But, out of interest, would you list it as "religious studies" or include it in some other subject, whether reading, writing, social studies, or whatever? And on a separate note, if you were enrolled in a school that required religious studies, or in a country that requires it (as we are, on both counts), how would you report? Religion is at the center of everything we do, so would you use that? Church attendance, Sunday school, watching Biblical cartoons... would you count that?

I am a writer (technical writing, nothing interesting :001_smile:). I work from home in the evenings, when the kids go to bed.

I voted other. I don't have a specific vision for my children's future, and think it would be useless if I did - they're people with a mind of their own, after all! I do care about job fulfillment, though. Doing a job you hate or even mildly dislike can make life a lot less enjoyable. I would like my children to find a profession they are good at and enjoy, not just a job to pay the bills. Of course, I hope they will not have any financial difficulties too.

Where we live (Eastern Europe) there is a rule that passports have to be valid for at least six more months when entering the country. This holds true for countries requiring visa, as well as those not requiring visa. For the latter, border control can be more lax and they may let you in anyway if you have a passport that is valid for only four months, but are only staying for a week. But they can, and do sometimes, refuse entry to people whose passport expires too soon. I'd check with the nearest embassy.

Perhaps you could try describing situations, instead of presenting abstract problems? For instance - if you had one apple and then your friend brought another one, how many would there be? Or, if ten friends were waiting for you and then you joined them, how many kids would there be? Then point out the abstract problem that goes along with that situation.

Wow, why is that? Did they know you were homeschooling, or would you not have received the info if you had planned to enroll your child in that very school either? The latter would be ridiculous.

It's on the BBC right now. Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch it until afterward - a friend is taping it for me! This should be an exciting episode. Has anyone here been watching Torchwood, the "Miracle Day" series? Wondering if the Doctor will appear in there, since he was mentioned during the last episode.

What do you want to know? I've been using mine for about six months now.

The answer is obviously - absolutely no better way to spend your time than giving your children a good foundation! Actually, homeschooling is the most exciting and intellectually stimulating thing I have done since leaving a great job before I had kids. It is so much fun, and so very rewarding.

After seeing what my kid learned in these last six weeks, my anti-HS friend didn't want to criticize our curriculum choice anymore. She came up with something new: "But how do you think they'll be able to function in the workplace when they're used to having their needs met? If you tailor everything to their needs, they'll become brats!" Like being intellectually stimulated means not doing hard work, or like an individually tailored education means never doing things they don't like? :confused:

I chop up cardboard to flashcard size under the guillotine and then write stuff on there. Very cheap :D. We did it with numbers and letters last year and are now moving on to addition/subtraction facts, words in new languages, etc. The great thing is that you can get exactly what you want, almost for free.

Yeah, I am leaning that way too now (and we've only just started). But that is such a shame, because exchanging experiences and ideas can be so helpful. Though these forums are great for that.

And by the way, these type of comments came my way when I had babies all the same. Some of it probably comes from peoples' inherent need to criticize others and to be convinced their way is right? When I wore my baby in a carrier, I was told he should be in a stroller. When he was in a stroller, I was told I should carry him. You can never win. Parenting is a harder topic to discuss than politics!

I totally agree with the last sentence. If nothing else, most people won't have an accurate perception of what your children are actually working on. Those who are worried they'll fall behind have worries based on prejudice (because homeschoolers are not as publicly accountable as public schools?). Those who say you're doing too much may see your curriculum list on a forum like this, and conclude you're overdoing things. Of course, they don't know your child or how much you are doing in one day. Assessing whether what you are doing is working probably largely comes with experience (we're new homeschoolers, can't talk about that yet!) but also by watching your kid and seeing whether they are happy and learning. When your kid is bored, you're not doing enough or not using the right materials. When they're not getting it or are unhappy, you may be doing too much. If your kid is happy and learning, and excited about school, you're probably doing it right :D.

Thanks for the reminder that little hands can mess around with the letters! I am about to buy AAS too and already envisaged having the white board on the wall at DD's height. But... the two year old would probably make the letters go missing in no time. Time to rethink that!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

No.

I don't limit what my daughter can read, but I do require her to read what is on my list :001_smile:.

I do :001_smile:. Homeschooling is not legal where we live, but I do it anyway. Granted, we're enrolled in an umbrella school in the US, and that should cover is on the "all children must be enrolled in school", but our family is one of a handful of people in this country taking that step. AND, I am dreading having to respond to that very question.

Eh, if we were limited to three subjects I'd probably call them: 1. Language arts (including reading, writing, grammar, narrative skills, the whole lot). 2. World knowledge (including history, biology, science, religion) 3. Mathematics. :D

It comes off as sarcastic? I should hope that is a sarcastic message :D. I had my very first conversation about socialization recently. I guess I am a "real homeschooler" now :001_smile:. The question was, "But don't you want your kids to be normal and fit in?" Actually, after being the weird kid through public school, I know that PS doesn't "cure" weirdness. In my case, that meant enjoying politics and reading the great philosophers for fun. What homeschooling does is allowing the child to be themselves even if they are "weird"... eh, even if they actually enjoy academics. DD loves socializing with people all ages, for the record. I have no idea how to answer the socialization question, because it is actually a total non-issue.

I think it depends on the children. Personally, I left home to finish school in another country at 15. By 17, I was working and supporting myself financially. Depending on the child and the country they travel to, I think it would be a good experience that will teach them many new skills. Depending on the country, the dangers the children may encounter are the same, or even less, than your place of residence. Mind you, my kids are young, but speaking from experience, if the child is independent enough, has common sense and knows how to keep themselves safe, I would have no problems with this. I'd allow them to go, with the possibility to pay for unexpected expenses and with telephone numbers for the embassy, local hospitals, etc. If you belong to a church, you could also find a sister church in Ireland and see if there are members that would be happy to help your children if needed, and maybe show them around. I experienced Ireland as a safe place.

:lol: Wonderful

:grouphug:

Sounds wonderful! Congratulations on your anniversary and I hope you have a wonderful wedding!