Thank you... Sixty hours is a far cry from eighty... But it is still rigorous for the stay at home/home schooling mom! Rebecca (it is actually me who is more "scared" because we have six small children and no help but us two)

:lurk5:

We lived in the northeast portion of PA. It is technically called the Lehigh Valley- 1 1/2 hours north of Philly and East of Hershey. I am familiar with the area you are talking about due to our traveling back to PA from NC to visit our family! We live now, in Western NC, in the mountain region. I believe my husband's tax season is at least one month longer than it would be in a public accounting position. It is just. really. hard. You are exactly right about the software companies- that is the way it plays itself out. Thank you! Rebecca

Thank you so much Elizabeth! We are scared he would have to work eighty hours a week during tax season. We are in NC too. We moved here from PA two years ago. My husband's prior work experience was all in PA - public firm experience and controller experience. He is working 50-55 hours from the middle of October until the very end of February- and then about 45-50 hours until mid march or so... with scattered overtime in March and April. It is a VERY, VERY LONG season. Thanks again, Rebecca

Will you please share when you/your spouse's overtime starts and about how many hours you work a week during that time? My husband is a CPA. He is currently working as a tax analyst for a tax software firm. The overtime is wretched. It is the worst we have ever experienced in our marriage- and it is bad thru the holidays no less! There is also no tax season bonus... However, we are "scared" to move to a position in a public firm if the overtime is just as bad... We have excellent benefits and flexibility for most of the year with this job. I need some info. The firm my husband worked at prior is not a good example of what a typical tax season would be... so we really don't know. Thank you so much! Rebecca

I have been making dairy free Christmas cookies for almost six years now!:) Earth Balance Margarine is dairy free and trans fat free. You can find it in tubs and sticks. Spectrum shortening is trans fat free. It comes in a tub. Of course you know to read every label. I am not sure how allergic your child is. I am guessing, if you are still comfortable making dairy cookies, that you can handle it in the house! We use Fleischman's Unsalted Margarine: that IS full of trans fat. I also use canola oil in some recipes instead of margarine. The delicious cookie recipes that I make are found in the cookbook: What's to Eat? by Linda Coss. They are copyrighted so I can't send them to you. I have tried just about every cookie recipe in this cookbook and we love them all! Amanda's Own Chocolates sells dairy free chocolate chips and I believe they have a chocolate chip cookie recipe posted on their website. You can find it by googling Amanda's Own Confections. If you have trouble- post in reply and I will link- I don't have time right now. Parent's of Kids with Food Allergies has a recipe database that you can access if you become a full member (25.) a year. It is full of every kind of delicious treat for all kinds of allergies. You might have to experiment to find what you like. There are many cookie recipes. We make cut-outs, oatmeal, chocolate chip, chocolate drop, chocolate chocolate chip, peanut butter (not allergic to pb here), chocolate peanut butter cups (home-made- no milk), snickerdoodle, and I think there might be a few more! SO IT CAN BE DONE! I will search my binder later and post any that I have that are mine and not copyrighted. I hope this helps, Good for you for making special treats for your little one! Rebecca

Thank you so much for these great responses. I will definitely look into these resources. My boys have all watched Incredible Creatures... numerous times as well as been taught and read from a variety of creation science children's book/video type things. I just feel that it is time for me to get serious about this- especially if my science minded son might be led into a science field. I really appreciate these links and suggestions. Thank you, Rebecca

Dear Hive, I need to educate myself in this area. My science minded son is now reading on his own- and it is time for me to get some research under my belt. Please no flames or debate. We do believe/agree with a young earth. However, I am interested in being aware and informed about other perspectives. I need resources that I can read and study. I also need resources that are good for young ones in teaching them to refute evolution- especially as they come across it in secular living science books. We are currently using Apologia's astronomy book and A Child's Geo: Explore the Earth alongside our science in Bigger Hearts with HOD. Please recommend your best, most highly appreciated books. If anyone has any tips... I would be appreciative, too. We have taught a six day creation from day one of our home school. My son has a special DK Amphibian book that he has started reading on his own- and brought it to me with concerns and questions. I want to be able to answer him well. Thank you! Rebecca

Love, Love, Love them... we have the tall narrow ones. Rebecca

This was a great thread! And gave me so helpful ideas for those rough days!... I think eight must be the age for some of this!;) Thanks ladies! I don't have any helps- but I gained from these. Rebecca

I would choose resources that are more user friendly and less time consuming. For example: I would NOT use MFW, SWR, RS Math. One thing that has been hard for me to accept as a "die hard" academic type of personality is sometimes having to "let go" of my ideal... and example of this for me was that last year I tried to teach my sons both Singapore and Rod and Staff math. I simply do NOT have time in my day to do that (last year I had five children and was expecting number 6.) I dropped Rod and Staff. My son tested above his grade level in math just using Singapore. This year I opted for just Singapore with extra practice for areas where my oldest needed reinforcement and was/is struggling. I could never teach Right Start. I do not have time- unless that is all I want to do. I had to think about what my priorities REALLY are for my school. Then I have to adjust my curriculum accordingly. I think it is true that when you have a large family- you have different limitations. I can't just do all that I want- I can't fit it in. It is frustrating- but knowing this can be half the battle. And this might change as my children get older. My oldest is only eight. For me, as far as I am able, it is important for me to keep my children progressing at grade level or as to it as close to it as I can... so I keep that as a priority. Maybe we could start some posts with user friendly curricula in the major subject areas... I will start!:) Phonics: Phonics Pathways Grammar: FLL, Growing with Grammar, or Rod and Staff used mostly orally with whiteboard Handwriting: A Reason K and then copywork; Memoria Press Copybooks- by third grade I am having my children create their own copybooks of literature passages from their favorite books. Cursive: Cheerful Cursive (my son does almost entirely independently) Math: Singapore; I have heard MUS is very easy to use/teach as well and personally know some large families who really like it History: Mystery of History Literature: library books from Classical Christian Homeschooling 1000 books list Science: Choose an Apologia Elementary book: Read it with children. Don't worry about experiments this year if it is too overwhelming Geography: A Child's Geography: Read together with children. Maps and Globes. Geography from A-Z. Another option would be to choose all christian textbooks at appropriate grade levels and work through them with your children. I would adjust them for home school use and not do all the problems or feel the need to give all the classrooom instruction. These will not give you content issues and you will have the peace of knowing you are making progress in all the skill/content areas. I am sorry you are feeling so overwhelmed and unmotivated. :grouphug: Having in house help is not an option for our family at this time. It can make me feel depressed and jealous when others have that option!!! But I am blessed with a dh who carries a huge load with the household work. Dishes AND laundry! But I also have to be content when these chores are done differently- or sometimes don't get done when I would always like. Can you and your dh make a plan together of what you could to do to help you succeed schooling... especially if it is a family committment for you to school? Praying for you, Rebecca

You might like the Memoria Press Copybooks. I have used these happily with some of my boys. Level 2 has a poem or two that we did not use. HTH, Rebecca

I am surprised no one has mentioned Rod and Staff! That was my first thought... I saw your posts last evening but didn't have time to reply. Rod and Staff Grammar is VERY clear. The teacher's guide contains all the answers. The teaching is so clear- you should be able to figure it out just from the student book. My son is really understanding his lessons. We do lessons every other day. I also think that Growing with Grammar is very clear and very thorough. You can see samples on their website. You can also see samples of Rod and Staff at http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com I am using Rod and Staff this year after successfully using FLL1/2 with my oldest. We are using Grade 3. It is going so well. We do almost all of it orally with some on the whiteboard/in the notebook. He does selected problems himself. I just bought Grade 2 for my second grader as it is going so well! I hope this helps! Rebecca

Can you return Sonlight? Heart of Dakota's Preparing Hearts has extensions for fifth and sixth grade... but uses CHOW as one of its spines. You have probably already been through that with your Sonlight programs... just a thought... HOD is very "big" on bite-size, manageable readings- yet still maintaining a living books approach. The programs also move toward more and more independence on the child's part... HTH, Rebecca

In case I wasn't clear: you really can't use graphic organizers to support the teacher's text. There are written directions in the student books written directly to the student- along with important information and resources in the back of the student books. The student books ARE reproducible within a family, though. HTH, Rebecca

I actually just started using DITHOR within the last week or so... so I do not know what post you referred to that stated that I was using it... However, in answer to your question: the student workbook and the teacher's guide are designed to "work as a team " together. The program is incomplete without either of those two parts. It is a great program. My eight year old is so - loving it! I was totally taken aback by his enthusiasm. He chose mystery for his genre and is bummed that we don't do reading every day. I give it two thumbs way up! :thumbup: In my opinion, it is definitely worth investing in... if you are looking for a reading program that you can use with any book you choose and want to develop a biblical lense to analyze literature. HTH, Rebecca

Okay- well based on some of these new replies- I think I already do this to some extent... Audrey- that was VERY helpful!!!! Thank you. I think I am understanding it more now. Moms of many- why is this working so much better for you? Thanks, Rebecca

How long do you designate for each subject per day? Thanks, Rebecca

Thank you so much Heather!!! That makes a lot of sense... HMMMM... more to ponder... So as you move to each child the others begin their independent work? Rebecca

These posts have really interested me- especially as I was seeing so many families with four or more thriving... but I confess- I have not been able to figure it out??? I looked at some of the charts people created/linked... and I still couldn't get it. Also- I have multiple toddlers/preschoolers... I don't think I can keep it going for three hours without interruptions? How is this helping you not to neglect your younger children? Do you just list your subjects and work through them and then pick it up the next day? If someone could REALLY BREAK IT DOWN and explain it in a very simple way- that might help me... I don't know if anyone has time though. I will say, I find it very intriguing!!! Rebecca

Thank you! Rebecca

I am using Heart of Dakota's Bigger Hearts curriculum for my third grader this year. It is a biographical approach toward American History. There is no world history. We are really enjoying it! It is more than just history though... Rebecca

Dear Mandarinmom, My heart went out to you after reading your post! First of all: Sonlight Curriculum might be just for your family! http://www.sonlight.com - Check it out. Secondly, I was going to post the classical christian home schooling link but Pylegang already did it. Do not mind the "christian" part. It is a great book list. Pylegang's links are great! Purchase if you possibly can or borrow some resources from the library to arm yourself with great reading lists for your daughter. Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt Books Children Love Most of the book lists I know are in Christian books- such as A Landscape with Dragons. It doesn't mean that every book in the list is religious or christian. Anyway, I hope some of this helps, Sincerely, Rebecca

Luann, What an awesome post(s). Thank you. I am going to print them out and put it in a special notebook as a big, important reminder to me! How encouraging, exhorting, and true! Thank you! Rebecca

Thank you momof7. How long does it take to use Math-It daily? Rebecca