I started teaching study skills by having dd learn to outline and take notes during online lectures. Around 10yo, I had her watch me take notes for a number of lectures then for the next step during lectures she told me what was important to write and I did the writing. After she had it down, she did the writing and I helped out if she missed any important information (or we discussed why something might be considered important. When she decided she wanted to learn French, she took it upon herself to make flashcards for both French and Latin. One of the things I might do differently (these topics are so intertwined) would be to give her quizzes earlier. We talked about material after she completed readings and I had her write mini-essays connecting ideas in different subjects but except for math, I didn't have her take tests or quizzes. I didn't really begin doing that until last year when she was doing a biology course that had end of sections tests. Maybe that was soon enough but I am worried that she might not feel comfortable with tests (like the SAT or ACT) because she isn't used to a testing situation. I guess we will find out when she takes those.

I have been taking my kids to plays, concerts, musicals, and shows since they were very young. Dd was obsessed with Phantom of the Opera when she was 4yo so for her 5th birthday we took her to Broadway to see it. We have also seen The Lion King (a couple different places), Annie, Riverdance, numerous local theater performances and high school performances.

I don't think it is weird at all. Some of our best conversations and a lot of fun is had during car rides. Dd and I have a joke where we tell each other "we never have any fun together" as we are laughing so hard we are crying. We all make up songs, sing out of tune (well, I do…she is in tune and ds blocks his ears), the kids record silly videos in the car (the last trip it was his toe hairs blowing in the wind out the open car window…goofy), or we talk about life and how things are going/their plans/anything really. I am definitely going to miss those long car rides when they don't need me to drive anymore. My only chance to read for the past few years was waiting for orchestra rehearsals and violin lessons.

Travel is my first priority for extra money. I want to give my kids experiences they can only get through travel. I usually come up with an excuse to travel…kids have a gig here or a competition there. We do need some improvements made to our house, nothing huge or pressing at the moment, so that would be next in line.

My dd seems to need about the same about of "downtime"…I don't know that she is ever quiet and contemplative. She is always "doing" something whether it is messing around with her instruments or looking up craft ideas to then make (decorating her room and making things are her "for fun" activities). She likes to be on the go and be around other people but she also likes time at home now and then. I tend to need some time to sit and read and always have. I get exhausted if around people all the time. I am definitely an introvert and dd came out smack in the middle of the introvert/extrovert scale when tested.

So far my plans are… 8th- Ancients (Using History of the Ancient World with Study and Teaching Guide and supplementing with Teaching Company Videos) 9th- Medieval and Renaissance 10th- US and World through 1900 11th- US History AP 12th- ??? Not sure. I am really only sure about this year and next. The others are guesses and depend on dd's interest level and whether or not she wants to do APUSH.

How much a child gets assigned will depend entirely on the teacher and the level of the student. Some teachers teach from pieces only, giving the child "mini-exercises" to learn the techniques needed for the piece, while others like to focus on etudes, scales/arpeggios, and exercises. I think pushing for the next piece is typical for many children learning an instrument…the next piece is always more fun than the one currently being learned. My dd just interviewed one of her favorite professional fiddlers (adult) who called the desire for the next piece "a sickness." My dd by the same level was practicing a lot each day and we split practice up…technique/etudes/scales/arpeggios at one time and pieces (review and new) at another so her focus was good for both. 45 min to an hour for each practice was not unusual.

I know a high schooler who does multiple extracurricular activities every day and most of them are not things he cares about or wants to do but are done because his parents feel they would look good on a resume or just "look good"..."non-negotiables" according to his mother who then complains (in a "bragging" sort of way) because he is up until 2-3am doing homework then rising at 6am for school the next day. He doesn't have any time to devote entirely to any of the many things he is involved in. He misses rehearsals for this so he can do that and takes on more activities when they know he will miss rehearsals for something they committed to previously. Of six rehearsals for one thing, he misses 3 and is late to 2 then does not learn the material because he has no time to practice so other kids have to cover for him but he always makes the performances because it looks good to do those and no one watching will know the "behind the scenes" stuff going on. His mother gets mad because one teacher drops him for not practicing so she gets him two more teachers for the same thing. This is my example of a "hurried child." If dd were in public school, she might feel hurried trying to fit in homework and practicing after school plus being on the road each weekend. With homeschooling, she has time to do school, practice, do crafts, and have down time almost every day to do whatever she chooses.

I hear you. I could technically have considered last year high school as well since classes were high school level. Dd did biology and geometry last year. I am thinking she may do AP Biology next year or the year after so I am fine simply not counting last year as high school but counting the geometry on her transcript as completed prior to high school.

Not quite sure yet whether or not I will call this dd's 1st year of high school or put that designation off another year (the year she would actually be in 9th grade if in school). She is doing all high school level classes this year but at this point I have no intention of graduating her early and may need to spread high school out to five years due to her extracurricular passion. I have a full school year planned so far…Alg. 2 online, language arts (with a mentor), French (with a tutor), Latin, Chemistry, World History, and Music Theory (online)…but with travel for gigs and her daily practice (often 3-4 hours a day) this may be too enthusiastic and we may need to scale back. Not exactly sure how we will do this or what to drop but we'll see how it goes and make decisions as they come. Dd travels nearly every weekend, sometimes including Fridays, for gigs. We have 11 days in Ireland planned for competition/gigs at the end of October, and 5 days in Boston in March plus weekly lessons in both classical violin and twice monthly lessons for fiddle usually on weekends she doesn't have gigs. She gave up orchestra last year and her fiddling took over that time plus some. She is also working on fundraising for charity which takes time…she decorates violin mutes and gives her profits to a charity of her choice.

My dd has been taking violin lessons since she was 3 years old so initially it was very important for me to sit in on lessons, listen and watch carefully, and take notes so I could help dd practice properly at home. I knew nothing about violin playing but being a good listener and asking questions if I didn't understand completely what to do at home worked. I learned how to address corrections based on my dd's personality…a discussion method works best with her so rather than me saying "it has to be such and such a way," I would ask dd what she remembered from her lesson as being correct then ask her to try paying attention to that detail or ask her to try playing it such and such a way to see if it worked better. As dd got older, I gradually stepped out of the role and let her take over more and more. Now she takes her lessons without me sitting in and practices on her own. She still likes for me to sit and listen now and then or comes and shows me what she has been working on. Once dd was outside of the "graded" repertoire, it was not unusual for a piece to take weeks or months to study due to the depth of detail (sometimes it seems they discuss every phrase in a piece and even every note in every phrase) and lessons/practice always consist of scales, arpeggios, and etudes (yes, often from books at different levels depending on what dd needs to work on at any one moment) along with repertoire both review and new. There have been times I have had to advocate for dd when technique began to lessen her joy in playing and other times when dd wants more technique. It's a delicate balance and my job as a parent to help dd and her teacher figure it out because I know my dd best and teacher knows violin playing best. I think you can either decide to trust this teacher knows what she is doing (maybe she has sound reasons for choosing particular pieces and technique/theory books) and figure out a way to work within her parameters or find a new teacher whose method is less frustrating for you. Would it help to work with your dd to make a list of the details she is supposed to practice for each piece then have her check each off as she masters it during her practice?

:grouphug: Praying for you. I've had those days for different reasons and it is a scary place to be. Get through one day at a time, one moment at a time, if need be.

This is our reality as well.

My dd answers, "If I were in school, I'd be in ____ Grade."

Maybe I am over thinking this but I thought of a GED because I want him to have some sort of validation of his high school experience otherwise, couldn't any high school dropout have mom give him a diploma and say he was home schooled? It is different with his sister. She tests well and will have nice SAT or ACT scores plus some online classes and DE or AP courses to back up her knowledge. I feel comfortable that by the end of high school, her resume/transcripts will clearly demonstrate her abilities. Touring dance shows are not the most stable job choice. I think if it happens, it would be a wonderful experience for him and may lead to other opportunities to use his music abilities but do you have any idea how many times a show like, say Riverdance, has had their "last show"? I see friends who tour with shows scramble to find work when their shows are on break or they think they will end. I don't want to do him a disservice by "graduating" him and someday he need validation of that or can he just begin to take community college classes as an adult? I am doing a lot of praying for wisdom for him and I both.

Sorry, my computer went crazy and double posted…I don't know how to delete.

Double post, sorry.

My ds is not my most academically minded child but picks things up very quickly and thoroughly when interested. I home schooled him through 7th grade then he went to public school until I pulled him out last year (two months into 11th grade) because he was having difficulty in two classes due to the school's block schedule…stuffing all the material into 4 months and no time in class for individual learning styles was not working for him. Since I was teaching him all the material over again at home and he was depressed and begging to homeschool, it was the best choice. I pulled him out, re-started the classes he was having difficulty in (pre-calc and chemistry) allowing him to work at his own pace and let him pick some electives like photography and a couple online sound engineering courses. The rest of the year went well. He is currently involved in an Irish dance show stage production camp and the music director who is also the music director of a real Irish dance show, is asking him to send in a CV and video to audition for the touring dance show. No idea whether he'd be accepted if he applied or the time table but trying to decide the best route to take for his senior year. My choices at the moment, as far as I can see, seem to be having him study to take a GED while continuing to follow his already chosen courses for next year waiting to see if anything happens, some online course options he can continue if he should go off and tour the world, or some option I have yet to figure out. His idea for post-graduation prior to this camp was a community college program for sound engineering. Any suggestions?

I am doing quite a bit of musing/agonizing on this subject lately. Dd is heading into 8th grade (age-wise) but has been doing high school level work for a couple years. Doing some classes dual enrollment is an option in the next year or two but she is currently traveling more and more with her music and does not want to give that up. Online classes, either AP or through college, are also options. Continuing studies on her own…also an option as is some combination for different courses. There is a lot to think about and I am very unsure which direction to head with her. Hoping the best path for her will become clearer as this year progresses.

What musical instruments do your kids play? My oldest plays drums (full drum set and bodhran (Irish drum)). Middle ds plays guitar, banjo, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, and bodhran. Dd plays violin and just started teaching herself keyless flute this week. She can pick out tunes on mandolin and tin whistle but doesn't play regularly. What instruments have they started on but not continued? Dd started mandolin a few years ago but her hands were too small to hit the frets as quickly as she wanted. She also took piano lessons for a couple months a few years ago but now only messes around with piano. If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)? I took piano lessons when I was young. If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different? I let each of my kids pick their instruments.

I hate drama of any kind and people who do things that are mean to my kids in a passive-aggressive way. Why can't people live their lives and not worry about what my family is doing in ours?

I have a "meeting" with my kids before each school year to discuss their interests and what they'd like to study then every month or two and we discuss their goals and how they are going about meeting them/progress made. My dd is very goal oriented and self motivated. She is currently working on learning French and Geometry, bought a flute this past week and started learning to play, and has taught herself to cook, bake, do multiple types of crafts, etc… She takes responsibility for all her music practicing and goal setting. I have always given her input in her schooling so adding more responsibility and independence has come gradually. My ds spent some time in public school before coming home again a few months ago and I see him having difficulty being self directed. He tends to need some direction before deciding. He did decide to study photography and sound engineering then took some online classes for each on his own.

I haven't read all the replies. Short on time. My youngest is quite a bit younger than her nearest sibling but learns at a much quicker pace, almost naturally picks up everything especially when little. I used different curriculum especially for things like math where the level is often posted on the curriculum and tried to keep "grade levels" out of the equation as much as possible. This worked out great because each of my kids learned with different styles so I just picked the best fit. For other subjects, I often had them learn together. Literature, science, and history are fairly easy to differentiate according to interest and ability through discussion, additional readings, and projects. I also had each of my kids pick the instrument they wanted to learn. Luckily for me they picked different ones. Each has their own area of "expertise." I also praise effort rather than results.

:grouphug: Praying.

I also got my dd a small digital recorder so she could dictate her stories then later I typed or wrote them out for her or let her write her own stories from her dictation as she got older. This way her stories did not have to depend on her spelling and her brain and creativity did not have to wait for her writing skills to catch up.