agreed! I do the same. There is a lot of cr@p even at the primary/elementary levels. I don't mean solely topics, just crappy, corporate-designed writing to sell books. I prefer she reads the likes of Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, E.B. White, L.I. Wilder, which we do! But I can't deny her love of Captain Underpants and another (15 book series :P ) of "fairy-princess-pony-kitten-pink and sparklely" fodder either. What I can do is guide toward a balance between the meaningful and beautiful writing, and other less inspiring media. We all need do that on occasion. "A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men." - Gene Wilder as Mr. Willy Wonka. ;)

I don't want my dd reading in fear if she chose a mature, explicit topic. She can read what she wants and we can discuss if need be. I just wouldn't want her reading it and then discussing it with a teacher who I don't know how he/she would lead or direct that discussion in a classroom of kids that will have a whole host of varying values, insight, and parental backgrounds. At the college level, have at it! In today's public high school, I am not so confident. All I can picture is Mr. Hand trying to have a meaningful discussion on these topics at Ridgemont High to the nth degree, being nth degree to account for what kids know today! I may be dating myself with that comment. ;) i read FITA, the whole series, too young most likely. All of the Earth Children series where I know every inch of Ayla and Jondalar, and a whole host of similar genres in middle and high school. But I also devoured 19 th century novels and poetry, everything Stephen King, Russian literature, Thomas Paine, Geoffrey Chaucer, Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Shakespeare, E. R. Burroughs, Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Asimov, Carl Sagan, Richard Feyman, historical fiction....and cheesy/sexy romance novels all well before undergrad. I loved reading, loved exploring worlds and lives in my imagination, loved having a question or problem and searching for the answers, seeking inspiration, and just loved learning. That is all I really want for my daughter, I am confident that will be what she really needs to find her own path, just as I did.

Having superior intellect does't mean a person will be better at inspiring and teaching others; I sat in many professors classes that were brilliant but droll and not interactive teachers. Intellect or the letters behind someone's last name aren't the issue, it is a clear lack of real passion for life-long learning. We have all met that one ( or many) teachers who have gone into the profession for a 'stable' union job and summers off, without a true love for the field they had chosen. They are okay with just 'punching in and punching out'. And then the ever existing involvement of bureaucracy to muddle things up, compounds teacher issues, or ties the hands of those teachers that really care and are really good at what they do. Many HS parents, degreed or not, have a real love and passion for life-long learning. And like anything else any parent does with their kids, they may do better simply because they love their children and have genuine vested interest to see their child succeed. We also aren't teaching 20+ children from different backgrounds, influences, different needs, etc. We have the luxury and freedom to tailor our curriculum to an individual child and learning style; responding, in real time, to any struggle or mastery with a skill set or topic. Freedom to take the time to research what we don't know or explore further in depth each child's special interest that motivates them to explore more. Our ps system is broken, teachers and parents KNOW this. So as parents do we let our kids wait it out in that system and hope for the best until it is fixed? That is why I homeschool. Everday I am VERY grateful that I am fortunate to be able to chose a different lifestyle so that I can offer my dd another option to public school. So many families simply do not have the means, or ability within a work schedule, to be able to have options outside of public school; I do get that. It doesn't make them any less caring, involved, and especially any less concerned about their child's education and future. That mobility to have choices is another broken component in life for American families, which is another heated and important topic. ;)

I have found it difficult to accept that a 23 yr old, graduating with an education degree, is qualified to teach anyone! As a TA, in another field, I have seen the fodder senior undergraduates produce in writing, and lack of critical or imaginative thinking. They are taught to spit back information. It can be just as bad at the graduate level! I have a problem with biology, physics, chemistry, math, literature and social studies teachers teaching middle and high school from a textbook, having themselves NEVER worked in that field, with life experience in that field, and a true passion for that field. Passion about something IS contagious! The kids will learn if the person that is teaching something is impassioned and ethusiastic about it! These education graduates are taught with the same "lowered-bar" expectations; then they are let loose on young minds with the same boring, indoctrinated, unimaginative approach to learning. I am not saying ALL teachers are this way, but the ones that are passionate about creating a learning environment get burned out or sucked into the system in order to stay in the system. Why do I home school?

Agreed. Again, I love Toni Morrison's work but I can think of plenty of 19th century post-industrial novels of the same genre, that would be more age appropriate. Save Toni Morrison for a more mature audience and mature discussion.

I agree with the above quote. I am not a prude, by any sense of the word. I read my fair share of things in high school, remember Flowers in the Attic, Clan of the Cave Bear, et al? I remember the shock of watching Deliverance in my senior AP English Lit. class. With that said, I wouldn't feel comfortable letting my daughter or son, read something this explicit as a classroom assignment with the intent of discussing it in the classroom. College, well yes, of course; high school, no. I read a lot of Toni Morrison and love her work, most of which was introduced to me in a sophomore college literature discussion. Age appropriate = mature enough to understand and discuss the material. I know kids are MUCH more exposed to these topics than we were, do they discuss these topics amongst each other in a mature fashion? Usually not. Can't we set some standards on what is appropriate and when? The practice of letting them figure it out on their own, has made morality in our culture go to the pot, imo. We see and hear about it every, single day. I do not support blatant censorship or banning of any media. That is the path down a very, slippery slope. What I do support is parent involvement in their child's education and expressing their standards, values, and morals to their children. I am disappointed that pub. ed. exclaims how awful it is that parents don't want these topics in the classroom because they actually CARE what their children are exposed to, yet are pub. ed. is first to complain that parents don't get involved. Can't have your cake and eat it too, I say.

Ok, sounds like what we are doing is fine. I just wasn't sure if I should be pushing for more, which I didn't feel comfortable with and sure that she wouldn't be either. I love the postcard idea. One of our good homeschool friends just moved out of state. The girls are the same age and both doing OM, we could do the postcard thing between them.

This year, I found one that is exactly what I have wanted without going to lengths to create my own. In LOVE with this: http://www.raisingaselfreliantchild.com Here is a link to her homeschool planner. I printed it out; I printed covers on cardstock and laminated, and used those black plastic combs for binding. She did say on her site she is looking into printing services to sell printed copies in the future. ETA: Storms rolling through here all day and I am having an issue connecting to her site. That is the correct link, but not sure if connection is my side or hers. I haven't had issues before. If you Google: Raising a Self reliant child Patricia Espinoza, that will get you there.

I have the same question. My 6 yr old has no desire to actually write, unless prompted to. She will "write" all the time in notebooks and making signs etc as part of pretend play. This consists of random squiggly lines, but within margins and on lines, with sentence breaks; not REAL words other than her name. She knows how to spell and is doing well in her phonics; reading is progressing at a comfortable pace. She will do copywork in the "Draw, Write, Now"-fashion (I will make my own topics). I am a writer and she sees me doing this daily. I don't want her to hate writing like so many people these days do. My friends' kids that are in public school are writing a page for homework, (they were doing this 2nd half of K). I don't want to mimic public school by any means but what should my expectations be for a nearly 6 yr old?

Animal Farm and Homage to Catalina are good early, pre-dystopia books. I think a must read for how dystopias can happen. ;)

I get that EXACT message from craiglist posts ALL the time, no matter what it is I post. Scam, delete it.

Not a fan either, but was very impresses with this speech. Especially the part about opportunity looks like work and that smart = sexy! It sounds like maybe he had an epiphany while studying for the role of Steve Jobs. Good for him! Many people go through life and never learn anything! :)

I livein Connecticut where Lyme is endemic. I have been treated for Lyme (recurrence) three times in the last ten years. Now, granted, my occupation increases my exposure to potential Lyme-carrying ticks. I have never had a bullseye and no way could tell you which tick it was. It takes around 28 days from exposure to seroconversion for it to be positive on standard Lyme tests; titers and Western blots my be more sensitive. I have had neurological symptoms appear with a negative test. Around here, doctors put you on 28 days of Doxycycline even if the test is negative, at the first onset of symptoms. I am not one for over use of antibiotics, but I have had friends who palsy from untreated Lyme, and lost a horse due to complications with Lyme even with treatment. I don't fool around when it comes to Lyme.

Well, when it comes to a riding horse, your supposed to get one that makes you butt look smaller. So conversely with driving minis and ample derrières, a nice big quarter horse butt should compensate; and/or drafts and draft crosses. Or so I have been always told. ;)

Thanks!!

All kidding aside from my previous post, ^ this is where I am at now. I should be thankful I figured it out the first year. ;)

This is our first year hs'ing, dd is K. And my husband thinks I am insane! Just when I think the honey moon period is over, I see something new and $$ O.O! "Hello, my name is..."

In answer to the scheduling, this is what we do too. This is the bare minimum day. Our guys are on 24/7 turnout, but we clean the paddock daily and do rotate small pasture grazing in the summer months. I am not as regular with riding lessons with my dd as I should be, which I am working on, but every day there are 'lessons' in horsemanship and to me that is most important anyway. I feel like we will get a better groove as my daughter matures and can just do more around horses. That is my hope anyway. :)

Oy, I can't believe it. I am not green by any sense of the word to horses, but this is my first year of homeschooling. I was just thinking YESTERDAY if I will ever have time to train again? Feeding and care routine are not a problem, but training, even 15 mins a day is hard to get in. My daughter will be six and has taken over the daily grooming of my mare and she does help with feeding. But finding the time to train my unbroken molly mule has become impossible. I would like to ride her so my daughter and I can ride out together someday. I have thought of sending her out for training, but at $900 - 1000/month training board, I just can't do it. Plus, I prefer to be involved with the training. More importantly, I have such a bond with her, I would really miss her. I feel like I will never have the time. :(. I think I need to ask my family to give me a little more "me" time that doesn't only include mucking out stalls.

I only have one child but have received some hand-me-downs and bought some things on sale I know we will use later. I boxed everything up for safe storage so as not to clutter up our small space. Definitely, good advice from above posters, take an inventory! I forgot and bought something major I already had. Kind of defeated the purpose of the hand-me-down. ;)

Thank you! I have some things I would like to pass along and didn't know where.

Agreed. It is a slippery slope. For anyone who has attended even a small-town budget meeting, this would open a huge can of worms. I live in a rural community who's demographic is skewed toward the over 55 crowd. Every year, during education budget discussion, at least one person asks why he/she should pay taxes toward education if they don't have kids in school. While I don't agree with them (I could rebutt that I pay taxes toward special senior services and a center and don't use it nor have family that does), I could see a whole set of arguments come up regarding loopholes, etc. That is just one example of how " special-interest" could get carried away. As one poster said above, while help for paying for curriculum and supplies would always be nice, I highly value my freedom to educate my child on my terms far more than any tax break or credit could even remotely offer. If the taxes I pay for a school system I don't/can't ( because I homeschool) even use are the price I must pay for the choice to give my child another option to public education, then so be it. That freedom is priceless to me.

No, no, no! If we take a single cent from the Feds, they can regulate and dictate how and what our children are taught. Might as well send them to public school. Pretty sure vouchers would have strings attached.

I have been looking for the same thing. I am in Connecticut. We had a convention in Hartford last year but it was "super" Christian-focused as you described and topics from speakers centered around non-secular learning. I just found out it isn't coming back to this area because it wasn't a great draw for vendors. Though, I really don't believe that has anything to do with it being non-secular, I think it is just our economy.

I am a newbie too. Ok whew, I think I am not slacking! Everyone's comments are so helpful and reassuring. My 5 yr old DD can focus for about an hour of sit down work, 4-5 days per week. That is when I cover a few pages of math, handwriting, calendar, a "read, build, write" activity and some lap book time. This doesn't include reading time, circle time, craft time, or outdoor adventures (science and nature). Sometimes I wonder if I am doing enough but she just can't sit and focus for longer than that.