Thank you to everyone who replied to my questions here! You've given me some great ideas and have helped me to put it back into perspective. My kids are young, and I do need to enjoy them. And, I am trying to do too much. I loved the poster who said that I need to rotate things -- that's a great idea! I tried to quote some of your posts, but my ignorance with this board had my message all wrong -- oops! Each response gave me something to ponder, and they made so much sense. Sometimes it's easy to lose site of that when you are feeling overwhelmed. I think some of my issues are also mental in that I find myself still comparing myself to my friends whose kids are in school, and so their houses are cleaner, or they have more time, or they just seem more put together. I need to end this and find my own sense of self and contentment as our lives are completely different. We chose to homeschool because we wanted our kids to be kids longer, didn't agree with the school's way of doing things (I was a ps English teacher), and we couldn't afford the local private schools. Making this decision was a HUGE step from the norm for us, and I think I'm still holding on to some of my "old life" and viewpoints from it even though this is what I still feel is best for us, especially my oldest ds. Anyway, I think I've just not found my niche in it yet, if that makes sense? Each day, I feel like I'm getting closer, but I have a bit to go. I'm trying to garner ideas now, however, so it can become easier as we move forward. Thanks again to everyone! I really appreciate it!

This is my first year homeschooling (ds is in K), and I'm struggling to keep up with everything which makes me so fearful since it will only get harder. We have an extremely busy 2yo ds who is in need of near-constant attention since he's so active. He takes up a good amount of my day and energy. I feel as if I'm short-changing my oldest son as a result. I'm also struggling with keeping up with housework (I feel like there's clutter everywhere), errands, and friendships. I'd love to hear any advice or ideas as to making this whole process easier. Friends (who don't homeschool) don't really understand me right now, and they say it will get easier when the youngest is older. I need help now since I feel as if every day is me trying to survive! :blink:

After lots of research on here (I'm new too), everyone was very supportive of The Story of the World, Vol. 1 - Ancients for history. I had been leaning toward it anyway from all the research I had done. However, it was nice to receive confirmation from veterans who share my teaching mindset. Have you looked at Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum? It's a great resource that forces you to analyze your child's learning style and your teaching style, and to then choose currriculum from there. She also has a website www.cathyduffyreviews.com. That was a big help when I was getting started this year for K. I'd highly recommend looking into it as you make your choices. Good luck! :)

I'm new here (after coming out of lurking), and this is a great post! I LOVE to read, so I'm always looking for new titles... what a fun way to see what others have in their pipelines! I just finished Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult (my quick, fun read), and now I'm reading A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille. I'm about 1/4 through it; it's been an interesting read so far.

What is your favorite science curriculum for a 1st grader? I'm leaning toward R.E.A.L Science - Life by Pandia Press www.pandiapress.com I also think NOEO would be a great fit too, but it's kind of pricey. Any other ideas are welcome too! :) Thanks for your input!

Please tell me about your experiences with either or both. I'm trying to figure out which way to go next year for my rising 1st grader. Thanks so much!

I'm buying right now too so I can try to find used titles before they are gone. I'd love to "see" what you have. I need 1st grade items. Thanks!

I LOVED my Speak N Spell, and I really wish it was still available for my kids. It was such a great (and useful) toy!

Thank you everyone! You've helped put my mind at ease! I think I'm going to love it here on TWTM forums! :D And Kinsa, God Bless you for having 6 boys!!! I have 2 and my life is crazy with them!

Funny that you say this because I'm finding myself drawn to SWO for next year for this very reason! I had no problem with this way of learning as a kid, and DS seems to be following this pattern in many ways; I just want to make sure it's enough though since boys are notorious for having more difficulty with spelling than girls (just the way their brains are made unfortunately). I don't want him to have difficulty in the future when I could have prevented it now, KWIM? I think that is why I'm doubting how I'm using PP since I'm not having him do the spelling part right now rather I'm concentrating on reading which is what SWB suggests.

This is where I'm now struggling. Did you feel SWO was enough? I ask since I've heard mixed reviews about it. I'm not sure how to choose a spelling program for a child who already knows how to read. He seemed to just get the reading part, but I'm concerned that won't translate to spelling which I feel is such an important skill too. I've read as many posts on here about spelling curriculum as I can, and I'm still confused. How do I know if my child is a natural speller?

I'm currently using PP with my K ds, but I'm concerned that I may be short-changing him, so I wanted some opinions, please. This is my first year hsing so I feel awkward in many ways... Do you think it's okay to immediately move on when ds gets a concept the first time he tries (ie. digraphs, etc)? Or should I be staying on the page to have him read things over and over again for practice? He already has good fluency when he reads aloud from readers, so I'm not concerned about that. I'm not stressing the spelling part of PP although it says to make the child spell because my main focus right now is making sure he can read for the upcoming year. I'm just worried that I'm not letting the rule/concept sink in well enough by moving too quickly, if that makes sense...

Thank you SO much for this post! I wish I had something to offer, but I'm struggling with this myself for my almost 6yo son -- who sounds JUST like your son! I'm new to homeschooling (this is our 1st year), and I finally came out of lurking to really become involved. I'm very interested in hearing all the responses! I wish you much luck! Maybe we could commiserate together! :o

Thank you to everyone! But especially Tara! FREE is always welcome in this house! I'll be taking a close look at this site. Everyone's comments are greatly appreciated! :D

Hi everyone! I'm new here, but I'm loving all the information I've garnered so far! I'm trying to decide if I should do SOTW or History Odyssey for my son who'll be in 1st grade? He loves to read/listening to others read, and he enjoys hands-on activities. He is a typical almost 6 year old boy though, and sitting still remains a problem. I noticed HO uses SOTW in some of its lessons; however, it seems to offer more. I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially if you are a user of HO since I know less about that curriculum. Thanks so much!