I need opinions before I push the purchase button:lol: I am wanting to purchase HO Level 1 and 2 Modern Times for my 11 and 14yo for next year. It looks like everything and more I want to do, but would love to hear from "actual" users!!! Pro's/con's??? Help me here!;) :lurk5:

I am seriously considering doing a few classes with TPS, but would love to hear some opinions of others first. Was it worth the money? Is it challenging? Are the assignments heavy? Light? anything else you can think of..

Thanks guys!! Very helpful!!

After Saxon 87 is completed, should I go on to Algebra 1/2 or Algebra 1? I have heard many things, and am just unsure of how to procede. We are using the current edition of Saxon Math 87 with pre-algebra if that helps. Thanks! Jennifer

Thanks for the replies.. **coffeegal... have you used history odyssey before? I really love the looks of it!! Jennifer

Please share:) Thanks, Jennifer

DELETE... It is an email and that is all.... Like something is really going to happen on the 4th day... whatever. I always delete these types of emails and rarely even read them I am a christian by the way and just hate this type of stuff. Now, if I can convince my 12yo daughter not to send these things out, that would be perfect:lol::lol::lol::lol:

We homeschooled for 7 years and then my oldest asked to try school. I think he was longing for more social interaction, and it was starting to get crazy around our house!! We have 5 children ages 13, 12, 9, 4, 2 and #6 due in September. After taking the summer to really think about it, we sent the 3 older ones. We decided that we don't know until we try and they can always come home. They all 3 love school. They love the structure and the social life they now have. It is far from perfect, but it was far from perfect at home too:lol: They also have many, many opportunities for extra-curricular that we could not provide unless we struck the lottery and hired a nanny to help with the littles while I was driving them all over town:auto: Seriously... in order to get them into "social" activities and to help me cover all their academics, it was going to cost us over $800:001_huh::001_huh: Not happening!! At this point we will continue our journey in public school, and my 4 turning 5 daughter will start next fall. Like I said, it is far from perfect and I am sure I could provide them a much better education if I had more time, energy and money... but I don't. I would not trade some of the "learning experiences" and growth in character we have had this year either. Who knows what the future will bring as we evaluate the needs of each child each and every year! Jen

Hi Redhen6, No advice for you because I am in the same boat!! We have homeschooled my children ages 13, 12, 9, 4 and 2 from the very beginning and my older two really wanted to go to school really bad. We were having trouble finding social outlets for them... and believe me I tried to attend just about every meeting, field trip ect... I could find, and we just could not get relationships going. My oldest had 3 of his very best friends who were homeschooled move out of state!! So he was just ready for something!! Well, the older 3 LOVE school! Of course my 12yo daughter has girl drama each and every day! It gets so old... but she still loves school and assures me that they all really love each other??? I think you just have a bunch of girls going through "changes" if you know what i mean:) Plus, I have to say that my dd can be very dramatic:tongue_smilie: Anyway, I hate the time school takes too.... but love not having the burden of planning and challenging them with school work. My 2 little ones seemed to not get the attention they deserved while I was homeschooling, I was just stretched way toooooooooooooooooo far. I am also expecting #6 in September so my hubby thinks they need to stay in school. I think I just miss that control!!! I also think that the "grass is always greener on the other side"!!! If I started homeschooling again, then I am sure that public school would look really good:lol::lol::lol: I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone!! Let us know what you decide!! Also, do your children like school? Or, do they want to come home? Jennifer

Well, my older 3 are in public school now, but we chose to hold back our kiddo's because of summer birthdays... which is very common in our area. So, my son will be 19 a few days before he graduates. This is their first year in school, and they are doing really, really well. I have noticed that the really young children are immature and struggle to keep up. I think it is a good thing for them to be older too... I love the idea of a gap year too!

I have not really done much afterschooling because I feel like they would be too tired, but I just don't see them getting a really stong foundation in math or english. I don't want to burn them out, but I am getting concerned. I am thinking of having them do Abeka for grammar, but what about math? If I brought out the Saxon, they will freak!! lol!! Also, what do you do if they get a bad grade?? Do you punish them? For example, my children usually make all A's in daily work with a few B's thrown in here and there... but sometimes they will BOMB something and make like a 33 or something on it:tongue_smilie:... Also, every once in awhile they will drag to get an assignment turned in and I am unsure as to how to handle this. Advice??

I just wanted to thank everyone for the replies. At this point, they are all still making their beds and keeping their room dusted, vacuumed and organized. On Saturday, they have extra chores like cleaning/sweeping out the garage and cleaning out the car. They are help "clean up" before bed, as I CANNOT wake up to a mess in the morning. This is working for us. In the summer they will have more chores because they will have more time. Lord knows they know how to clean everything and anything since they have already been trained in past years. They also know how to cook. If I really needed them to whip up some Taco's or Spaghetti they could easily do it start to finish. So, I no longer feel guilty by not making them do a bunch of chores while they are in school. If I can do it for them, then I will. Jen

Hi, I am wondering what type of chores you have your afterschoolers do. Of course when we were homeschooling they had loads more chores than they do attending school, but I slashed the chores once they were in school all day. I am finding, though that after my littles go down that I am getting soooooooooooooooooooooo caught up on EVERYTHING that I am doing their chores for them:lol: I just have time to do them, and I want them to come home to a clean, relaxed, loving enviroment. So, when they come home they usually want to get their chores out of the way and have noticed that they are already done... and have been overly thankful and are asking if they can do any other chores/jobs to be helpful. Usually there is honestly not much left for them to do except keep their room clean(oops, which I have been known to dust and sweep... but their beds are always made already). I guess I am wondering if I am doing my children a disservice for doing their chores??? I am finding that they are spending more time getting on the floor with their little bro and sis since they have more down time after school, so I am thinking that if time permits I will continue to do what chores I can for them.... so why am I feeling like I am failing them?? They all have one night where they cook with me, and then help clean up... as I want them to know how to do more then use the micro and boil water!! Is this enough? They have a pretty tough load of homework, so I hate to bog them down with housework!!! I mean, I don't expect my hubby to come home from working all day to do chores either!!! What do you think? Jen

Yes!!!! I am loving the break tooooooooo!!!! I was hoping that by some miracle that the kiddo's would just BEG to start homeschooling again, but noooooooo they really love school! They are glad they have a break and love being home, but they just enjoy the structure and everything school has to offer:tongue_smilie:. oh well!! I am glad they love it though! We have 2 big project due 2 weeks after the break, so we will probably work a bit on that this next week. I am excited to help them with these.... I am learning alot by their researching for their projects;) Jen Jennifer

Hi, I am sitting here making a menu for the coming week and it almost has me in tears. All 5 kiddo's are very picky eaters, not to mention the hubby:tongue_smilie: My 4yo is the worst. She hardly eats anything. Seriously, her diet consists of cereal, pizza rolls, and yogurt. She will not try anything else. When we go head to head on this issue and I force her to try something, she will gag and almost throw up. She is spoiled, this I know. How did I arrive here:confused: I would love some wisdom from ladies who may have dealt with this before!! Should I only give her what we are having...(including the rest of the household too) and just let her starve??? If the kiddo's do not like what we were having, they take a few bite, pick at it and then a few hours later, BEG for some cereal or waffles because they were hungry. They say, I did eat dinner, but I am still hungry. I have given in so many times, that I know I have created this problem. I am just unsure how to get myself out of it! Thanks, Jennifer

Hmm... No, all schools are not like that... Ours isn't, but there are the rough kids who have nothing good to say. My children are in all Pre-AP classes, so that may be why they don't deal with these things. However, if my child(ren) were going through what your son is going through, then I would BRING THEM HOME!!!!!!! Seriously... if his safety is in question, then who cares about a scholarship! He may just be better off at home??? I hope everything works out for you. I know how hard these decisions are!! Jennifer

I bet she'll do fine. Yes, she will have to make some adjustments, but it sounds like it may be worth it. My children started school this year, and I had one that hates to get up in the morning. She STILL hates to get up in the morning, but that is just life. We must get up and get our day going! LOL.. Anyway, it won't hurt anything to give it a shot. I am not sure what to say about school interference if it does not work out. I live in TX and so I am not required to do or show anything. Oh... and my kiddo's were scared and anxious to start schoo, but love it!! There were and still are bumps in the road, but the benefits of school outway homeschooling right now. I know it is such a hard choice, but you really won't know until you try. Also, can she take "pe" in another form like in a tennis class or dance class?? These count as PE classes at our school. Good luck with your decision, Jennifer

Well, the responses that the people gave are legitimate. Homeschooling really isn't for everyone. I know many homeschoolers, who ummm, don't homeschool. They are way behind and it shows in social settings... I have to question if homeschooling is best in this particular situation. Also, I noticed that your children are very young. What happens when they turn 12 or 13 and they crave more social interaction... would you maybe consider school? I ask this because, I was so pro-homeschooling while my children were small, and can argue the case as to why homeschooling is best...(which in most situations, it is)... then my older two wanted more social interaction... and my son needed to be accountable to someone else besides just me. It was causing issues in our relationship. So, after much thought, we did what we thought we would never do and put them in school. It has been a blessing for all of us. The academic aspect has been very, very good because we have excellent magnet schools with high standards. The work and projects have been very good. All three of my older kiddo's are really putting in much more effort in their work too.. which makes sense, since they have to show it to someone else besides mom. I just wanted to give the other side, because I have been on both sides. Neither homeschooling or public school is perfect. Each family has to make the best decisions depending upon the child, and season you are in. I do plan to homeschool my younger 2 until they show signs that school may be a better option for them. Also, if we or my children determine that homeschool is a better option for them in the future, we will of course go back to homeschooling. Blessings, Jennifer

Yes, we are having a very similar experience here as well. I put my 9yo, 12yo and 13yo in school this year. They are all 3 learning tons and are loving the dreaded "social" scene. Really, the social scene has not been that bad, however there are many teachable moments though. The only downfall was that my 12yo got the part of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz that a local theatre school is putting on. This is a huge performance with 3 shows....ya ya ya and she has to practice about 12-16 hours a week. Add that to guitar and piano lessons AND an hour and a half or more of homework and it is a recipe for disaster. HOWEVER, she really loves school and knows that next semester will be totally different once Dorothy is over. Funny thing is... they all 3 have a 100 in English:lol::lol: I told them it was all the years of the dreaded Rod and Staff they had to do:tongue_smilie: Math and Science were their weakest subjects:confused: We used Saxon for math and um..... really did not do much science!!!!!!!!!! OOOOPPPPSSS BLessings to ya, Jen

SIGH... So, yes, I thought that the grass would be greener on the other side... well, it isn't. I miss my kiddo's soooo much. We are all just tired! They go to school, come home, do homework, go to activities, come home, try to stuff some food in their mouths at some point, and go to bed and then do it all over again the next day. Yes, it is nice not having to plan anything, and carry it out... BUT some of the stuff they do at school is just stupid. I am finding that either they are bored to tears, or they may move too fast on a concept! Too bad if they don't get something... they HAVE to move on. I also feel like they are learning how to cram for a test, regurgitate the info and then forget it. They do like school, and enjoy their friends... which is another story! Can anyone tell me why 6th graders are obsessed with dating, and "other stuff"??? We are teaching them to remain pure until marriage... but there does not appear to be anybody out there doing the same. So yes, we are different. However, if I may brag, I have some pretty darn good looking kids and they are being asked out or if they like this person, ect... SIGH... it is such a distraction!! Sooooo if I decided to bring them home, they will probably hate me for it because they are having so much fun!! But it is coming at a cost. I just needed to vent... I would love any encouragement, or if you feel the need to slap me upside the head, I will humbly recieve that too! Thanks guys!!! Jennifer

My daughter who is only in 6th grade usually has an hour to two hours every night. She was sick on Tuesday and came home with loads of homework on Wednesday. She got home about 4:30 and worked until 10pm with the exception of a dinner break. My 7th grader usually only has an hour of homework. It is really strange that the 6th graders get way more homework than the 7th??? AND my 7th is in all pre-ap classes. SIGH.... they really enjoy school, but honestly some of it is starting to get old. We are already experiencing the girl drama! AND everyone seems so boy crazy! Honestly, my 7th and 3rd grader seems to be doing well, but my 6th grader is tired, cranky and VERY stressed out. She is also active outside of school too. She go the role of Dorothy in our community play, which is a huge commitment, takes piano, guitar and voice, and is on a company drama team that perfoms around town at different fuctions. So, I am at a loss here. I enjoy not worrying about the academics, but is it worth it?

Michelle, Oh, that is just awful about your son!!!!!!!! Man, I would have a hard time keeping him there... Or... not finding those kids and taking care of them myself!!:001_huh: I hope things get better for you. It has been great for my kids thus far. I think it helps that they are in a magnet school and grades have to be kept up in order to stay in this school. Also, 76% are transfer magnet students, with only 26% neighborhood, so it is almost like a private school. On the other hand... the boy/girl crazy thing is out of control. My 6th grade daughter has been asked out TWICE!! WHAT??? We are talking 6th grade here!!!!!!!!! SIGH:tongue_smilie: Blessings, Jennifer

Hi, We just put our children in school this year too. Mainly for the same reasons yours are wanting to go. We just had a hard time connecting with other homeschoolers. It was tough to go to too many social events because of my little ones, but like you we just could not find friends! When we did find children of the same ages, they just could not connect with them. Many were waaaaaay over sheltered to the point that they just could not communicate well at all. It is just sad. Anyway, they were very lonely and loooooooonged for a social life. So far, things have been great at their school. We will begin our 4th week this Monday. They have all made friends and are doing great in school. My son is in pre-ap classes and has already brought home several projects. For example, in his math class he was given 10 past mathmeticians and has to reasearch and write a report on each and every one of them. Then after he turns these in, they will draw two of the mathmeticians names from a hat and will be expected to write a full page from memory about these guys!! Oh Boy.... they are not used to things like this. However, he is excited about this project. I think it is still too soon to really judge the academics they are recieving thus far. However, since we are getting into the 4th week of school, I think they will start giving much more work. Ok.. need to go, I have 4 children trying to talk to me all at the same time... geez, can't they see I am trying to type! :lol::lol: Now my head hurts.... Would it be rude to tell them to "GO AWAY?":lol::lol: My 4yo is telling me that we need to buy some pixie sticks???!!!! Oh yeah, like we need that much sugar so early in the morning..... Anyway, I pray that your transition into school will be a good one! Jen

Well, I have to disagree with some of you article. I have 5 children ages 13, 12, 9, 4 and 2. The oldest 3 went to public school this year. They really wanted to because they love a very stuctured enviroment and it was honestly starting to get hard for me to keep them challenged with two little ones. We have had a very positive experience. The teachers are all great, and I have been impressed with the assignments and projects. They are learning tons, and having fun doing it at the same time. They do lots of interaction and are very creative in their teaching. So, being on both sides.. public school and homeschool... I just hate when one puts down the other. They are really both good choices depending on the season and child. I never really knew that until we started public school. Seriously, most teachers really care about their students, and most parents are very active in their childs education. So, I think when people ask "is your child going back to school?" they are not trying to be ugly, but just genuinely don't understand homeschooling or homeschools for that matter. Really! I do have to say though, that the teachers I have talked to at their school have complemented me on doing a good job with them homeschooling. They said they have had many who were not on grade level and just could not keep up AT ALL. So, that may be why educators may be a little skeptical. Just giving my two cents... I will go put them back in my pocket now. Jennifer

Well, my kids LOVE school. They have wonderful teachers and have all made friends quickly and easily. I hope they continue to enjoy it. I am enjoying spending time with my little ones:) We are all so excited to see each other after school and have laughed and just plain enjoyed each other. We have not had this joy the past year AT ALL... WE were all so stressed out at home. So, all is well at this point. I just wanted to give an update to those who may be watching this thread. Also, I wanted to thank everyone again for your replies! Blessings, Jennifer