We dropped out mid semester of Lukeion 2. Best decision I’ve ever made.

Exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you!

There are a ton of chemistry resources here, but searching hasn't answered my question. Has anyone here built a chemistry class using The Great Courses? If so, how did it go? I am looking to cover a typical high school scope, but my kid isn't particularly interested the topic. I assume we will also need a textbook and a series of labs.

This shut me down for YEARS as a high school/college student. I have to find something I am able to do, can earn a living at, and I have to LOVE it too?!?! It paralyzed me - and I'm a person with a LOT of passions. I would have done so much better if someone (anyone!) would have asked some basic questions. What type of lifestyle do you want - long work hours or short? Are you working inside or outside? Are you working independently, directly with customers, or in a group? Do you want to work intensely for more money or have more freedom but less money? How do you feel about risk? Have you considered xyz? Gah, I'm still so angry about the passion discussion.

Yes, true over here too. My own experience did not demonstrate this. I worked my ass off, got amazing grades, and ruthlessly sought out relationships and opportunities at a "great" state school. My husband went to a "better" school and was given an exponentially more valuable education (both in terms of learned material and ultimate job opportunities/connections) while being a hardworking but average student. Nice to hear from someone who has been through this. Currently DS wants to a recruited athlete, but nothing is set in stone. I am trying to make sure that his sport doesn't limit his education and also that his education doesn't limit his sport. I think that most of what we are doing is playing the game. Its not like we are saying "hey, history was interesting, let's take a year to only study the fall of Rome." It's very much the sequence of high school. I mean I think his education is generally better than what I received in high school, but it is the typical checklist of obligations. 1000%. I love that everyone is doing what is best for them. But. When I feel like I am drowning and then someone tells me to relax and cut back because they are *only* doing THESE MASSIVE THINGS it seems like not only should I NOT cut back I need to add a few things to reach the minimum. I think part of my struggle is also that the choices are made within the context of a family. There is a constant push/pull relationship with what is sustainable. What is good for DS may be very bad for the rest of us. Part of this whole issue is my own need to breathe, sleep, and enjoy my own life.

This still seems like A LOT. Did you drop the quantity of classes? Or reduce their intensity?

Yes, we have been advised by multiple people to treat our state schools like a random lottery. Too may great students being rejected to consider them anything but a reach school for all. 😣 I agree 1000%. But it is hard to maintain the deeper engagement while also staying a desirable applicant for what you think is coming in the future. ❤️❤️❤️ Yeah, it is really intense. The whole thing, from the outside, seems so ... ridiculous. I have multiple kids at very different ages. I have found that if there isn't outside accountability I'm not getting it done. I do feel more pressure about grades, but I also feel really stressed about what I've signed up to cover that isn't getting covered. They are clearly not classes he wants to take, but assuming that he wants NCAA approval he has to take things like math and science.

Hmm, this must be regional. Everyone around here is top 50 schools or state schools (which are insane to get into). I think part of my issue is that it is all a guessing game. I would be better off with a guaranteed admissions checklist. Right now I feel like I am playing the game but I'm not sure if there will be a payoff.

He's looking at highly selective schools where he can continue his sport. I think it all feels like a constant grind to him. Although I'm not sure that a significant reduction would *feel* like less of a grind because he's a teenager and it will always feel like extrinsic pressure?

My oldest child is a 16 yo sophomore, homeschooled since the beginning. He takes most of his classes live online, although this year we added an online AP and a local DE. He is a smart kid, but not a genius. His main passion in life is crew, which consumes 24+ hours a week. I feel like maybe I'm making all the wrong decisions because I'm worried about college admissions. There is very little "slack" in our days and I am pushing, pushing, pushing. Now, I also contend that he IS wasting time and making everything take longer than it needs to, which further reduces his free time. IDK where I'm going with this. Just that it all seems so hard and unknown and fragile. I feel like maybe we are missing the freedom of homeschooling because we are still caught in the game. But I also don't want to get to the end and have failed him. How do you find the balance?

Sent ya a message..😊

I'd replace my entire life with a Bosch if I could.

Homeschooling my husband is beyond my scope. 😂

I heard someone suggest that you stop considering your email like a “to do” list and instead view it as a river that flows by that you sometimes fish resources from. I open anything I need and the occasionally sort by “all unread” and then delete all. Occasionally I miss something and it gets sent again. No big deal.

I think we may need to move freezer up on the idea list. At the very least we need a new fridge. Current situation holds two days of food MAX, it's insane. PG&E situation is also nuts. You're welcome to come stay with us since we are in a slightly different zone, but I can't promise I'll fix dinner. 🤣

Buying a new fridge is one of the things we are discussing. Current fridge is super dysfunctional. I have considered an extra freezer before, but we don't really eat from the freezer. Haven't decided if that is because the freezer is tiny and holds almost nothing, or if it is more of a "process issue". Do you then cook in bulk on certain days? Or just always make extra?

I think this is where I have to get to.

Nobody capable of cooking is home until 7 pm. At that point everyone is tired and hungry and there is still homework. I have the recipe binder going. I think I need to produce in bulk to up the leftovers.

My kids aren’t picky, but by the fourth night of a variation on Mexican food they’re wishing for something different. The kids don’t have time to cook their own meals in the sliver of time between sports and homework. (That sounds like a pretty good salmon recipe though!!!)

This is kind of what we’ve got going now for lunch but sitting down to dinner is a priority. I cannot handle the chaos of everyone constructing their own dinners at the same time. Maybe I need to re-evaluate the entire idea of dinner.

I need to work on this. It’s a struggle to get over the hump where it is easier to do it myself.

We are in module mode now and it’s chaos. The teens eat a ton of food and I can’t keep up this way. They are happy to cook for themselves but I am unwilling to let them eat what they want to cook.

I have an instant pot. I haven’t found it faster and the product is unpredictable. I know a lot of people live it, so maybe I’m not doing the right things. Im clearly failing at #4. 😬

My eldest has a schedule too heavy to cook. The middle could handle it but I am not comfortable with her cooking when I’m not home.

Thank you. ❤️