, although he loves to run and play. Now, finally he is fairly calm (except when company comes) and he adores my kids. No one could walk in this house and touch them. I LOVE that. My youngest was barely 1 when we got him and they grew up together. He was a puppy she would play in his food while he ate. I always watched him, but now he is so not food aggressive. He could care less if the kids mess in his food. He is a really good boy, but it was crazy for a while. You will probably end up bearing a lot of the load since your kids are so young, so be prepared. If you do get a puppy you will have to potty train, which is fun. To me, it is like a 5th kid. Since he was young, he was just like another kid, as far as work load, however he and the kids adore each other and that is gold. Do your homework- find breeds to avoid with kids. Decide puppy or older dog. Older dogs can have issues with bad behavior or having been treated poorly and the like, but can also be SUPER dogs that people have discarded. We would get an older dog if we got another. I would rather avoid that puppy part again. Rescues are great places, as the rescuers have usually lived with the dog and know the dog's temperment, etc. We crate-trained our dog. He sleeps in there and that is where he goes when we are away. I like that for security of what he is doing when we can't watch him. Be sure to keep in mind possible costs- vet bills, food (larger dogs eat more), heartworm preventive, flea preventive, etc. Our neighbors didn't fasten our gate well and our dog got out and hit by a car. He was mostly unscathed, but there were bills for his ER vet trip and follow-up. I also recommend some training with the dog, so someone will have to take the time to train him and it will cost some $ up front, but its usually well worth it. Think through who will care for it if you go out of town and costs there. This has cost us plenty several times to board our dog. We just have no one else we can depend on to care for him. There would be benefits to getting one now and benefits to waiting a few more years when the kids can be more responsible and helpful in the process. Either way, I think it is worthwhile for your kids. We always had pets and we loved them. They were part of the family. HTH, Laurie

I recommend a CHRISTIAN psychotherapist if at all possible. They will usually have a psych Dr. in their group if you need a script at some point. Also, do what you can there, but don't feel this is something you must do as often as they say, etc. For us, they wanted me to come weekly and with our limited income and the high co-pay I couldn't do it. I went 4 weeks straight, then less and less often until I stopped. Hopefully if you go that route, they can point you in the right direction and equip you with some great tools to help you learn to cope with your stressors (family, limited means, etc) on your own. HTH, Laurie

I am not sure you need more, but I have been down this road. I think I have taken almost everything on the market somewhere in between, before or after my 4 kids. For me, hormones really do a number and pregnancy hormones were the worst. I honestly do not think I could have survived another pregnancy. I never thought of harming the children, but often thought of harming myself. I remember feeling like such a wretched mother that anything would be better than their being with me. DO NOT ever feel bad or feel you have to make excuses if you must go back on meds. I really detest that in some Christian circles you are not holy enough if you must take meds. Whatever! Walk a mile in my shoes I say. That being said, I did not know the things I know now about meds and their alternatives. PLEASE KEEP nursing! I would personally NOT take meds while nursing, whatever they say, it does get in the breast milk and while they may say it doesn't harm the baby, it can't be good, right? Does the baby need neurotransmitter help- probably not- so this is just not good for him/her. I would not quit nursing to take meds unless you felt there was a serious chance of harm to yourself or someone else. Then safety trumps nursing. I 100% agree with fish oil! Take it, take it, take it! Do NOT get it at Wal-Mart- get a quality brand and take the recommended amount. There are studies where fish oil has helped depressed individuals in higher doses- if you need to go up some. You are looking for DHA and EPA specifically in the oil. Evening Primrose Oil can help too. Vitex (chaste berry) can be a great herb for balancing womens hormones- need to check to see if safe for baby. Progesterone probably not great for nursing baby- might help you, but be careful, as this is nothing to toy with and is stored in fat cells, so it will be with you a while in the event you didn't need it. My far and away best recommendation- homeopathy. There are people you can work with via phone or online. It is drastically helping my autistic son, but recently resolved a UTI for me in 1 dose. It really does deserve its place in the home. I do not understand why something so trusted in Europe did not make the trip across the ocean. I mean the royal family has a homeopath! Also, find a prayer partner- I am sure there is a Mom in your church who has been there, done that and may be more than willing to pray with you and for you. She may have great words of wisdom we cannot provide. Please take care of yourself. No one else will do it and we can't know how bad you feel. I agree- your children will remember. That has been a motivating factor. I recall my Mom crying constantly and struggling in despair and anxiety. I also recall a miserable, depressed Father. I remember those things more than many happy photos I find sadly. I want my kids to remember me happily, and although none are perfect, I want the scales tipped to the side of joy. HTH, Laurie

based on a LOT of reading is that yes, it probably will occur more and more in girls as time goes by. Face it we live on a toxic planet and that stuff (chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides) is in our food, our water- you name it. Add to that medications (have you read the latest information on medications found present in our waterways- runoff from sewage)- yikes! The fish are going to stop reproducing with all the birth control hormones in the water. That scares me to death. What water is safe? Ok, then don't get me started on the vaccinations. I don't care what has been proven or hasn't been proven by science- my son got 5 shots in one day and was never the same. If you just read the rap sheet of ingredients in these things that is enough for me. FYI, everyone out there mercury (thimerasol) is STILL in the shots- check the CDC site on info for the flu shot they are now pushing for all children this year. Vaccines have helped people, but this is not how they were intended to be. Smear me with some pox pus and I'll take my chances. I think Dr. Amy Yasko has some interesting things to say genetic wise on autism. It seems less girls (at this point) are affected, but in general are then more severe than many boys. My 2nd son is pretty bad and we are going on 5 with no language and no potty training and at times some severe tantrums. When I had my youngest daughter I lived in paralyzing fear for the first 2 years. I was holding my breath for every milestone to come. Now, she has long since surpassed son #2 in develop and for all intents and purposes seems very normal (not even sensory issues!) except for the speech delay, although she is catching up by leaps and bounds there too. BTW, anyone else read the study in yesterdays paper about the genes they have identified related to autism? Very interesting that the parents had the same genes in some of the children, but no autism. That proves there is an environmental trigger IMO. They used a very similar gene pool- going to the middle east to find families where cousins often marry, still they said the genes were vastly different.

If he/she is strong in Math and you feel 6th grade went well and there are no weak areas- skip to Algebra 1/2 in 7th. I think you can also work on 7th grade Math and then skip to Algebra in 8th. You would need to look at whatever curriculum you would use and see where you were and what has been covered. Make sure by skipping you are not missing anything huge. We did Abeka Math since K-5 and DD was actually bored this year in 6th, as we really thought there wasn't all that much new. So, I had her take the tests to determine grade level for Teaching Textbooks (our choice for next year) and it was an easy fit to Algebra 1/2 this year. My son is not as strong in Math, so unless something changes I am not sure he will be able to do the same at her age. Just my 2 cents. :)

What school were you dealing with if you don't mind me asking or did you have to contact the main man/superintendent?

Abeka Math. Now that we have hit middle school we are finally going to TT, but until now it was always Abeka and that is DD's strongest subject. The last 2 years on Stanford she has scored in the 98th percentile, so we are happy.

My oldest DD (entering 7th) still is just a bad speller. I know some people in the world just seem to struggle here, but I have trouble with that. Hubby and I both just spell by instinct and it has never been an issue. Over her years of homeschool we have used SWO, the wise guide (used with Spell to read & write- had a different title then), Spelling Power, BJU and Abeka. I see little difference with any of them as far as helping her. Spelling was her lowest score on her recent Stanford at 68th percentile with everything else in the 90's. I really want to help her here, as I feel this is something that will come back and haunt her forever. There's the smart girl who can't spell. I guess I feel like it makes her look stupid (when she obviously is not) to constantly make spelling errors. She scored the lowest in the spelling section on phonemic awareness. I have to say she wants to spell everything phonetically, but seems to be ignoring spelling rules and some phonograms she should know in the process. She reads well with great comprehension, so I don't get it? Anyone have suggestions? I had considered some remedial phonics along with covering the spelling rules VERY thoroughly. I figured I would be able to easily develop word lists w/ their appropriate rule based on her missed words in other work, however this also sounded time consuming. I appreciate anyone's suggestions of even a better spelling curriculum. I had wanted to start vocabulary roots this year, might that help? Thanks so much, Laurie

I was not diagnosed until about 2 years ago. I was actually a "normal" child and hit bottom around 20 with my only major manic episode, followed by a suicidal episode. I then "came out of it" with depression meds, but depression (sometimes severe) has haunted me. I found the hormonal influence of pregnancy to be the proverbial straw that broke this camel's back. I had 3 children in 4 years and literally fell apart. I ran out of anti-depressants- none would work, so they began to suspect something else and came up with bipolar. A mood stabilizer (after several other drugs) helped the most initially for about 2 years, then I began to have severe headaches from the medication. I just quit taking it. (I don't advise this.) I began homeopathy also (use it on my special needs kids with MUCH success) and added fish oils after that and I have been medication free since March of this year. (BTW Dr. knows and approves). I have tended in my 30's to be more moody/irritable then swing to depressed- not very manic. I still get more irritable around my cycles. Hormones really do a number on me and also did a number on my lamictal when I took it. We tried and tried to adjust the dosage mid-cycle it never worked and I would have bad days each month. Things are better now. I hope you get answers. I do agree about homeopathy though. It is one of those lost arts that is coming back, but for some reason when we crossed the Atlantic did not bring with us. The Queen of England still has a homeopath and it is widely used in Europe and India particularly, but not here. HTH, Laurie

It is really probably 4 out of 4- I am in denial there. My oldest also has some sensory issues, although not like #2. The baby is speech delayed, but lacks the sensory issues- YEAH HOORAY! I stopped her vaccinations after #3 was diagnosed with autism, so voila- a child who doesn't cover her ears for any loud noise, scream when you cut her nails or brush her hair, insist you remove all tags from her clothing, idea of a good time is my laying on her, or refuse to eat a banana because it has a "string" on it. It is not fun, but more and more kids are like this and will be. We live in a toxic world. Call me a freak show, but my family is living proof. My in-laws think I am "radical" since I homeschool and stopped vaccinations, but now I look at my precious little baby girl and say "Praise God I stopped" or how bad would she be? You are SO not alone. I have a friend with 4 kids- all autistic. If you ever need to talk, let me know.

My son has had constipation issues since he was an infant also and I refuse to keep him on lactulose or miralax- they are not healthy. We have been to the ER several times he was so bound up. So I found severely limiting his milk intake helped immensely. (Testing for allergies instead of guessing would be preferable, although milk and wheat would be natural suspects). We give dietary enzymes that help with his digestion of suspect foods. I also subbed in Vances Darifree (chocolate) for the milk he loved to just drink and he was fine with that. Daily fish oil caps have helped as well. Good for the bowels and the brain! : ) I also say get some probiotics and give them to him daily. That helps with keeping the gut healthy. I think my son had some issues there, as when we began those stools actually were a little loose for a few days! It was like Christmas. There are some great herbs out there for chronic constipation issues. I have many more ideas if you are interested. Email me @ gencaf@verizon.net Kiddos shouldn't have to suffer like this. HTH, Laurie

I think it was a son (sorry if it wasn't). How does he eat? Does he gravitate to junk? I find my son has definite food issues that trigger any manner of evil behavior. Anything with red dye is absolutely a trigger and I can set my watch by it. Five minutes after ingestion he will in fact become a raving maniac. Sugar in general is not good. It is something to consider if you begin keeping a journal of his behaviors. Dietary enzymes helped us some on that front. I can recommend some if you want to Pm me. I understand that medication is an option for many and I am not here to pass judgement- I have not walked a mile in anyone else's shoes. However, PLEASE be cautious and careful about beginning medication on a child. Any psychiatric medication has effects that are long lasting and once you start it may always be a necessity. We have done a lot of biomedical treatment for all of our children and some vitamins and such have helped. My biggest help BY FAR has been homeopathy (See "Ritalin free Kids"). Say what you want (I used to think it was a load of hogwash), but my autistic son is a different child since we began. We have seen health improvements throughout the household. This sounds awful, but without these interventions, when my son is at his worst, I cannot bear him. He can make my life extremely miserable. I got to a breaking point as I considered one day how little progress we had made in just trying to "rationally" approach the problem behaviorally and talking to him. I could believe he would end up in jail as he was out of control. We had to do something. We are Christians also, so prayer and praying with him are big players as well. I often leave his room at night in tears as he prays God will help him to listen to Mommy and Daddy and not hurt his brothers and sisters. I pray you will find the right answers for you.

What are decent choices here? My daughter will be in 7th next year and I feel it is time to switch from Abeka- they just have no strong finish in high school. She will finish Abeka 6 strongly, Math has always been easy for her. I have looked at TT and actually she would test into Algebra 1, but it is expensive. She looked at it though and said it looked neat? I also looked at Saxon 87. I have some reservations about Saxon. We tried it once in the early grades and just hated it. It seems fairly complete up through graduation, although I dislike the way their Geometry is included with the Algebras and Pre-Calc. Ugh. Does anyone have any other suggestions knowing what we have come from? I appreciate the input on these and what you all have tried. I did some searches and reading, but it was getting monotonous, especially when I was stumbling onto the various TT debate threads. I am really interested in what has worked for those in the upper grades and how that shaped up as far as what level she should enter next- pre-algebra? She definitely has the basics down and I see no need to go over them another year really. If I had stayed with Abeka we would have skipped 7th grade math completely. I was thinking of having her dso the Key to percents book over the summer as that is her one and only weakness and we slowed down and spent a lot of time there. Thank you all for any help, Laurie

Sigh. I asked about History the other day, but now have been reading and perusing the websites and others comments of these various history curriculums and am more confused than ever!! Ugh. My dream would be an honest comparison (saw Michelle's comparison of MFW and TOG) of TOG, Biblioplan, MFW, and SOTW. Next year I will have a 7th grader and 1st grader. The now 6th grader will finish SOTW/MOH year 1 this year. I am so thoroughly confused! Of course cost is an issue with MFW and TOG- it is a lot for me personally. I have never spent that much on 1 curriculum package and am not big on buying lots of books (HUGE library users or borrow from HS friends). I could justify it for both kids if I could use it over again. I have 2 more kids coming up and although I am not sure if my 4 year old autistic one will ever join in on such things I want the option. My other is 2 now and has a few years to wait. We are Christian, so I appreciate that deeply in a curriculum. I can't say that I am at all needing science incorporated into my history. We are big Apologia fans personally and I plan to use that again next year. I appreciate anything that simplifies for me in the way of lesson plans and in that respect having all the books included sounds attractive, but at the same time I would sacrifice that ease for the cost difference. I am also deeply concerned that History remains a rigorous subject for my middle school student and is not dumbed down for the sake of my younger one. If anyone has anything to add I appreciate it. I am not sure anyone will have tried all 4 and have input, but any would be appreciated. Thanks, Laurie (Is it just me or are there like 100 Lauries on here?)

I have 4 children and my 2nd is now in K-5 and this year has just been a disaster! I almost cry thinking about it. The year started out well enough, but about a month or so in he just cannot seem to retain material. It is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. We had been cruising along in Math- he can count by 10's, count to 100, was learning basic addition facts- then wham! We will do flashcards and one day he suddenly doesn't know any answers. We had been doing them daily and I know he knows the answers. Moreover, he cannot seem to "figure" them out. Even on the worksheets the same thing is happening. We have been learning the addition 1 and 2 families for months! What is happening in his brain? The same thing with phonics. He knows the sounds and we are working on blends. One time he does the sounds fast as a whistle. I time him for fun. The next day or later that day when I am trying to get him to blend it is excruciating and he will just say he doesn't know the sound. He finally will bumble through sounding out the first 2 letters of a three letter word, then by the time he figures out the 3rd sound he cannot remember the first 2 sounds to say the word. I try desperately NOT to get frustrated. I realize he is 5 and a boy and anticipated things going slower than with my DD when she was young, but this is scary. (We did first grade at K-5 and she breezed through it). I find it extremely difficult to ascertain his learning style. He has an attention span of 30 seconds it seems. So with Math we go over the facts now orally, write them (although not much as handwriting is very hard for him) and use manipulatives. I have just continued with the sounds and trying to blend, but we seem hopelessly stuck. I have backed off some since Christmas thinking he would catch on and reading would take off, but it hasn't happened and now I am worried as the year is drawing to a close and we are not far from where we were when we began. We go to the library a ton and he loves for me to read to him, which I do on all sorts of subjects. We have taken some interesting field trips and he has learned a lot this year, just no reading and not enough Math. I would appreciate any suggestions. I am concerned and wonder are we just going to be a year behind and I need to get over it or what? Thanks, Laurie