This is a great idea, and one that I was starting to think about. Maybe at least one preschool day I could have my mom on pick-up duty for preschooler and 2nd grader, so that oldest and I could have a few solid afternoon hours for schoolwork. Our neighborhood school has a lot of working moms, so volunteering is not expected. Some do, but it's not required at all. It also annoys me that school so dominates life. I have fought it some these past few months! But I am grateful for the way being engaged in the school draws us into neighborhood community life. We have not had that before.

Thanks again! I really appreciate all the feedback. It has really helped me to think through it all.

Thanks for all of the feedback! It really is helpful. I don't think it would be a good idea to try and homeschool the 6yr old next year. She loves school and is doing waaay more for her teacher than she would ever do for me. She argued with me over every little thing. We hardly ever have battles now that she is in school, and they were frequent before. I don't fully understand why, but at least for right now, she needs someone else to be her teacher, and me to be her cheerleader. We are already doing the public school schedule, the homework, etc, and understand the realities of it. I think our only other option is to have everyone in school, which might be best for another year. I don't know...

We had a little homeschool burnout this year and put both my 3rd grader and 1st grader in school in January. My 1st grader and I would argue over homeschool almost daily, and she is thriving in public school. It has also really improved our relationship. My 3rd grader is not really learning anything. She is advanced, and school is not really meeting her educational needs (she's enjoying it just fine). She is also a competitive gymnast and spends many hours a week at the gym. My inclination (today, at least!) is to homeschool her again next year, both to meet her educational needs and so she can do more daytime gym practices and be home with the family more. 1st grader says she loves her school and would be happy to go back, even if big sister is homeschooled. Who has done this successfully? Any recommendations for how to do it well? I'm nervous about days when I might take my oldest on a field trip... will the younger feel terribly left out? And then there's the preschooler. The current plan is for her to do pre-k 3 days a week next year. But if I'm going to be homeschooling the oldest, I'm tempted to just keep her home as well. Otherwise, I'll be managing 2 school schedules, one of which is 8-3, the other 9-2, and trying to get schoolwork done in-between! But then, will the middle child in ps feel even more left out? Any thoughts and btdt appreciated...

We didn't start because of gymnastics, but we may continue because of it. Struggling to figure out what makes sense for the sanity of all! My 8yo is only Level 3 this year, but we're in a "hot house" area, and she trains 13 hours per week. Next year will be even more. Daytime practices make it much more do-able. Now just need to figure out how we're going to afford it!

So, when the word "Dominionist" is used, do we mean that they believe that the US is an ordained-by-God "Christian" nation, or do we mean that they believe in establishing a Theocracy and returning to Old Testament law? I disagree with both viewpoints, but find the first much easier to work with than the second. And I'm hearing that the earlier biases have been much edited in the Redesign, which is good. I'm just curious what the author's viewpoint really is/was. I'm sure it's possible that their views have mellowed over time, which is probably true for many. Sometimes you have to wear a certain belief for awhile before you discover it's holes. Thanks for any help clarifying.

Dominionist? Really?

Yay! Sounds like it's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks!

I am using/have used Sonlight and SOTW so far. But I can see that in a couple of years, when we've been through the history cycle once, and I'll have a 6th grader, 4th grader, and 1st grader, it will be worth having something that will keep us all together for history but with resources for each level. *And* something that will begin to challenge my oldest as she transitions to the dialectic stage. I think TOG is very very valuable for families with kids at multiple levels and for dialectic/rhetoric stage students. I am getting a free unit that they are offering this month to help me get a feel for it. However, I think it's overkill for 1st grade. :)

We just use Singapore. :) And xtramath.org for facts practice. My kids don't seem to be the types that need the endless repetition of problems. Also, I have a BS in Math and am a math tutor, so I feel pretty comfortable teaching it.

I'm waiting to hear on Y2 U2 order. Don't need it now, but it could be very useful once my youngest is ready to study history with us. Looking forward to having a whole unit to play with!

Thanks! It's good to hear your experience! I'm using All About Reading 1 with my current 1st grader, and I think I will use it again when my baby (3yr old) is ready for it. We also use Singapore Math and Handwriting Without Tears. Then I usually make copywork that corresponds to our literature whenever they've learned to form their letters. I just want some good books and simple but rich "extras" to use with my youngest in the next couple of years, since she's generally just tagging along with her big sisters' school.

Cool! Thanks for your responses!

Anyone seen/used the new MP Kinder Enrichment yet? Could I use it as a stand-alone with the Kinder read-aloud set, without buying the whole MP Kindergarten Curriculum? I have other stuff for Kinder LA/Math.

Wow Lori! Thank you for such a thorough response! Very helpful. Glad to hear that it's been a useful resource for you. We will press on!