I would have fled the country.

You can put me in the camp that believes that sexual repression leads to sexual deviance and anger. The most pornography is purchased in the most conservative states (e.g. Utah). Kids who are given accurate information about sex are actually more likely to delay sex until they are older. I'm not saying that if Josh could have just beat off (like a normal teenage boy) this wouldn't have occurred, but the Duggar's extreme cultish lifestyle of sexual repression put unnecessary stress on a child who was likely confused, frightened by his hormones, and alone with his sexual thoughts. Teach your children that sex is a normal thing, and that it should occur in the context of two consenting, loving adults. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sexual-intelligence/201011/science-shows-what-sexual-repression-actually-looks https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sex-dawn/201004/sexual-repression-the-malady-considers-itself-the-remedy http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/02/20/3310751/abstinence-failures-charts/

Congratulations! You (and he) definitely have a meal here in San Diego (and a day sail aboard S/V Sea Conquest, if you'd like). :) Yes please!!!

For any Jews, there is also the Israeli scouting movement (Tzofim). They have organizations all across the world. http://www.israelscouts.org/#!contact-us/c9cw ETA: The Tzofim movement is co-ed, non-political, and includes people of all faiths, as well as secular folks. http://www.israelscouts.org/#!tzofim-in-israel/c18e6

I think this speaks for itself: Membership Standards for Trail Life USA Membership in the program has both youth and adult elements. Youth membership in the program is open to all who meet the membership requirements, and is currently designed for biologically male children under the age of 18. The adult applicant must be at least 18 years of age and subscribe to and abide by the Trail Life USA Statement of Christian Faith and Values as well as the Oath and Motto of the program. While the program is undergirded by Biblical values and unapologetically reflects a Christian worldview, there is also a clearly defined inclusion policy for youth. Accordingly, all boys are welcome irrespective of religion, race, national origin or socio-economic status. Our goal is for parents and families of every faith to be able to place their boys in a youth program that endeavors to provide moral consistency and ethical integrity in its adult leaders. Charter partners own and operate local groups, selecting leaders and admitting members as they deem beneficial to their group and within the parameters of the national policy. The basis for the program’s ethical and moral standards is found in the Bible. In terms of sexual identification and behavior, we affirm that any sexual activity outside the context of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman is sinful before God and therefore inconsistent with the values and principles of the program. Within these limits, we grant membership to adults and youth who do not engage in or promote sexual immorality of any kind, or engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the program. We welcome boys whose parents are seeking a faith-based outdoor adventure program that places an emphasis on character development, leadership, and moral purity, and who aspire to live in accordance with the values expressed in the program’s Oath and Creed. - See more at: http://www.traillifeusa.com/who-we-are/values/membership-standards/#sthash.McVE9ti4.dpuf

Breaking News: Boy Scouts of America President Bob Gates warned executives that “we must deal with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be,†and that “any other alternative will be the end of us as a national movement.†http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/us/boy-scouts-president-calls-for-end-to-ban-on-gay-leaders.html?smid=fb-nytimes

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it. It sounds like the iBook is likely very new.

I cannot like this enough. Thank you.

Has anyone used the new Minimus iBook? I'm trying to decide whether it would be better than the hard copy + CD. Do you need the TM? Have you used Minimus before or after GSWL? Thanks so much!

You had me right up until this part. I can absolutely discourage my kids from working in Biglaw or Bigbank precisely because I know how utterly miserable that life is. And I wouldn't have had that life without experiencing the perks of Ivy League-style recruiting to get my foot in the door. While I agree with 8 that most people can have perfectly fine careers coming from Podunk U, there are some industries where those doors will be closed. I'm reminded of an almost unbelievable example from a legal recruiter friend of mine. My friend worked to place partners in tippy top firms. He had a client who was a retired U.S. Senator, and a Biglaw firm in D.C. actually asked to see the guy's law school transcript before looking at him. His grades and alma mater still mattered years later. ETA: Re public high school college counselors, when I told mine that I wanted to attend Cornell, she asked me why I would want to go to school in "Eye-thack-uh." Suffice to say, she was of little assistance.

Every 1-2 weeks.

Sort of: http://www.geekwire.com/2014/boxed-costco-killer-costco-reseller/

Has anyone else been using Boxed? https://www.boxed.com/ It is a club store that ships to your home. I can imagine that this would be pretty handy for those folks living in rural areas, so I thought that I would pass it on. I did some comparing, and their prices seem to be better than Amazon Pantry's and Target's. Anyone else been using it? ETA: If anyone else wants to use it, my referral code is 9U4VX. You get $15 off your first order, plus free shipping. :)

Powerful.

What kind of medieval torture chamber dentist offices do fillings without local anesthetic? WTF?

Exactly. This is the main reason that we homeschool. We *might* have been able to afford it for one child, but when number two came around, we were priced out of the private schools in our area. And we have many friends here in SD who will pay these amounts from preschool - 12th. So, it's really not a huge difference when the kids go off to college.

I had 4 impacted teeth removed under general anesthesia. It was no big deal. My ex-husband (who is an Army Ranger!!!) was traumatized by the same procedure under a local. Get the general.

We did level 1 and then switched to R&S. I wanted something more independent.

Has anyone done the ELE with a child younger than 3rd grade?

I use Slacker Radio, Noon Pacific, Fit Radio, Digitally Imported, and the KCRW (it's a public radio station in LA with great music) app, along with Pandora and Amazon Prime.

The valedictorian of my ugrad class turned down HYS law schools for a full ride at UVA. At the time, I thought that she was nuts. In hindsight, I realized that she was brilliant.

Sacha (6) is doing 4 weeks of sports camp, 4 weeks of theatre camp, 1 week of fencing camp, and 1 week of surf camp. He also wants to do an online Minecraft mod class. I found one for $30 that doesn't require Java. http://www.thoughtstem.com/home/programs/minecraft-courses ETA: He also loves the Prodigy math game, which I hope will help to keep him fresh for the fall.

I'm big on early potty learning. In part, it's because I loathe the thought of diapering for another year, but also, I've seen so many older kids have potty issues as they've become more stubborn. I start introducing the potty around 18 months, when most kids are curious about it. I do the 3-day method over a weekend when they are two, and combine it with lots of outdoor nakey time.

I distinguish between day and night trained. Potty trained, to me, is day trained. Night training is a completely different developmental animal. As far as wiping, my 5 year old still needed help. But, IMO, he was potty trained at 2 years old (he night trained at the same time as day trained, which is fairly rare).

The ELE says that it is for kids in Grade 3 and up. Has anyone done it younger than this with their kid?