I moved back in with my parents 7 years ago with 3 kids after my ex decided he no longer wanted to be a husband or father. I was able to move out 4 years ago when I met my youngest ds father - he turned out like family life even less than my 1st ex. I have been making it on my own as a single-mom for the past 3 years. Now however, my childcare business has too many openings and we are behind on rent again. I have already opened communication with my parents and we will probably be moving back this summer. They are much more positive than I am about it. I feel like I have failed, while they have assured me I have done everything I possibly could to keep this house. The most important thing I learned the first time lived there was communication. My oldest has ADHD, ODD, and PTSD and my mom and I had to make sure we both knew that I had to be the lead on discipline to help him. He is doing much better now. The kids are aware that moving back in with them means they will be expected to keep the disagreements to a minimum (I am looking forward to that).

I pulled my ds11 out in March. I found it very interesting that his Algebra teacher and his gifted liaison both called and told me I was making the very best decision for him. My ds4 will not be attending ps. I still may be pulling my dd15 out in the fall, but trying not to since she really doesn't want to come home.

Thank you everyone for your replies. I think I have ruled out MFW and HOD due to their price. I really like HOD, I am using LHTH for my ds4; but the price of it for my oldest just isn't going to work. I am now have three choices, BiblioPlan, TruthQuest, and Beautiful Feet. All three look great and affordable. We have a decent library, they are very helpful in finding items if they don't have them on their shelves. We also have a new library opening this fall on the other side of town (about 15 minutes instead of 5). I am attending the HEAV convention and will hopefully be able to see them there. I know the vendors aren't scheduled to be there, but the used curriculum portion will hopefully have them.

Thank you Aimee: I hadn't even looked at BiblioPlan, for some reason I thought it was a Bible curriculum. The choices as a new home school mom are a bit overwhelming sometimes. It has now joined the ranks for consideration. MFW is moving down the scale. There were a few other issues we had with it and I'm just not feeling as led toward it. I will keep praying and reading. Thank you again for making me aware of BiblioPlan, from the quick read through of their website it too looks good and affordable.

Hi I am a single mom homeschooling 2 ds one is 7th grade and one is PreK, combining the 2 is not an issue so I am not looking at these curriculum from that stand point. I mention the single mom point because the cost of the curriculum does factor into my decision. My ds12 really wants to begin US History next year and really does not want a textbook based curriculum, which is great because neither do I. I am looking at MFW Exploration to 1850, HOD Revival to Revolution, or Beautiful Feet Early American and World History Through Literature. Has anyone used any of the the above programs. What can you share with me about them? Is there any I missed that are good literature based US History programs? The rest of our year is planned except History. We are using Apologia General Science, MUS Geometry, R&S English 5, Spelling 7, A Time to Gather, Writing Strands either 3 or 4, Apologia Who Is God?, and LifePac Health Quest. Thank you for your help. I have been reading the board daily and it has helped me make so many decisions for my boys.

Thank you :) That was what I was thinking too once I typed it all out. For preK do I really need to do anything beyond LHFH? He is very active and I like that they don't have a lot of sit down work. Rod and Staff I purchased so he could get used to having to do seat work. I think I was thinking he had to do more, because of all I have to cover with his brother.

I am asking veteran homeschoolers to please let me know how this looks. We have two years left before we hit the high school years and I want to make sure I have covered my bases before stressing if I'm teaching the right stuff for high school. DS12 Religion - Apologia Who Is God? Math - SOS Geometry Language Arts - Analytic Grammar, IEW SWI B, Progeny Press - The Hiding Place, The Golden Goblet, Shadow Spinner, and The Bronze Bow, Vocabulary - Wordly Wise 3000 Grade 7 Social Studies - Diana Waring Ancient Civilizations and the Bible Science - Apologia General Science Health - LifePac Health Quest Music - Guitar Spanish - Rosetta Stone Level 1 DS4 Little Hands to Heaven Rod & Staff ABC followed by ETC ABC AAR Pre-Level 1 We will finish LHTH around December. I am thinking about MFW K for the rest of the school year. Then going to LHFHG for K. Thanks for any advice or just letting me know I'm on the right track. Michelle

Thank you for the suggestions. Analytic Grammar looks very good and I think we are going to try it. Michelle

Hi I have a ds12 who I just pulled out of ps in March. He is advanced in math - he was taking Algebra 1 in school, so I put him in Saxon Alg 1, he reads above grade leve. However, grammar is a huge gap. While testing him and reading some of his work I was amazed at how much he does not know about grammar. Apparently, in public school, grammar is taught in 4th grade and then brushed accross in 7th and 8th. He was 3/4 of the way through 6th when I pulled him. So I am asking for suggestions of grammar programs that are not going to make him feel stupid for having to drop back to elementary levels. :confused: Thank you, Michelle

I am looking a the new Sonlight Catalog and am confused about Language Arts. It looks like it is now included in the materials. So do I still need a writing program, grammar program, spelling, or vocab. I think I am going to call them tomorrow. Their website isn't cooperating. Thank you for the MFW review. I was thinking the same thing as I was reading through it, for the 1,000 time. It just looks light academically. Michelle

I pulled my ds from ps in March of this year due to bullying issues and the schools "gifted" program really not fulfilling there job of educating my son. Right now I have pieced together the rest of 6th grade. We are using Saxon Algebra 1, Apologia Botany, SOTW2, PACEs for Language Arts, Progeny Press Magician's Nephew, Learn to Type 4 Kids, and Confessions of Homeschooler's The World's Greatest Artists. I am stuck on what to do about 7th grade. There are so many good looking programs. I was set on MFW starting at ECC because that was the recommended place to start. However, I would like to finish US History before high school, so we would do Exploration to 1840 and then in 8th do 1850 to Modern Times. I want to feel like we finished a time period before high school. Then I received the Sonlight catalog in the mail yesterday and I like the two year World History program of Cores G&H in 7th and 8th. Then he would do Core 100 - 400 in high school. Again I want to either finish an overview of World History or US History. If I wasn't confused enough on these, then I began exploring what to do about writing and grammar. Ugh, I like Rod & Staff and Essentials in Writing (I like that it is DVD based and more independent) The only courses I am positive on are Jacob's Geometry for Math, Apologia General Science, Health Quest Lifepacs, and guitar lessons. He works very well independently, we have a modified workbox system. I have a home daycare and a 4yo that will be in HOD LHTH and Rod & Staff ABC. I also have 2 hs kids in ps. Oh and I am a single mom. Thank you for any help. Michelle

these are our tentative plans: 7th Grade MFW ECC Math - Jacobs Geometry Spelling - Finishing Spelling Power Science - Apologia General Science Writing - Writing Strands Grammar - All in One Tying - Free online PreK Math - Singapore Earlybird Phonics - Reading Eggs & ETC HOD Little Hands to Heaven