CIO is learned helplessness. How long it takes depends on how long before your kid gives up on you attending to his needs. A very sad lesson to be taught at such a young age. :/

I don't get them because my birthday was official flu shot day when I was in the Army. I got sick shortly thereafter every year I got the shot. I think that, for me, the shot suppresses my immune system just enough that viruses I would normally fight off without issue seem to overpower me. I haven't had the flu since I stopped getting the shot. But, I think they're generally safe for most people. Effectiveness is another issue. They have to predict the most likely strains of the flu each year and seem to be around 50% accurate each year. But, that's still better than nothing.

We are about half way through SOTW1 with my son. He will be 5 next month. He asks to do history and is able to regurgitate much of what we listen to on the audio books. It's been great for us.

I agree with Hunter about keeping it low key for content subjects at this age. We listen to a chapter of SOTW every few days, before we do a fun bedtime read aloud. I do stop and ask him questions about what we are listening to along the way, but I don't stress too much about it. If it's clear that he really didn't get it the first time, I might play the chapter again on another day, find a read aloud on the same topic for another day, or casually discuss what we learned during the week for reinforcement. At this stage, it's really just exposure to (and interest in) historical and mythological concepts that matters to me.

Hot pastrami or Philly cheese steak.

I thought of another. People who have issues with nursing in public should eat their meals in the bathroom.

Parents who hit their kids (or whatever euphemism you want to use to make it sound less deplorable) should be thrown in jail for battery. Ditto that for those who genitally mutilate their babies without consent (and I'm Jewish -- my boys both had Britot Ha Shalom). If you leave your child to cry alone in the dark, I hope the same is done to you when you're too old to care for yourself. The unvaxed kids of my crunchy friends scare me. Homeopathy is junk science. So is most GMO phobia. I'm starting to wonder if single payer isn't more fiscally conservative than the debacle that is the ACA. I love college football, but would never let my own kids play. I too love black licorice.

My son hated it too. We switched to Progressive Phonics and AAS1. A much better combo for us.

Car accidents are the number one cause of death among children. I would never ignore the expiration. How do you put a price on your child's life?

Yes, exactly this. Many people enjoy cruising precisely because of the people that they meet and friendships formed. The goal is not to circumnavigate to say that we 'did it.' The goal would be to take our time to explore new places and meet new people in those places. While we would have to maintain a very loose schedule of where to be by X date every year in order to keep the boat out of harm's way, there are many options during hurricane season that afford changes in plans if you decide to explore someplace longer. Honestly, the hardest part for me in the past was the pure physicality of the lifestyle. Lots of things done manually or in a harder way than I've become accustomed (e.g. using public transportation vs. just jumping into my car), which I think would be even more difficult with young ones in tow. At least for me.

I have the same concern. While I would love to just throw caution to the wind, so to speak, I don't want to get out there and find myself or the kids miserable. You do make friends along the way, and loved ones do come visit you in exotic locations, but you are right that there isn't the day-to-day stability of knowing that you will see the same people all the time and have the same routine. We have cruised before, and I did find it difficult, mostly from a logistical and environmental perspective (schlepping laundry/groceries on the dinghy, not having a car/walking/using public transportation, heat/humidity/bugs -- things I never had to deal with growing up in Southern California). I am not sure that I am well-suited to doing it full-time, but knowing that I could come back to the States each year to recharge and reconnect seems much more manageable. While it is possible to take it for a test run, once we move our boat down to Mexico, due to the wind and current, it would be very uncomfortable to bring the boat back to San Diego. It's certainly not impossible -- some people do it every year -- but, it's uncomfortable enough that many/most people pay a boat delivery service to do it or just sell the boat when they get to a place where the effort to return the boat is too great. So, it's a major decision to go, which is why I wanted to solicit feedback and think about all the angles before I commit.

Thanks for your response. Our boat is very well equipped for blue water cruising. We have been liveaboards off and on since 2007, and have been steadily retrofitting the boat. We have solar panels, a wind generator, an inverter, and a Honda generator on the deck -- enough power to run things like dishwashers and other major electrical appliances. Neither my husband nor I like to 'rough it' aboard -- our floating home more resembles a condo than a tent, but I understand that tastes and budgets vary extensively in this regard. But, power conservation is always an issue while cruising, especially while at anchor and on passages. We've cruised before we had children and found internet to be available in most places -- certainly almost all marinas -- though, again, speed varies dramatically. We have a long-range antenna/wifi booster, so we can pick up internet and cell coverage from about 5 miles out. However, there will certainly be remote islands or locations where coverage will be spotty to nonexistent, which is why I would not want to abandon paper curricula/old fashioned books altogether.

Thank you, Ocelotmom for your response. It was very helpful. Drowning is always a concern when on the water. We always start the kids swimming very early -- my oldest at 4 months and this baby at 5 weeks. My oldest was able to swim the full length of a pool by 2 and is learning to surf now at 4.5. Having said that, falling overboard is not the same as swimming in a pool. We have safety netting around the boat to minimize issues. While in the marina, our children are always supervised, and while underway, they wear PFD's or remain in the cockpit. We have tethers as well, but we generally just try to avoid sailing in anything other than good weather. Research, preparedness, and just generally being conservative about the conditions in which you will sail (and not being on a schedule to get somewhere by X date) go a long way in avoiding disasters and overall unpleasantness. Re healthcare, we maintain residency in CA while outside of the country, and our kids are insured (just as an FYI, Obamacare now requires insurance Stateside unless you are out of the country 300+ days per year). If there was a serious or chronic issue, we would most definitely return to the States. But, for everyday medical care, we have found that most everywhere outside of the States is very reasonable in cost. I had my baby here in Mexico and my care was managed very closely by a perinatologist (I had gestational diabetes and low fluid), an OB, and a doula. Total cost for my birth, inclusive of twice weekly visits to the doctor with labs, ultrasounds, non-stress tests, etc. was about $3000 USD -- less than many people in the States pay for co-pays and deductibles. We take the baby to a wonderful pediatrician, whose well visits were included in my birth package. For vaccines, we take the baby to the Centro de Salud (a community health center) and they are given free of charge (they never even asked for a birth certificate). I understand that not everywhere we intend to travel will have specialists and care on the level of medical tourism, which is why we maintain coverage back in CA.

Just to clarify. The earliest we would leave is fall of 2014. The baby would be 15 months and my oldest would be 5.5. More realistically, we would leave in the fall of 2015 or 2016, just because I don't want to deal with diapers while cruising and I would like for my youngest to be a little bit older and more independent. So, my oldest would more likely be 6-7 when we leave and a middle schooler when we return. Also, I am curious what health and safety concerns you would have? We would not be cruising to dangerous places (e.g. Venezuela).

If you would still like to convince him, you might join the Women Who Sail Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/WomenWhoSail/ There are about 1000 members, many of them with children. All levels of sailing experience -- from those just curious about sailing to hard-core, international racers. It's a wonderful group, and I have learned a ton from the ladies there.

I should add that I also have concerns about interpersonal relationships and sports. While there are a surprising number of families out on the big blue doing this, you would have to be very comfortable making friends quickly and letting them go. One of the old myths about homeschooling was that the kids were not well socialized. With the advent of homeschooling groups, co-ops, charters, and other organized activities, I wouldn't worry about this as an issue. But, if you are constantly on the move, never having friends to play with for very long, well, I can imagine that would get very lonely. Obviously, the boys will have each other, but we have a 4.5 year age gap. Back in the States, my oldest played soccer, swam, went to our synagogue Sunday school program. He was very involved. We've had to let go of some of that here in Mexico, even living in a house, because they just don't have all the organized activities that we do in the States. So, if we do this, the boys would be very active physically (swimming, surfing, etc.), but they wouldn't be in competitive sports. So, no college scholarships for water polo, you know? Do you think these are big enough issues to hold you back?

We have a sailboat and two boys, ages 4.5 and 3 months. My husband and I are contemplating cruising as a family for 6+ months out of the year, leaving in the next few years. We are currently living in a home in Mexico, and will be here until May 2014. The plan would be to head back down to Mexico with the boat (she is currently in San Diego), then through Latin America, across the Panama Canal, through the Caribbean, across the Atlantic, and eventually to Europe/the Med. This would take us 5+ years. We would return to the States for a period of time each year (generally during hurricane season; my husband will be working to top off the cruising kitty), so I could restock the boat with curricula and supplies for each academic year. We will have internet access in most places, though it may not be very fast. We have computers and tablets aboard, so I can take ebooks with me. What advice do you have for a homeschooling newbie (I currently only afterschool) under these circumstances? What concerns would you have and what steps would you take to address them? I am very school-oriented and don't want to shortchange my boys on their education or prejudice them in the competitive college admission game. My main concern is with science and how to do it aboard. Are there specific science tools that you would take with you? Honestly, I am still not sure if I am sold on the idea. Most of my friends think I would be nuts not to go, but most of them are not homeschoolers and don't know the commitment involved or the challenges we would face trying to do this at sea. So, I thought I would seek the wisdom of the Hive. Would you seaschool?

I love this board! So many great ideas. Does anyone have any recommendation for other science-related games? I apologize for the hijack, but I thought this crowd might know some other good ones.

I've been using Progressive Phonics to teach my 4.5 year old to read (he was bored to tears by OPGTR, but I do own it as well). We are just finishing up the first set of beginning readers. I also purchased AAS 1, but have not yet started it with him. I'm curious whether there is any benefit to adding the Logic of English materials to the mix? Can anyone comment on whether there will be any gaps with Progressive Phonics + AAS? Thoughts on grade-level appropriateness for the Logic of English and pros/cons to the program? Thanks so much.

Do you have links to the more complex models as well? Thanks!

4am, bar at the Wynn in Vegas, NYE weekend in 06/07. He barely spoke English (he's from Quebec). Pure chemistry. Certainly not the way I ever expected it to happen. Two kids and nearly 7 years later, we're still head over heels.

We are currently afterschooling, but may move to full-time homeschooling in the next year or so. I still don't know that I have it in me to go FT; I'm one of those parents that really needs a break. I'm mostly looking for rigorous, secular, interesting curricula. Something with a kit (or kits) of materials that I can buy while in the States is a bonus, as we travel frequently and finding things overseas can be difficult and time-consuming. I appreciate the advice and examples of what has been working for you. Because my son is so young, I'm not sure that I really have a firm grasp of his learning style yet. I know, that I'm a visual person and my husband is more hands-on, so we kind of tag team instruction with my husband doing more of the experimentation/demonstration. Re Apologia, are their science programs secular? That would be crucial for us. Re CPO, if you found it to be dry, what do you recommend instead?

Forgive my ignorance, but how do you search for a member's posts by topic? Not sure that I really have thought about specific goals beyond giving my son for a strong STEM background and preparing him for eventual AP and university-level coursework. But, that is so far down the road.

We are struggling with science for my science-loving PKer. We are doing BFSU1 right now and expect to move onto BFSU2 sometime in 2014. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for science curricula after BFSU for the accelerated, younger elementary set? I had planned to do Ellen McHenry's programs, followed eventually by CPO Science, but would this be appropriate? Thanks for any suggestions. Also, does anyone know where I can find a sequence for BFSU2 and 3?

I don't get out of Whole Foods for less than $400 for a third of that many items. Sounds like a deal.