I am the only homeschooler in my church and we are very active and have been for 15 years. We love the pastor. He does some youth group stuff and went to a youth leadership camp a couple of weeks ago that he loved. But the youth group is really small and made up mostly of girls. There are 4 boys who are seniors who are nice guys but loud (he is quiet) and there are 4 or 5 junior high boys. All of the adults LOVE him and talk about how cool he is. He gets along well with adults, but has nothing in common with the young people. They all have cell phones, go to ps, etc. Not old enough for driver's ed ( he is actually 14) We are part of a homeschool co-op in a neighboring town, but he never bonded with anyone there. Once again, there were boys older and boys younger but none his age. Plus, most are from that town so you are talking 30 minutes away. I do plan to have him do dual credit starting next year as a 10th grader. But I have 3 other children and a disabled parent that lives here that I have to take care of as well.

How do you punish for serious infractions? Like going around parental controls and looking at inappropriate things on the internet? His IPOD and computer privileges have been revoked for the next 2 months, but we did that last time.:001_huh: He has no friends, and doesn't go anywhere without us (He's 15) so what is the point of grounding??? Grounding from what? Banning him from family movie nights?? (No cable and don't watch tv?) Losing the privilege of working on Easy Worship/Power Point at church (which I hate to do when that is his only thing he does outside of home) Sigh.. I'm just not sure what to do. He is brilliant with a very high IQ. I mean, in 3 years he will be out on his own and do whatever he wants. He really likes computers and is good at them, but I worry.. I would love to sign him up for outside classes, but if I can't trust him then what?? Mara

This might be her anonymous posting name as well and she may be a regular visitor under a different name. So don't give up.

nt

No ice skating or indoor rock climbing and the local bowling alley allows smoking:tongue_smilie: Maybe go kart. I have no idea if they are open and they are in the neighboring town. Live music would have to be Christian... MMM.. there is putt putt...maybe that is an idea even though I'm awful. Kids might be mad that they didn't get to go. We live in a teeny tiny town with a little bigger town nearby. WE would have all of those things if we drove 2 1/2 hours, but that is a little far.

No one goes on dates with their hubby anymore that are fun??? !! I am so tired of being boring! I miss being excited.. How do you bring that back?

Yep, and that was part of what i was thinking when I posted my your turn post. Basically there won't be any time for this. But also... does it really matter anyway. I heard the most interesting/depressing sermon one time. It was about what you REALLY left behind. He talked about that diploma you worked so hard for. It hangs on the wall and represents so much work (or law school, med school, etc. I think it was a med school diploma he talked about.) But what in the world will your grandchildren do with it??? Put it in the trash probably. Unless you are Debakey, who will really care about the diploma?? He also talked about playing cards and saying, "Oh..so and so died..how sad and then they kept playing.." That will be us some day. So if I do spend all that time on the scrapbooks, pictures, etc. Who will care??? In 5o years, they will end up in an attic, ruined or in the trash... I mean what is really left??? I've been tossing a lot of things lately. Because I mean, if I know my children won't want them, why am I keeping them?? Mara

Dh and I have been married for 19 years and we are going on a date tonight. Any ideas. We have hardly gone on any since the kids were born starting 14 years ago. We have recently begun to go on a couple of dates. Movie, dinner and last time we went to Lowe's to buy supplies but he ended up on the phone with a case a lot. I would really like to do something fun, romantic. He is a great guy, but we have gotten old and boring! Any ideas? Mara

Yep, that is it exactly. I've always done what others needed to have done. Because that is the way it is and people say, don't worry when they leave the nest, when they get older... but now my kids are older and suddenly hormones have affected the normally good judgement of my oldest so I am back to being trapped at home as I cannot leave them alone and a babysitter for a 14yo is out of the question.. Sigh.. Other elderly responsiblilities are going on as well. So it really isn't every YOUR turn and you just have to accept it.. I'll just keep praying that Jesus gives me strength and I can do what everyone else needs me to do.. I'm in my mid forties and I thought it would be better. Instead, it is harder.

I guess that is just it.. It is free time doing what someone else wants to do. I would rather live by myself in a very small house or apartment, go to the same job for 50 years until I die of a heart attack. I like being home. I want people to know me and for me to know them. I'm tired of taking care of my children, elderly relatives, etc. Honestly, I would rather just be alone and go teach and then come home to a quiet house.. Just time to myself...

nt

GRR..I'm in a really rotten mood. I don't want to clean, don't want to plan school, don't want to interact with children. PEriod. Why in the world did I have any???? If only I could go back... GRR.. I do not want to have this slumber party tomorrow.. Ok...smile, and lets try to put together an easy bake oven..GRR

The thread about co-ops has me thinking. I woud really like NOT to do our co-op, but they do science labs there. But the pace is unreal (different chapter each week) My oldest is doing Apologia Biology there. So how do you do labs without doing a co-op. I would rather do it on our schedule, but the science is way beyond my comprehension. He'll do Chemistry next year as a 9th grader. If he were older I would have him do dual credit at a college, but at 14 I'm not comfortable with that. I couldnt' even do the labs with the elementary Apologia series, so my doing them is not an option. Co-op is good but somewhat stressful. Plus, then I have to teach a class and I can't even keep up with my brood ages 1st to 8th. Mara

Well, my dh is the problem.. or rather he is going through a really rough time right now in a sensative job, so who do I talk to about that?? I'm going through a REALLY tough time, so who do I talk to since dh is depressed about various circumstances? Our parents are part of the problem (caring for a couple of them, another dealing with re-ocurrance of breast cancer, etc.) So many things of a personal nature and I'm overwhelmed with no one to talk to. I think of my mom: She's dealing with breast cancer for the second time, her dh had a stroke in his 50's, he mom had alzheimer's and died) But they have a couple of close friends that they travel with and have been there for each other and their SS class is great...all at the hospital, meals, taking people to appointments. I take care of everyone, but if something happens to me or now I just need someone to take a burden off, etc. Who is there? If something catastrophic happened, my SS would bring me a meal I'm sure, but no real support if you know what I mean.. Most of you feel like you don't need anyone either. I'm tired of being the strong one. Mara

I have been lonely for so long and recently our SS class had an assignment about visiting everyone on the class roles. You should have heard everyone cackle. Everyone is either working 60 hours a day, shuttling their kids to activities and when are they ever home.. Dh joined in this conversation enthusiastically about how silly this idea was in this day and age. He seems to have no need for friends. No one here homeschools either. Yes, I belong to a homeschool group but it is in a neigboring town. Dh has no interest in contributing/visiting. I'm caring for an elderly relative as well, so my time is extremely limited. I'm just so tired and lonely. Mara