I'm wondering this too. I have a just-turned-6-year-old doing kindergarten work, an almost-3-year-old going to a co-op preschool two mornings a week, and a 5-week-old nursing every 90 minutes or so. :eek: Today I got around to doing something academic with my big kid at 4 pm, and that was only when my DH, who's home on parental leave, took the baby out of the room. I could hear him crying for me (the baby, not my husband, I think) every 10 minutes or so, and I felt terrible, but I managed to get through the lesson. How on earth is any schooling going to happen when I might actually have to hold the newborn during a lesson? Aaaaaa! I keep feeling I should just give up and send the big kid to public kindergarten for a while, but I know better. I used to teach in the public schools. Nealy

This looks great! I'll be flying in from the great state of Washington to be there. I'm excited to visit Williamsburg for the first time since seventh grade! I'll be there by myself, though, and will have a four-month-old with me. Anyone else bringing an infant? What are your plans for dealing with the baby? Nealy

I don't see anything inherently wrong with nursing an 8-year-old who wants to nurse, I suppose, although I certainly don't think I'd get that far myself. If the child was nursing a lot, I suppose I might worry about her permanent teeth coming in wrong, but I don't imagine most nursing 8-year-olds (if there are enough of them to actually make a generalization) nurse often enough to cause a problem. But, if you think you've seen everything after that video, consider this story that I must admit is secondhand to me (and thus thirdhand to you): A friend of mine, when she was younger, was traveling in India, and feeling very full of her cultural tolerance. During her trip, she was once on a train, sitting across from a young mother who had a little boy with her who appeared to be about 6. When the young lady started nursing her son, my friend was filled with pride at her own open-mindedness. After all, she'd never seen a school-aged child breastfed before, but she wasn't shocked! After a few minutes, however, the child sat up, leaned back comfortably in his seat, and lit up a cigarette. The lady who told me that story, I feel, has indeed seen everything in the world of long-term nursing. Nealy mama to T, 5 (Ordinary Parents' Guide to Teaching Reading, Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Level K, and Saxon Math Level K); L, 2 (a co-op preschool-goer); and O, EDD 12/20/08, whose school is the womb.

Washington state requires (OK, suggests; they don't actually check to see if you've done it) parents to have their kids assessed or tested annually to make sure they're making adequate progress. I think this is a fine idea, but I'd like to use a reasonable test that will make some sense with a classical curriculum. My school-aged kid is 5 1/2 and doing kindergarten work (by which I mean the Ordinary Parent's Guide and a lot of me reading aloud to him about various subjects), but I imagine they do standardized testing for kindergartners too. Any ideas/suggestions? There are so many tests out there, and I don't know which ones are better or how to prepare for them, other than just continuing to do what we do already. Thanks! Nealy