This is so true, Jessica. The dc I had to tether didn't need any kind of restraint at all by 4.5. Reminders, yes, but the understanding was finally there. Work on whatever you can right now, and make it as fun as possible for him, but know that the increased understanding that comes later will make all the difference in the world.

I agree with the others. A tether is fine, as long as he can't/won't undo it. I used a long piece of ribbon with one of mine at that age, since the harnesses you can buy at Target were too small by then. I just tied it around dc's chest and the other end to my wrist. The dc loved it (that puppy on a leash thing), and it worked great. Mine actually preferred it to a stroller, even when given the choice. Kids with that much energy need to move!

Someone, please answer her questions! And while you are at it, maybe you know the answers to mine, too! :) I have a Champion juicer, as well as a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Which attachment would work better for grains, the Champion mill or the Kitchen Aid? Or, is it really just better to go ahead and buy the Nutrimill?

That's great that he was able to complete it! Great job, EKS's son! We're taking the ITBS this year for the first time, too, and I already know that the timed math computations are going to be a challenge. How does that affect the score, do you know? Do they acknowledge in any way that the child didn't complete part of the section, but still let you know how he did on the part he completed, or is it a score based on the overall number he was expected to complete, whether or not he did?

Remind me never to travel to Bolivia, okay?

I don't care what it is or what it says, you don't write in a library book! I don't think most of the books in our library are good enough to deserve even having been printed, much less purchased with my tax dollars, but... you don't write in a library book! Grrrr.... What bugs me the most, though, is that all of the really good books that I want my dc to read are being purged from the libraries because not enough people are checking them out. That's great when I can find them at library sales, but it doesn't help the next mom looking for something better than Captain Underpants.

I think the "I need to discuss this with dh first, and I need to think about it, too" approach is a good one. Relatives need to get that message loud and clear - you are the parents and you get to make the decisions about what technology she uses. If you do decide to let her have an email account, I certainly would make sure you are in charge of when she uses it and do any spam cleanup needed before she sees the screen. Also, I would change the address so that it is not her actual name. That just screams, "spam me!" I used to have an email address with my name, and I got all kinds of spam that included my first name in the subject line, as if it was from a friend. Most of it was of the yucky kind, too.

Ambleside Online has great lists, too.

Sonlight, Veritas Press, 1000 Good Books List, Honey for a Child's Heart, lists in the SOTW activity guides, plus good books I enjoyed as a child. Between all of those, plus the good things I find in the library or recommended here and on the curriculum board, my dc always have plenty of good books to read.

Apparently, there is a time limit for being able to edit a post. I haven't figured out yet what it is, though.

Do you try to capture it and call the number on the tag? What if the people aren't home when you call? Do you keep the animal comfortable and safe in the shade outside, or do you call animal control?

We purchased a membership in Homeschool Buyers Co-op and got the discounted price. It's been well worth it.

Anyone else have an idea or know what form of elderberry I should look for?

She teaches the academic classes in the morning and sends her ds to school in the afternoon for the extras - P.E., choir, shop, etc. Her school has been very accomodating. I think it really depends on the district.

IdentityTruth and LifeLock advertise services to help protect you from identity theft, but I have no idea how effective they really are. Also, for exisiting credit cards, you can request your card company notify you of any charges exceeding a certain dollar amount. Working with the credit bureaus is a good idea, too.

She's been to the doctor numerous times. I know they've run lots of tests on her, I just don't know which ones, and everything has come back normal. The mom has asked for prayers. I'm just looking for ideas to pass on, just in case there is something the doctors haven't considered. The poor girl is miserable, and it's happening daily now. So, allergies, stress, anxiety. Other ideas for what would cause an otherwise apparently healthy child to start vomiting daily?

We'll be traveling through St. Louis, MO, and Springfield, IL, and I'd love to know what we should be sure to see. We'll have about 5 hours for sightseeing in each city. Everything in their visitor's bureau listings sounds great, so we have to make choices. Obviously, the arch in St. Louis, but what else is a must-see with our limited time and an active preschooler?

Elderberry what, Shanna? Tea? Berries? Extract? I'm not sure what to look for or where to find it. More info, please!!!!!! I'm desperate!

I'm using a friend's language arts teacher edition and she has one of my math teacher's editions. Our kids are a year apart, so it saves us both some money. I know she'll be using it daily, so I'm not going to be upset if it comes back with coffee stains or something. If I care a lot about something, I don't loan it out. Our SOTW materials stay here with us! Anyone who wants to look at them is welcome to come over, but they don't leave the house! I put my address labels on the inside of anything I do loan out, though, and I always put a post-it note with my friend's name inside anything I borrow that isn't labeled. I keep a list on the wall by my desk of everything I've loaned and borrowed so I'll remember. Your situation would aggravate me, OP. I would give her a deadline for finishing up, and if she isn't, she'll just need to find new materials someplace else. Also, if the woman who has your books still won't give them back by the deadline, I would go with the pastor's wife to talk with her and ask for them back.

I'm miserable from the sinus drainage. When the dc are sick, they get to sleep. When I'm sick, I still get to supervise. I'm choking and coughing up a storm, and I need help! What works well that won't knock me out? TIA!

My neighbor's dd, 10, has been vomiting and having stomach pain off and on for a few months. She's missed a lot of school because of it. The doctors haven't figured out what's wrong, but I am not sure of what all they've checked. Please give me some possible causes, even if they are unusual, so I can pass them on to her mom, who is worried beyond belief. TIA!

I'm going to sell things at a used curriculum sale this weekend, so I need to start pricing my books. I've heard that people pay a lot less at this sale than they do online because there is no hassle for shipping, postage, etc., and I'm all for reducing that hassle! At the same time, though, I do want to get a decent price for my books, as anything I bring in goes toward next year's books. What percentage would you charge for a textbook that is still popular if you didn't have to figure in postage? What about paperbacks? Thanks for any suggestions!

1. Exercise outside in the morning. It wakes up the body, plus the sunshine gets the brain acclimated to it being daytime early. 2. Same bedtime every day. Here, it's 8:30 for the dc, and most nights they are asleep by 9:00. Even when they have trouble getting to sleep, they are usually asleep by 10:00. 3. Get up early (except when sick and needing extra rest). My dc are up by 7:00 daily, outside in the sunshine by 8:00. 4. Take a calcium/magnesium supplement at bedtime. It helps relax the body for sleep. If your family gets enough of those through the diet, a banana at bedtime is good. 5. Melatonin, if necessary. If we get enough exercise and sunshine early in the day, it usually isn't needed. If we don't, and we can't sleep, melatonin helps. Our ped. recommended 1-3 mg. for kids, with less being better, if it works.

If she's ready to learn, teach her. Don't worry about the grade level on her math book to determine her grade. Let her be "ahead" instead of possibly having to "catch up" with her same-grade peers that are much older. Even if she can handle it all academically, at some point it may make a huge difference socially. I know of several homeschoolers who started their kids early because they were ready to learn, and then had to put them in activities with kids in lower grades, just because that's where their kids belonged socially and age-wise. It was hard for the kids because they were used to thinking of themselves as being in higher levels. Also, as far as college goes, that extra year of maturity can make a huge difference. Yes, some can handle it at 17, but socially, they may not be ready for it. That social component can have a huge impact on their academic success, too. I say, better to "skip" a grade or just adjust transcripts later if it becomes obvious the child will be ready socially, than to assume anything at age 5.

So, how do you handle it if it is blocked by wax? I keep reading that we shouldn't use cotton swabs, but how else do you take care of it?