I completely understand what the others here are saying about encouraging sibling closeness, etc. But as the oldest of three girls, I can distinctly remember what it was like to constantly have a younger sister tagging along. It is perfectly okay for the older sister to have friends of her own (who should absolutely be polite and respectful of the younger sister but not necessarily her close friend), and it is perfectly okay to expect the younger sister to respect the older one's privacy. At 11, this is becoming increasingly important to the older girls. I honestly don't see the big deal with allowing the younger sister to hang out with the older girls for awhile, then giving them a chance to be alone. Letting the older ones stay up an hour later seems perfectly reasonable to me. If your friend wants to give her younger daughter a "sleepover experience," let her invite a friend over to spend the night with the younger girl at their home another time. Forgive me, I just resent the idea that just because two people are siblings they can't form independent relationships. Can you tell I have issues? :) You certainly don't want to approach this in a way that endangers your relationship with your friend, however. What about letting the younger three "camp out" in the family room with a movie and popcorn? Would something like that be more likely to appeal to the little girl and encourage her to hang with the boys?

The books are here. The old bookcase is refinished and standing in its new place of honor. The binders are all ready, complete with cute little covers and plenty of paper. And this week, we offcially withdrew dd from public school. I guess we're really going to do this thing. She's been begging to get started for a month, so I take that as a good sign. :laugh: Fingers crossed, deep breath... here we go!

I've seen this one posted around several places; haven't read it though, so I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for. http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/

:iagree:

My dd8 is also not a high-energy type. I've seen all the panting, "injuries," and complaints, too. (And, if I'm being honest, I remember being exactly the same way as a kid. Okay, as an adult.) She is also terrified of bees and refuses to go outside without an escort. I take a water fitness class at the Y, and this summer she has been participating with me. It is an adult class, but the teacher is fine with her being there, as long as she works and isn't disruptive. This has been a good way for us both to get some exercise, and it is easy to modify the intensity for her level in the water. She feels proud that she is "keeping up" with the grown-ups. Plus, she gets a few minutes after class to play. If you belong to the Y or a gym, it's worth asking if they would allow her to join you in any of the classes. Some places might even have classes for kids. I love the exercise-for-TV idea!! Brilliant!

We're also starting SOTW Ancients this year, and we purchased the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. But my dd is 8 and an advanced reader, and knowing we can use it into middle school, it made more sense to me to go that route. (BTW, the History Encyclopedia is on backorder for 1-2 months most places I've looked so you might have to wait on it anyway.) I do love most anything Usborne publishes though -- their books are always soooo pretty! Not sure about the SOTW AG (don't have mine yet), but the most recent edition of WTM recommends the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, if that makes you feel better. It looks to me like the Illustrated History of the World has not been published since the 90's. If you decide to go the Kingfisher route (over, or in addition to, Usborne), I think you can safely use the History Encyclopedia over the Illustrated History. We are. ;)

I placed our very first homeschool book order a couple of days ago, and dd started jumping on the bed when I told her. This will be our first year, and we are both very excited! I think the thing we are looking forward to most is getting to spend so much time together and learn new things together. We're waiting to start until after Labor Day, though, when the little guy starts his church preschool program!

Haven't tried it yet, but we're looking at God's Great Covenant by Classical Academic Press. So far, I'm impressed.

I think that's where I am now. I get the big picture -- which is really important. And I like the potential it has long-term. It was when I started trying to go from big picture to actual, day in and day out implementation that I got overwhelmed. But you all are being a great help with that. Haha! I know, I was just teasing. I was surprised someone I've never met could nail me so well. I think you and I could be great friends. :) I could absolutely see myself looking back in 3 or 4 years and saying the same things you're saying. I know enough about writing that I think I could teach dd to write (she already shows some natural ability anyway). The question is: how much heartache will we have to go through to get there? R&S is good (I love the formal grammar, which I never got), and I think she would enjoy some of the more creative assignments (poetry, etc.) -- and we may do some of those anyway, for fun. But there is little to tell me how to assess her work. I'm afraid I will have a tendency to expect more of her than she is capable of, because the truth is, I really don't know what a third-grader's writing should look like. She and I already clash sometimes because, like most kids, she has a bit of a lazy streak, and I don't always know if she's not completing a task properly because it's beyond her ability, because I haven't taught her well, or because she just doesn't feel like doing it. I'm grateful to be the beneficiary of your experience. I need to print this out and read it about 25 times a day... :)

Thank you! Those are some excellent things to keep in mind. We are fortunate to have a very good co-op in our area. I take the kids to the Y with me three mornings a week, and I will continue to do that (I am borderline diabetic, so my exercise time is crucial). DD swims with me, so the break/physical activity will be good for her too. Yes, you caught me... I'm definitely a Little Red Hen type ("I'll do it myself")! :) I hadn't planned on WWE because someone gave us a set of R&S grammar books, which should cover us in terms of composition practice. But it might be worth the investment for the IG. Sounds like it will help me pull everything together. Thanks for the tip!

Exactly what I was thinking. I love the idea of learning Latin, but we are so not ready to go there yet! But I know my problem (and dd's too) will be to try to do too much. Baby steps...

That's also helpful, thanks! I think she will be able to work independently on a lot of things (as I said, she is advanced in reading/writing -- part of the reason we are homeschooling -- although average or even slightly behind in math). But I just don't know for sure. I do also have a 2yo boy who will require (read: demand!) a lot of attention during school time. I am hoping we can do the bulk of our "together" work during naps and while he is at preschool two mornings per week. When I made out my initial schedule based on the time frames in WTM (I know she says nobody uses them, but I had to start somewhere!), I was starting to wonder if I would do anything for the next 16 years but sit at the kitchen table with the kids... :huh: Not that I'm not willing to make the commitment for something this important, but it was a tad overwhelming. I'm terrified of starting and then burning out.

That helps a lot. I'm not sure how long it will take her to accomplish different tasks, so I'm sure our schedule will be in flux for awhile. But having an overall schedule and goals for the year will make it easier to stay on track. I am trying to strike a balance between being over- and under-scheduled. I can't believe all the responses and advice -- you are a very supportive community! Thank you all!

I haven't even begun homeschooling yet, but this is all so helpful for getting started. Thank you all for sharing!!! I had to come to terms with meal planning awhile back, and I created a six-week rotating meal plan. Each week has 5 dinners and includes not only a list of ingredients, but also complete directions for making the meal (even if it's just "steam veggies in the microwave for 5 minutes"). That way, if dd is helping out, or if I just have no energy left to think, all I have to do is follow the instructions. Each week also has a coordinating shopping list with every ingredient needed for the meals, along with weekly staples (milk, bread, tp). The meals are numbered, so if I decide not to make something that week, I just cross off the ingredients with that number on the shopping list. I find it easier to cross off what I don't need than think of what I do. We use the meal plans on a rotating basis, but since we go six weeks before we repeat a meal, it doesn't seem repetitive. Plus I know that everyone in my house will eat what I'm cooking, and I know what's coming up so I can stock up on sale items to store/freeze. I hope to add another 2-6 weeks to our plan before we start hs in the fall.

Thank you all, I am feeling a little better now. :) I will definitely check out the lectures. They sound like they would be very helpful. And I'll see if I can possibly get my hands on the first edition of WTM for more curriculum ideas. I like TOG, and the idea of a preplanned schedule is appealing. It also seems to line up nicely with the broader themes of WTM. But, I think I would like more control over the literature selections (dd reads/writes well above grade level). Also, cost is a factor, and while many of the suggested texts in WTM are available in our (small) public library, not so many of the TOG selections are. Since we are starting in the middle, I am thinking of doing a two-year survey of history/literature and starting with the four-year cycle in 5th grade. BLA5, just curious: Could you give me an idea of how many hours per day you spend on schoolwork at the mid/upper-grammar level? Do you the structured reading/narration every day, as well as an hour of "free" reading?

Please bear with me; I am completely new to all this... Hubby and I are 90% sure we will homeschool our daughter (just turned 8, going into 3rd grade in PS) starting this fall. I am very drawn to the concept of classical education laid out in WTM. I love that it is academically rigorous, emphasizes reading (I was an English/history major), and provides a good amount of structure, but with some flexibility (anything remotely resembling unschooling is definitely not our style). However, I am a little insecure about my ability to handle the day-to-day planning that will be involved. I have friends who purchase programs (is that even the right term?) like Sonlight and Tapestry of Grace, which provide lesson plans for the year. Those don't really appeal to me -- I like the idea of a customized approach -- but maybe it would be better to start out with a plan in place? I've never attempted anything like this, and even though I'm fairly organized, I'm terrified of biting off more than I can chew. But I don't want to compromise what I value either. Does anyone actually "do" WTM -- i.e., use the curriculum Wise and Bauer suggest, and/or the schedules they suggest? How do you decide what to have your child do on any given day? I know that we will probably have to try some things to find what works best for our family, but I need a starting point!