You could just ask your husband his opinion on the matter since it's his reputation you mentioned you're worried about :)

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check those out! Anyone else have other favorites so that I could have a few to compare?

Preferably one that doesn't make the water inside taste like plastic? I need suggestions :)

This is something good that you are recognizing. I always wished people would just DO something they knew I wanted instead of asking me if I want them to (because I'll always say no). If you think he wants something, don't ask him, just tell him you're going to and do it. If he insists that you don't have to, tell him that you are going to because you love him and that it makes you happy to make him happy. He will want to make you happy. :001_smile:

I've read through all of the responses and what you've said and it sounds like your DS is a LOT like me when I was a kid (and still now some, but I'm learning). I always felt responsible for things. Never wanted anyone to make any trouble for me. Never wanted to ask for anything. Never wanted anyone to go out of their way. I was very sensitive to what other people were feeling and felt responsible for lost personal property (I can still recall several situations of feeling VERY heartbroken for losing something - like a coat). If my mom was crying because she was having a hard day, I think it was even harder on me as I felt like it was somehow my fault. Like a PP mentioned, in retrospect it would have been good for my parents to emphasize to me that certain things are no trouble. In your case with the costume, don't emphasize that you are sorry (maybe this will make him feel bad for you), just tell him you're going to cancel it and it will only take a second. Not teasing is another biggie, and also not criticizing other people behind their backs in front of your DS (we shouldn't do it anyway, but especially don't in front of him). He needs to know that you think positive, charitable thoughts about people at all times in order to boost his confidence that you will respond similarly to anything he might mention to you. Also, encourage your child to pray and read spiritual books. For me, being reminded that God knows all things, even our most secret thoughts, fears, cares, is a huge burden off of my shoulders because I know that I do not have to tell Him anything - He already knows and is already my best friend. You might have to be okay with the fact that you will not ever really know your sons heart as well as your other childrens' and just pray to God that God will guide him and ask for guidance in what your role is in all of it.

THIS is exactly right. My hubby is an attorney and as nice and friendly as he always is, he does not feel at all comfortable with having uninvited people do ANYTHING in our yard because this is true, we can get sued if anyone gets hurt. He adds that if people come in our yard and we are not explicit in letting them know they are not invited, legally it can be construed that we are JUST FINE with them coming (even if we didn't invite them) and we are liable for them. Yep. Definitely Yep. Confrontation is no fun, that's true, but they put you in this situation, not the other way around. You can't please everybody in life, so at least make sure you feel like you are not being walked all over because your neighbors are rude. FWIW you don't have to be really rude back, you can very nicely talk to them and not make a big deal about it. They might not realize that it makes you uncomfortable. I'd only really have a confrontation conversation about it if the problem persisted after a very friendly mention of your concern.

Thanks - what do you mean by "tagged"?

Yes, thank you! :thumbup:

I was up late last night reading on the WTM forums somewhere and came across an old post that had been bumped up. The poster was asking for advice on how to teach science and one of the responses that really stuck with me was by a mom who used to be a scientist and now home-schools. She teaches science by doing more "living books" or documentaries the first three quarters and then does a big science project in the fourth quarter. I meant to bookmark that info and now I can't find the post. Thanks if you can help!

Thanks for all the good ideas. I'll talk to DH tonight and see what he thinks, too.

Everyone was safe. I don't know the family and have never met them but I think they are maybe an older couple. We'd like to help if able, but I'm not sure what help to offer (besides prayers). Anyone have ideas of what could be helpful for them right now?

Wow, you are absolutely amazing. Thank you for your help. My hubby is on the phone with a friend of his who is a Latin professor tonight and so I had him ask for me and your answer lines up exactly. The one side comment hubby's friend made was that the particular name, Maria (long I) is sort of unique since it was originally a Hebrew name. Most latin names with an -ia ending, such as Julia, would have a short I, so it would not normally be an issue with these particular vowels. Thank you for your well thought out response and especially for finding me that example. I've studied Latin in the past a bit and I've never seen the two long vowels in a row, so it threw me for a loop!

I'm starting to teach myself Latin from Henle this semester. Can you help me understand which syllable is long in Maria (long i) when I decline it into the abl. s., gen. pl., etc.? Can I have TWO long vowels right next to each other? Thanks!

Thank you Thank you to everyone who has responded. I will have to look through these things one at a time because there are so many suggestions but I will definitely look through the information given by you all! Right now with just a baby and a two year old I find it so hard to have the time to read much and that is what worries me somewhat about homeschooling. I am so amazed when I see how much you all do and then also have time to respond to questions from outsiders!!

Thanks, loesje, these are definitely two of my weak areas, too. Do you have ay advice on where to start with science? Hubby and I have been trying to learn Latin a bit better but we haven' been terribly consistent about it. Thanks, ritsumei for the reading list. My oldest is only 2.5 now so I'm not sure about chapter books, yet, but I'm sure that will be a great idea. Right now we always read 3 books before both nap and bedtime. If the books are reasonably short we do the whole thing. If they are too long or are more religious explanation, we just do a little and do it more in depth.

Wow, thank you to everyone who has posted responses, you've been REALLY helpful! I guess I was a little bit vague in the original post on where I am in the process already. Our primary reason for homeschooling is that we are a Catholic family and don't feel like a public school or even the local Catholic schools would do a great job fostering the kids' faith. While that is the crux of it, I would also add that I'm 100% sure that the kids will do better academically at home and I get super excited reading through home school catalogs about all of the learning opportunities that the kids will have that I never did. I am not sure on the "type of teacher" that I am, but I would guess that I like to read about science more than directly observe it, perhaps because I don't always feel like I can give very good explanations without the assistance of a reference text. With experience this may change some. As far as what is important in our education, we of course want to make sure the kids are well rooted in their faith and are taught to be virtuous as, again, that is most important to us. We also want to make sure to develop their reasoning abilities and communication skills and have been really interested in the logic/grammar/rhetoric sequence. I guess that we will be more classically oriented. At the same time, Math is very very important to us for the logical benefit but also especially for the practical benefit of increasing the likelihood of getting into college and getting decent careers someday (especially important for our boys if they ever want to get married and provide for a stay-at-home-wife/mom). I especially appreciate all of the reading list advice. I will take a closer look at the sonlight list as several of you have mentioned that. I will also try to read more homeschooling books and start reviewing phonics rules for myself (great idea!). kristinannie, do you have specific "interesting books" recommendations? Hunter, do you have any specific k-3 langauge arts curricula that you recommend me to look through? boscopup, THANKS for the recommendation not to buy. This would be a temptation for me for sure. Thanks again for all of the suggestions! Keep 'em coming! :)

Hello, I'm new here (as is obvious from my post count!). I've been reading around the forums for awhile and thought I'd finally add my first post :seeya: I won't put too much personal info on for security reasons, but I do have a couple of boys and will be starting kindergarten with the older one in about 2 more years. My question is this: what do you recommend that I do NOW?? I don't mean what schooling should we be doing now, but I do want to know what planning or other types of things you wish you had done in the years before starting, or what you did that you thought paid off. Thanks in advance!! Legitimate answers include: "keep on browsing the forums to just get more immersed in the home school mindset" or "get off the forums and enjoy the kids while they're young!" :bigear: