We are using RS C and I really like it. However, my DS groans when it comes to math time. How do I know if it is RS he doesn't like, math in general, or something else? How do I know whether he would be happier with something else without actually buying something else. I don't have much money to spend for home schooling, so every purchase needs to be useful. I think that he finds the mental math aspect of RS challenging. He is fairly good at it, but it requires a lot of concentration on his part. It is challenging for us to find a quiet time when he can concentrate and we can play the games without the baby messing up the cards or climbing on the table, etc. I tend to lose my patience when all this is happening, so that could be another cause of his groaning. :glare:

When we take breaks it is because *I* need a break or we have a busy week. My children asked to keep doing history over Christmas break. THey could just keep going!

We have ordered from them before. The food is very good. It is very expensive, but they have some package deals where you get family-sized quantities of about 6 cuts of meat for around $50-$60.

We just worked though it at the pace that my children wanted to. My K daughter has finished the book. My 2nd grade DS is about half way through. I think that the standard for the K year is to learn to read CVC words. Maybe a few blends. If I didn't have a sleeping baby in my arms I would go see what lesson that would be. :D

I have recently started reading a couple of books on Oppositional Defiance Disorder after learning that my 6 yo DD probably has this. What struck me in your post was the reference to constantly arguing and refusing to do as you ask. I am still working my way through the books but understanding that my dd is emotionally immature and doing the best she can in the situation has helped me stay calm so that I can teach her the right way to react. I have also learned that her responses are based on the (false) belief that I don't love her. This is wy she is so dramatic when "bad" things happen to her. In her mind it is proof that I don't love her. I don't know if this is true of your daughter or not, just thought I would throw it out there. While some of the advice you have received is great, a lot of it just wouldn't work with a child with ODD. It would just add fuel to the fire.

I played the oboe in high school and college. I got by with a plastic one (my parents bought it after renting for two years) and even got offered several scholarships with the plastic one. I did get a wooden one before I started college. Just sold it on Craigslist last week! I agree, there are many more scholarship opportunities with the oboe!

Sounds a lot like my 6 yo dd. I have talked with a few other moms and think that it could be normal. My dd is also aggressive, vengeful, and can say some very hateful things when angry. Added all together I am beginning to think it is *not* normal. But just the tantrums--maybe normal --especially if they went away and are now coming back.

I may be able to relate to this mom... My oldest ds will participate in group activities now, at age 8, but refused to take part in them for many years. When he was a preschooler, he would be excited about doing something, but then not want to seperate from me. He just wanted to watch. As he got older he could verbalize that he didn't like group activities, but he did enjoy watching. When he got even older, he knew that many kids did like to do things as a group and since he didn't he felt awkward and embarrassed. By this time I had other children who were happy to be part of a group, so I knew it wasn't that I was doing something wrong. It was just his personality. If I had forced him to go to something, he would have been hiding behind my skirts. Perhaps this boy is really shy about participating in a group and the mom hasn't realized that that is just his personality. She may have questioned the boy about wat was wrong with the group and perhaps put words in his mouth. At about 7 1/2 my ds started wanting to participate in more activities. It was frustrating along the way and in the early years I looked for problems with the group, but in the end he just needed to be ready for it. I don't know if that is the case here or not.

My DS hates the practice sheets and I don't have the time to play a lot of the games so we just started using the green number cards and adding two of them together. For example, while I am working in the kitchen he will take the deck and set two down and read them to me and say the answer: 6 + 7 = 13, then lay down two more cards. That way I can correct him. (I stack the deck as well :) to make it a little harder)

Your dd sounds a lot like mine. She does the funky finger thing too (like three on each hand to show six :glare:) Today though, she sat down and did DS's practice sheets for RS C (8+7 and 6+5...) I think she just isn't ready for anything formal and the introductory lessons are too easy. My dd really enjoys the games, though. Have you bought the game book? It has a lot of counting games and a few easy addition games.

I remember the project being mentioned in the activity guide, but the directions were either not their or so vague that I was unable to even figure out what to do.

From what I understand from the WTM, the method of studying history changes in 5th grade, but the content could be from any time period. I hope that makes sense.

Another vote for this one!

Great advice. Thanks for the reminder. I tend to do too much for my children. (When we read Understood Betsy last year I learned a lot! :001_huh: ) I think we may have a new shirt. My husband bought it so I haven't really looked at it. I don't know what it is made out of but it felt strange.

Do I have to sew on Boy Scout patches and emblems or could I just use fabric glue?

I noticed a something similar later in the book. I have no idea what lesson it was, but a word was in the "story" and the lesson on how to sound out that blend or vowel pair was the very next one. Reading does not come easy to my ds so the error was very obvious, but when going through with dd I would not have noticed.

IIRC the last chapter of SOTW Activity guide has ideas for a Roman Feast. We did this last year and had a lot of fun. DS dressed in his toga and was Julius Ceaser, DD was Cleopatra, another DS was a gladiator. All we did was eat "Roman" food. The ideas for games sound like a lot of fun.

Every day. I didn't realize it was so disgusting to some people. :001_huh: We look over their clothes in the morning to see if they need to change. If not, it saves time and laundry.

My dd is also big for her age. She is 5 and people assume she is older than her 8 yo brother. She also weighs significantly more than him. (He is average size.) In the last 6 months we realized that she takes after my husbands side of the family who all exhibit the characteristics of insulin resistance. She has not been officially diagnosed with this (although I did speak with my son's endocrinologist about is and she agrees). Now we are following an eating plan of a certain amount of carbohydrates linked with a certain amount of protein every two hours. When she wants more food, it is easy to say "Yes--in two hours." She makes a face, but agrees. Like your son, she seemed addicted to food. I believe that the high carbohydrate foods she had been eating made her crave more and more. Then her blood sugar would drop and she would crave even more. It is amazing the way her appetite has gone down. Her weight has now been fairly steady. I will be praying for you and your family as you work through this.

Using shorter passages has helped us with narrations. When reading a book like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I would stop after one "event" in the story and ask my children to tell me about what just happened. Since it is a short section it is easy to help them make it into one or two sentences.

We started when my son was 5 and he is now 8 and we are about half-way through the book. We are able to do more than one lesson a day now and we will finish up this year. But he is a very reluctant reader. My 5 year old dd will sail through it this year.

I ordered it here: http://www.classicalsubjects.com/ssl.html And was pleased to receive it in only three days!

we only played the games for drill. Only used the drill sheets once.

4 weeks for check out on all materials. You can renew one time and the renewal starts when you renew. (So do it on the day that it is due!) You can only renew if there are no holds. The fine is .05 per day but stops at $1. Somtimes if I need the book a little longer than 8 weeks, I just pay the $1 and keep it.

I forgot to add about the cost. Our pump supplies are covered under something similar to durable medical equipment. For us, this is covered at 100%. The supply company that I purchased from charged me a percentage, and another one that I called asking about a price quoted me a large fee. I looked into it and got my money refunded. Be sure to question your insurance company. If you ask about durable medical equipment they should be able to figure it out. Insulin and test strips are covered under our prescription plan and we have to pay a lot for those.