Us church-going Christians are a horribly sinful lot, huh? I'm so sorry you've been hurt again. It sounds to me like the Holy Spirit is prompting you to find fellowship again within a church. Don't let the people who need God the most drive you away. I wish you could come to our church. Our pastor provides childcare for every group that meets at the church. He understands that moms are an underserved group because of our hearts for our children. I'm going to pray that you find the exact group that God wants you to be in. Hugs... I'm sorry.

What the cable guy did was unethical. You become a party to that if you watch it. Lots of things are available to us that we ought not use.... I agree... this is a teachable moment for your children. There's power in showing restraint... that's how you want your children to grow up, with restraint.

Yep... rabbit ears here. And even with those, we watch very little. PBS more than anything, and not every day.

No, that can't be! I had such a crush on him. Sigh.... silly teenager!

Well, I think the answers speak for themselves. But... I think your daughter needs a hug anyway. It's tough seeing what peers do, and having parents who are different. I just remind my kids often that rules are meant to keep everyone safe and happy. They'll have to trust me for the happy part... but they can rest assured, it's all based on love. "I love you too much to say yes to everything you ask for. But.... hugs are always freely given." That's what my kids hear a lot. Hugs to you too mama... parenting is tough work.

My sons have had 3 broken arms (all together). It took till the 3rd one to actually get to the doctor that day for an x-ray. 3rd time's the charm I suppose! IDK... broken bones are funny. The only thing that distinguishes most of them is that they still hurt a long while later. My neighbor wins the prize though... she waited a week. Oops! Hugs... and ice cream. That works!

You can drive over toward Disney, right? We used to watch theirs from the nearby parking lots! I'll rep you anyway... no fireworks stinks!

Oh my gosh... love the ants! Mine for the day. Children, when I serve you a meal, please do critique every part of it, because a chef can't improve without a posse of food critics. In fact, make all kinds of faces and sounds, so that I can count dinner as part of homeschooling; acting class.

My first two were posterior (of 5) and one of those was unmedicated (as were the last 3). I don't think it made a difference. I had more trouble with my 3rd child's shoulders than with either of the first two.

Jesus, the name that charms our fears That bids our sorrows cease ‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears ‘Tis life and health and peace Sometimes that music in the sinner's ears that brings life and health and peace is overwhelming, and makes us cry. Sing on.... cry on... you are being His hands and heart. Bravo.

Well, considering the newspaper is written at a 4th grade level, maybe that's how the majority of 4th graders spell it. :tongue_smilie:

I've always wanted to say this Phred... I completely agree with you!! :lol: I like the diversity here. I find inspiration in some posts, strength in some, and others help increase my faith. The posters here are well spoken, thoughtful, and interesting to read. That keeps me here.

The PP makes an excellent point, which is that it's not an environmentally friendly policy either. Unless, I suppose, they prefer that someone give their program away, but that would cut into their business as well. Those of you who said that there are other companies that have this policy... could you tell me who they are? I was completely unaware of this policy being practiced in the homeschool realm.

Our family has 5 kids (4 potty trained) and 4 full baths. One is on the main level. The kids have a jack and jill with two sinks (4 boys in one room, 1 girl in the other) and there's a guest area with a bedroom with its own bath. The master has a bath also. So, we have plenty. That being said... there's always a line, because we live mostly on the main level, and they whine if they have to go upstairs to use the bathroom. Sigh. ;) I'd say that 3 bathrooms would be very comfortable for 6 kids. The reason I love having more full baths isn't necessarily for potty, but for showering. It can take forever if they all have to go one at a time. So, we use two of the bathrooms upstairs, and everyone's done in 30 minutes at night. The three little ones get a bath, and the two older ones take turns with the shower in the guest room. They don't really use the master bath. I like my toilet floor to be without pee and my bathtub to not have a ring. It makes me feel like a real grown-up. :lol:

Oh my gosh, you all are hilarious! We may be scattered across the nation (world even) but we're living parallel lives. Here's mine for the day: "Please don't pick up the fresh dog poop in the yard after taking the dog out, because I really enjoy when you take your little brother out next, and he steps in it. I love cleaning poop from between the crevices of sneakers. It gives me a special thrill." and another, "Please never turn the hose off after using it, because I think it's cute how it sprays from the bad connection and waters the concrete for days on end." finally, "Please throw your clothes up on the ceiling fan suspended 12 feet up from the vaulted ceiling every day. It's particularly fun getting them down. In fact, please do turn on the fan to high, and see if they fly off, or simply get tangled and kill the motor."

Yep... more weeds. I've got some if you run out. You're letting your mommy heart get in the way of his consequence. He shouldn't have had crackers and PB, and he shouldn't have been petting the dog. He's mustering up an act... he hasn't had a heart change. BTW... I've got an 8yo daughter who's going through this. I completely understand.... hang tough, they need for us to be consistent. Kind, but consistent. And, when they have that heart change, we need to be over the top in acknowledging how hard it was for them to change.

Ugh... the pain! You, BTW, are inspiring. That's what Ipods were made for!

Our children are required to take care of their own responsibilities for no pay. They clean their rooms, make their beds, clean up toys, etc. They are paid for things that serve the family (or the pets). They are paid to feed/water/clean up after the animals, empty the dishwasher, sweep the kitchen, sort laundry, gather hangers for laundry (my 4yo), set the table, collect wastebaskets, take garbage out, and work in the yard. Some jobs are assigned to an individual, but if they fail to do that job someone else can take it over and receive the pay. My 10yo earns a lot of money each week, because he's the most motivated. He's also already saving for a car, which he designated 75% of his earnings to after tithing. If they complain about a job, they get to do it without pay. Only one of my children falls into that trap... and she's tough in many areas! At the end of the week we tally how much they've earned and Sunday is payday. If they're disrespectful to each other or to parents, they are fined and write it on the tally sheet. It's quick and easy, and it stops the disrespect quickly. If it were my kids I'd make one pay for the item that was destroyed which belonged to another. That shows lack of care for another's feelings and belongings. I wouldn't make a huge deal out of it... they'd just accompany me to Walmart the next time with their wallet, and purchase the item. Feeling bad for them is fine... but not acting on the need for them to have a consequence because you feed bad is enabling them. It's okay to share their dismay... as you insist that they make it right. Compassion for them, consideration for the sibling. If the sibling whose toy was broken wants to be merciful (not being prompted to...) that's okay with me. That's life too. Sometimes we break something and replace it, and sometimes the person insists it's okay, and not a dear object. I love when my kids show mercy. Good luck coming up with a system. You'll figure out what's right for your family.

It's funny you started this thread. About a month ago, I realized that I asked my kids questions (to do something) in a way that didn't give them a choice to say yes or no. For example, "Please go feed the dog." instead of "Would you please go feed the dog?" Simple difference... and in reality, they're supposed to not say no, so I just wasn't giving them a choice. But, I found that they had an attitude about doing it because I was being bossy. So, I switched, and figured if they told me no, I'd deal with that issue separately. I've found that 90% of the time, they say, "Sure Mom". Huge shock... they needed me to treat them with respect, not with authority. Having 5 kids, this should be simple and old hat, but I think I just got lazy. So, now that is working well. This morning, my daughter (who pretty much owns the other 10% of the time!) gave me grief about something and I raised my voice to her. She told me, "Mom, you're yelling." I continued on. After a few minutes, I called her back to me (and she came... hooray!) and said, I'd like to give you a hug. She smiled and hugged me. I thanked her for holding me accountable, because despite what she does, I need to behave too. She beamed... and hugged me again. Doesn't take a genius to understand that you catch more flies with honey... I must be a rock lately. I'm in! Hugs all around, even when they're exasperating me.

You can get the America one free by prepaying 2 years of HSLDA's membership fees.

Assuming there are lots of side dishes (which there usually are!!) I'd make 20 burgers, and 2 packages of hot dogs (20). I'd have an extra package or two of hotdogs on hand, and an extra tray of meat for burgers. That way, it's pretty simple to throw some more on the grill. I think with my original numbers, you'll still have leftovers, as some kids will eat only hot dogs, and the women and children who have a burger won't have 2. Have a fun party!

That's wonderful! It's unfortunate that the school district has the power to tell you what your son is able to do. Keep up the good work mom!

I was bottle-fed (1969). My mom isn't really a "go against the flow" type of person, so it doesn't surprise me. I loved the PP who said that her mother was anti-unmedicated birth, anti-breastfeeding, anti-large family, and anti-homeschooling. So was my mom, until I did all those things. Now, she's a chameleon. She sings the praises of my natural births, my breastfeeding, my large family, and my homeschooling. Whatever... at least it's easier to deal with her now! I just finished breastfeeding my 5th child, who weaned at 18 months. All the others were between 12 and 15 months. I imagine my daughter will do the same. It's all she's ever known and seen. When she was younger, she nursed her dollies. I loved that!

One of my friends who homeschools is an Aeronautical Engineer. She uses it for her son (TT7). She loves it. I think that speaks volumes, and he's not a kid who struggles with math, or liking math. I just can't drag myself away from Singapore, because I love the way it teaches them to "think mathematically". I'm considering it for when my son finishes Singapore 6B (in two years). Another friend loves it because she stinks at math, and it requires very little assistance from her. That's all I know about it!

We had the perfect pets until February. That's when our 11yo mellow and perfect Golden passed away. I was okay with just having the 5 kids, the cat, and the African water frog (which was only supposed to grow to be an inch long, and is the size of my hand). I thought that the grieving process would be therapeutic for everyone. It's part of life. And then, my DH decided we needed another dog. Yeah, the DH who travels twice a month, and isn't here to take care of pets for the most part. So, we ended up at the Humane Society, where we found a very nice 2yo Golden. He's handsome, potty trained (thank goodness) and wild. He apparently spent his entire 2 years being neglected. He arrived in our house and counter surfed the kitchen counters immediately. He didn't know how to sit... which means he knew nothing. Zero manners. The cat, who loved our old Golden, and would even groom her face, detests this new dog. After 3 months... the cat still detests the dog. So, she pees and poops in my Master Bathroom, on the carpet. Nice. Guess who's training this new dog? Hmm... did I mention my DH is traveling this week? Doesn't matter... it's not him anyway. But when he returns from his trip, he'll get to resod the part of the grass where his delightful dog stripped off all the new sod. And, chewed it to bits. Yeah... only Louie, the frog, is happy. He's a perfect pet. 3 pellets in the morning, and he's swell. I feel your pain. Pets are good for the kids, right? That means my daughter should scoop poop tomorrow. Builds her character. I'm betting she'll be thrilled.