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Jill- OK

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Everything posted by Jill- OK

  1. Hoo...boy. We've weathered the PLAN test, and their first crack at the PSAT, and that was stressful enough. I'm not looking forward to college apps, etc., and cobbling this transcript is enough to turn me into a nail-chewer, lol. ;) Some of that is probably personality; I'm not excited about cold-calling high schools and setting up appointments, etc. I worry about missing opportunities because of things I didn't realize, and there's simply not much time for gathering info and basically conducting (and simultaneously taking) a crash course in How to Be a High School Homeschooling Mom. I'm grateful to have a best friend that's a high school teacher. She's been a good source of info, and I'll probably rely on her more during these last two years of high school. (::Gulp::...I still find it hard to believe we're closing up our second year of high school!!) But I love parenting my teens (they're awesome--in fact, they just gave me a pep talk to end all pep talks the other night, to encourage me to keep homeschooling them and their younger siblings)...and so that's probably why I like homeschooling them. :D (I also like parenting/homeschooling Littles, though. It's just different as the years go by. I wouldn't say that one is any more difficult than the other...I think it's a challenge/blessing no matter what the kids' ages.)
  2. :confused: I wouldn't say that it's MORE work, as the OP related someone else had said, just that it's still a challenge...just in a different way. I thought I saw others saying the same thing...? But I also don't subscribe to the way of doing things that the OP referred to, either. I do give my kids checklists, they do read/work independently...but it's by no means a "see you at the end of the semester" type deal, lol. I wouldn't call it a full-time job (per the OP's question), at all. But I wouldn't call homeschooling Littles a full-time job, either. It's not part of my philosophy or ideal to have kids (or me) working on academics all day.
  3. ...have you asked about observation practices for parents whose children are students? I'd be curious to know what those are, too.
  4. ...aren't who we're talking about. We're talking about parents of future students. Plenty of people have access to your children, if they're in a public school...I'm just saying that I think it's silly to exclude parents with a vested interest. Sure, you have to undergo a background check to work as a janitor, but surely I'm not telling anyone anything when I say that background checks only tell what you've been caught doing, lol. Just read any paper to see what folks who have been given the green light (checked out, authorized) to be in a school have done, once they're there. If someone's willing to undergo the visitor checkpoint, and any other requirements for volunteers, then I don't see what the problem is. No one here says anything about parents volunteering, after children start attending school...does something magical happen once the kids are there? She'd be the same person before, that she would be after enrollment...she'd just know exactly what she was getting herself--and her child--into. That's all I'm saying. Personal opinon. :D
  5. ...it does depend on how you want to do it. Doing things the semi-WTM-way, like we do, here, means interacting about things. Yes, they're independent in many areas/ways...but they need to be guided. And the subjects are more challenging. :-/ You actually need to fire up the ol' brain to help them grapple with issues and ideas that YOU may not have figured out completely, yourself. It's not like explaining what a fable is, or helping them understand multiplication. There's also the pressure; college is looming. Career paths are being discussed. You can only repeat algebra so many times before it's time to get through geometry, and take the PSAT, blah, blah, blah... I'd say it's challenging to homeschool teens, but very rewarding. And fun. :D
  6. ...but someone who has a child that might be going there? That seems weird to me. As someone else said, if private schools can allow prospective parents to observe...why would it be such a big deal at a public school?
  7. After baby #5, I lost about twenty pounds, instantly (he was huge, lol), and then in the following years, I lost about thirty more. (I'd packed it on during that pregnancy). I've kept it off, with a few fluctuations here and there. :) Here are the things I experimented with, that stuck, for me (I think things like this vary from person to person, and what works for one may not work for another)... Exercise first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach. (Also, don't neglect weight training). Don't eat after 7pm (or three hours before bed). Don't make anything "off limits", but practice moderation. Focus on "whole foods"...also, try and eat more raw foods. Try and lead a more naturally active lifestyle. (Still a work in progress). I also have to say that when I need to lose, counting calories is necessary. SparkPeople is good for that, and for finding yummy recipes. HTH! ETA: I also wanted to remind the OP that research indicates that slow weight loss--the result of lifestyle changes, not quick fixes that can't be sustained--tends to be more permanent. Whatever you do, think of what you can do, long term. Simply making healthy choices, for most people, will yield results, but they might be slow to show up on the scale. Don't get discouraged.
  8. ...but the truth is, sometimes there's no other word for it. You don't have to cut this person out of your life, IMO...but you might have to face the facts and realize that it's hard to have a genuine relationship with a person you can't trust. (And if they swing so far back and forth, committing emotional terrorism, then you can't really trust them with your feelings). You can be a good daughter. You can honor her position as your mother, and focus on the good things she's done. That's what I believe the Bible is talking about when they say, "Honor your parents". You can respectfully disagree. You can respectfully leave, if you feel like you're being verbally abused and don't know what to do next. (I don't think this goes against "turning the other cheek"; for me, it's better to leave if I think I'm going to end up acting un-Christian, lol). You can respectfully decline to accept responsibility for things that you don't believe are yours to be accountable for. ("Mom, this sounds like something you'll have to work out, within yourself.") Think of it this way; you're being a good daughter by speaking the truth in love. "Mom, this isn't right. I love you, and I honor your position as my mother, but I can't in good conscience go along with something I don't believe to be true. I don't think it would honor you for me to do that. I wouldn't be showing you love, as I understand it, if I did that. Why don't we agree to disagree, and talk about something else?" And that's all you have to say. You don't have to engage. You can ignore parts of emails/letters/cards, and respond to others. You can do all of this, and still be honoring her/saving your sanity/showing a good example to your kids. I've received a "I'm sorry you're such a know-it-all" apology, before. I've also written a letter to one of my in-laws, thanking them for the kids' gifts, and including a photo calendar of all of them, with an update...without responding to the guilt-o-gram that preceeded it. It can be done. It's not fun, and sure, it'd be easier to just have a good relationship, lol...but where's the challenge in that? :D I will say this, though, about the suicide threats...I'd take them seriously. Call a counselor, ask her point blank if she needs to be hospitalized. I'm not saying that to be snarky (although it will shut it down, if it's dramatized)...it's a way of making sure that you've done everything you can. The person could be mentally ill, and giving warning signs.
  9. ...that Benjamin Franklin attended school for a grand total of two years, before being taken out to work at ten. I remember just a bit from the bio of his that I read, but he was inquisitive, and a big reader, and I think that he copied essays/articles to perfect his writing style. (He was writing articles at a young age).
  10. You can read some of his bios, I guess, but here's a condensed version, from Wikipedia... In 1752, Jefferson began attending a local school run by William Douglas, a Scottish minister. At the age of nine, Jefferson began studying Latin, Greek, and French. In 1757, when he was 14 years old, his father died. Jefferson inherited about 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land and dozens of slaves. He built his home there, which eventually became known as Monticello. After his father's death, he was taught at the school of the learned minister James Maury from 1758 to 1760. The school was in Fredericksville Parish near Gordonsville, Virginia, twelve miles (19 km) from Shadwell, and Jefferson boarded with Maury's family. There he received a classical education and studied history and science. In 1760 Jefferson entered the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg at the age of 16; he studied there for two years, graduating with highest honors in 1762. At William & Mary, he enrolled in the philosophy school and studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy under Professor William Small, who introduced the enthusiastic Jefferson to the writings of the British Empiricists, including John Locke, Francis Bacon, and Isaac Newton (Jefferson called them the "three greatest men the world had ever produced").[7] He also perfected his French, carried his Greek grammar book wherever he went, practiced the violin, and read Tacitus and Homer. A keen and diligent student, Jefferson displayed an avid curiosity in all fields and, according to the family tradition, frequently studied fifteen hours a day. His closest college friend, John Page of Rosewell, reported that Jefferson "could tear himself away from his dearest friends to fly to his studies." I think that this was pretty standard, for those who could afford it in childhood/early adulthood, among families in the 1700s.
  11. I'd say two hours, if we do everything on "The List". (French, piano practice, math, grammar, copywork, and reading--which is how we cover history and science; she reads some to me, I read some to her.)
  12. ...linked here gives you info about contacting your extension office, when you click on your state, in case anyone else is wondering.
  13. (I should mention, probably, that this is a book-to-movie club; we read a book, then watch a movie version of it. It has to be somewhat "classic", although that definition is kind of loose.) The Jane Austen novels To Kill A Mockingbird A Christmas Carol Jane Eyre Frankenstein (I'd never read this, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it)
  14. For those who do not wish their dc to see sex outside of marriage, do you not want them to find out that it happens? I wouldn't say that I don't just want them to see sex outside of marriage...I just don't think it's appropriate, usually, for kids to view (even fake) sex at all. Sex is something beautiful and special, for consenting adults, in my mind...and as I've said before, if viewing sex counts, to a degree, in some realms, as part of the engagement in it, that should be enough to give me pause about introducing it to my children. (Many times, sexual predators get children to view explicit materials as part of their abuse). Violence isn't something that's meant to be beautiful and special, lol. That's why I don't get classifying them in such similar ways. (I do think it could be detrimental to expose a child to realistic violence at a young age, though. Not in the same way it would be to expose them to sex, but detrimental, nonetheless.) Does screen violence have more power than old fashioned games? If you object to shoot 'em up computer games, do you also ban chess because it's a battle? What about Monopoly, a game where the aim is to acquire as much wealth as possible by bankrupting other people? Where is the cut off point? How about books? Many people seem to be more lenient with reading matter than screen based entertainment. I think that screens are more powerful than simple pretend games, but I also believe the printed word is just as powerful. I don't know (first hand) any homeschoolers that believe otherwise; if they limit something, screen-wise, they generally limit it in reading material, too. Monopoly seems pretty easy to distinguish from real life, and I don't have any worries about my kids growing up to be slum lords, since we work to develop character traits like mercy and selflessness in them. (Plus, we don't own Monopoly. ;-)
  15. ...who knows of folks using movies depicting sex as enhancement for their own enjoyment? C'mon. Surely you guys know what I'm talking about, lol. Don't make me spell it out any clearer than that. :D On the other hand, I don't know of too many (normal) adults that go on killing sprees, or fight Orcs, etc., after viewing a movie with pretend violence. They're different. Pretty much every human being has a sex drive. It could be argued that the propensity for violence lies withing each of us, as well, but in my opinion, the sex drive is MUCH closer to the top, lol, and significantly stronger. I don't know how you could argue that it isn't. :confused: I'm more concerned about movies with violence/gore disturbing my children, or frightening them, than I am influencing them. I don't think it would be out of the realm of possibility for a child to be urged to violence, if the child had a condition/personality that made it more likely, but I absolutely believe that sex is a different issue, and one that everybody deals with.
  16. This is how I feel, about all of my kids. (Girls and boys). Since they'll likely live to be 80 or so, I don't want them to be in any particular hurry to take on all the responsibilities of adulthood...but there's no reason for them to be immature. There's a difference. Whenever there are discussions about the vast difference in today's teens vs. their age counterparts from yesteryear, I always think something similar.
  17. ...Welcome to Felicity's World, 1774 Or some variant of that. :001_smile: It's an awesome book, in fact, all of the companion books that are like this one do a great deal to put the books in context. (IMO).
  18. ...but I think there's a balance to be struck, between thriving in this culture/time period, and looking back to things that have stood the test of time, and hanging on to those. I agree that we live in the 21st century, and we need to equip our children to be the best citizens of this time and place. But I think that much of that comes from looking to the past. "Classics" are books/ideas/practices that have proven valuable, throughout centuries, and part of my leaning towards classical education comes from a belief that perpetuating good ideas is...well, a good idea. :001_smile: At the same time, I don't feel totally right about forbidding my kids from watching TV, playing video games, etc. I don't care for a lifestyle focused too heavily on that sort of stuff, but some of it is actually useful. Homeschoolers do seem more prone to idealize the past, and while I don't think that's productive, I do think it's important to try and preserve things/ideas/practices that are worthwhile, especially if they've fallen out of favor, and are in danger of becoming extinct. In other words, I don't want to build tiny Thomas Jeffersons, or live like Ma Ingalls, lol, but I do want to hold on to a tiny bit of what they did. The part that will make life now "better".
  19. We got an American Girl companion book from the library, some time ago, about the 1700s. In it, there was a list from Thomas Jefferson to his...daughter? I think?...detailing what he felt was a good course of study for her day. (This is a fairly young child.) Dudes...it was full of stuff, lol! Almost the entire day was parent-directed, and pretty seriously focused. (And many folks didn't believe that girls needed to be educated to the extent that boys did, although Thomas Jefferson might have been someone who advocated differently.) I liked many things about ATJE, and I certainly value a child being self-motivated, and I'm probably more apt to let kids direct portions of their education than many who espouse a form of classical education, but I always feel the need to bring this up when someone mentions ATJE, and it's premise that what they're describing was how Thomas Jefferson educated himself, or how Founding Father types were educated. I think it's misleading. My personal take (which is probably not as informed as many who have studied historical figures from that time in depth) is that educations ran the gamut back then, much like they do now; some people could afford to be tutored and sent to the best schools of the time, as children, and others waited until adulthood. (Wasn't there one president that didn't learn to read until he was seventeen?) The difference, I think, comes from a society that didn't have television (although they did find ways to waste time, even then), and was extremely literate, when folks were literate at all. (You read Shakespeare, Euclid, etc. once you learned to read.) I think that the people who advocate learning Latin and Greek are definitely following a part of what was considered important, "back then", but the thing that I tend to focus on is the reading of classics. Books of value and meaning that have stood the test of time, and have informed minds for centuries. Big ideas. That's what I think makes for a "classical" education, which is what I think we're talking about, to an extent. (Please don't take this as an argument against the suggestion to read ATJE; I think it's got some good points, and there are things I do that look similar to some of their suggestions. I just think that with regards to the OP's question about how education was directed back then, ATJE is somewhat misleading.)
  20. I've seen 9 described as steampunk, but since it stars these little, um...sock puppets, lol...I was just making a play on the name. We liked it (my older kids saw it with me), but it was definitely very Tim Burton-ish. (Dark, odd, etc.)
  21. Denise...did you see 9? I saw you mention steampunk...thought you might like sockpuppetpunk, too...:D (Also loved seeing the Iron Man 2 trailer...one of my favorite superhero movies, and another great role for Robert Downey Jr.)
  22. Real Science 4 Kids Rainbow Science Apologia Science books (you couldn't have convinced me that I'd ever use these, much less save them for younger kids, lol, but they've been a hit with the children, so...)
  23. ...and also tell them my opinion. I don't think that it's perfectly clear, Biblically, which is "right" (or that those are the only two options), so I don't teach either of them as fact.
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