Finally back home from swim and the bike meeting. It was a great morning, but I have not done anything. Ds2, and ds3 did a bunch of school work in the car. Ds1 is back from class, and I hear the drums and guitar going. dd1 is currently now far behind in her day, unlikely she will be able to catch up. No chores have been done. No words written yet. Hmm, I have a lot to do in the next few hours.

IB, for the most part, starts in high school here, with a few districts launching middle school IB prep. But the kids do take AP classes as well as IB. It would be much, much better for them if the program was administered like Laura describes. My dd2 is friends with many girls who will be feeding into the IB program and one described her middle school to her as "well, we are supposed to be the best school, but I really think we are just the school with the most homework."

I would bring her home. When I was in 4th grade, a teacher refused to recommend me for GT because I didn't pay close enough attention to her regular class. You will not win with that teacher. And kids do not need to have mean kids or bullies in their daily lives any more than adults do.

I don't know about the test, though I think your questions are interesting. One of the ways I look at creativity in my own (and, I admit, others') kids is their ability to put together lots of strands of knowledge to answer and think about questions. I am a complete liberal arts person, and my math/science knowledge is fairly limited, so I don't know what creativity might look like in that field. The hs kids I know (and most are in IB programs) have a really hard time connecting the things they have learned about to a new work or new idea without specific guidance. And I know that the IB program is supposed to give them those skills-but it does not seem to be working. They wait to be guided and told what to think. And I think that is a result of the pace of their school and how they have been taught to tests since they were little kids. To the frustration of my kids, they might read the same things, but they have no desire to talk about them outside of class or homework. I know several parents who are watching the race with concern, and not too surprisingly most of them were educated outside the US.

Another vote for Kitchenaid. Mine has seen some hard use and is going on 20 years.

Yesterday was not quite long enough for my list, so I have quite a bit to do today. Laundry school dd2, ds3 oversee teens catch up from yesterday and do word count for today swim lessons this am dd1 has meeting about a bike oversee chores PM practices-swimming pick up from judo On the plus side, ds1 called colleges with questions, wrote a short essay and finished another application yesterday! All without prompting :svengo:

I think what Faith said was right on the money. Kids seem to be checking off boxes, as if there is a perfect recipe for success. It is very hard to convince them that there are many ways to get to college and to be successful in life. And I think that a high score (earned through serious test prep and taken many times) is often just another box to check. For some kids, it is just another way to perform and not to learn.

Just got back from lunch with my brother. His treat! It was great and now I want a nap. Kid stuff is done. Off to play with neighbors. half the dusting done laundry half done No writing at all done. It will be a long afternoon.

I don't know that it is affecting my homeschool that much, but I am more aware of things like course titles and textbooks. The bigger issue is that my dd1 is already less likely to go out of the box, and because of her sports dreams, does not want to go "'off the beaten path." I don't want her high school to be just checking off boxes, if that makes sense.

Thanks so much for sharing! And congratulations again to you and your son!

I have been thinking about this topic all morning. My dh was always a bit worried about homeschooling high school until this year. This year, he has made several new friends with senior or freshman in college. The common thread is "they had an A in AP calc, why are they flunking out of calc 1" or the more common lament, "they have straight A's in the IB program, why are their ACT scores so low?" I feel for the kids and the parents. It is late in the game to realize that that your kids' GPAs are not a true indicator of what they know. We are struggling with my dd2's education. We have to play the NCAA game, but between her sports and transcript needs, she doesn't have the down time to really learn and explore. I feel like I am two people, like JennW said, the crazy pushing parent and the crazy unschooler who is demanding that her teens have free time. I don't know what the answer to any of this is, but the problem seems to be deeper than just our educational system.

Good morning! After an exhausting weekend, I convinced dd1 that missing morning practice will not kill her. So we have a much more relaxed start of the day. All the ps kids have today off, so it is catch up day here. ds3 is caught up, so he has free reading and chores this am dd2 has a little math and science to do ds2 has writing, latin, and chemistry dd1 has a lit assignment 1 day late, and is behind in writing ds1 has a lot to do :lol: To do for me: Writing laundry dust downstairs make calls lunch with my brother oversee chores send some emails PM practice: swimming/aikido/water polo I hope everyone feels better! Amy, Christmas at home is the best...I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Liked it! Especially since I am heading out to dinner with the most extroverted people on the planet. I will be in the hamster ball tomorrow.

No popcorn ceilings here. Mulch here....needs to be redone. I always order my eggs over medium. We go through almost 4 doz a week here. It is the favorite midday and midnight snack for ds1. Thanks for the chat, I am procrastinating on my writing...

I just had a conversation with a swim coach this am and he is worried about the kids. He says all these kids (except mine) are in high pressure IB programs and they are exhausted. They are so stressed with the pressure of just keeping up an insane workload and the constant sense that they have to do the sports and the clubs or they will not get into College A or College B. What I have seen is that these are bright students who work very hard, but just do not have the time and space to actually think. They are well-trained parrots right now and they look good on paper, but there is something missing. The core of what learning is supposed to be about seems to be missing. Real learning takes time.

I voted other, because when my kids were little, we stayed home more. Now, unless there is a fever, or serious stomach troubles. Then, they stay home and the rest of us go. I figure this is like most adults in the world. And in general the pressures of being at practice, or a job take precedence over a mild cold. But we did stay home a lot more when they were all under ten.

All this laundry success makes me feel like a slacker! Just got home. Meet went great for dd2. Writing is done. I have willing minions to clean up kitchen and downstairs. :lol: Will keep all of you in my prayers tonight!

I live 30 min from my mom (my dad passed away a year ago) and 30 min from my MIL (FIL passed away 5 years ago). We see my mom maybe once a month (never more-for a lot of reasons) and my MIL at least 3x or more a month. My sister and brother live in the same town as my mom and I see them about once a month, though my sister and I talk almost every day and I talk to my brother at least once a week. My BIL lives about 15 min away and we see him (but not his wife) about 2x a month. We see his wife about once a year. My SIL lives about 2,000 miles away and we see her 2x a year. She is not married, nor has children so she travels here.

Praying here for your family, Luckymama. :grouphug: Still praying for you, Amy :grouphug: My day has gotten off well. 90 min drive to drop off dd1 and 90 min back. Dh is at swim meet with ds3 Now I have to: write! pick up a little get more gas take dd2 to swim meet Everything else is out of my hands today... hmm just like every day, maybe.

My afternoon check in..Actually probably my last one, as I am leaving soon and will be home late. School is done, neighborhood friends here for a few hours (out of school for the long weekend). Chores completed, forms filled out. House looks pretty good... word count done maps done No dinner made...that will have to be on dh! And ds1 submitted 2 CA applications w/writing supplement :party: 3 more schools to go!

Praying here, Amy. Word count done! Nothing else though....

The only thing I have heard is from one mom who has a son in 4th grade. They changed their math curriculum this year to align with CC. For her son, personally, it has been a disaster. They have hours of work as they are trying to get the kids ready for the tests. It is a new way of teaching and for most of the parents a new way of learning. The worst thing is the writing/explaining of math problems. This has turned her kid from a boy who liked math and felt confident to an insecure and frustrated kid who hates school with a passion. Hard to get the homework done with that attitude. I do think that CC is necessary and will eventually work. They probably should have just started implementing the early grades first.

Good morning! Sounds like everyone could use a :hurray: or a :grouphug: No am practice-meet tonight! school for dd2,ds3 be the "second pair of eyes" on college application same for waiver forms and sign maps for where we have to drive this weekend-sadly no GPS for me word count clean study oversee chores make dinner try to get house picked up for the crazy weekend ahead Get gas and cash PM practice for ds1, dd2, ds3 head to meet

I have found that when the bickering starts to really get going, the kids do want to stop, they just can't. So requiring silence for everyone involved is not really a punishment, it is kind of a relief. And no one gets in trouble, they just have to be quiet. No one really wants to go through the day arguing. If someone keeps going, I usually take them aside after a bit of quiet and try to figure out what is really wrong. Usually it is because they feel slighted, or left out, or someone else was mean to them. We try to address that. Your kids are younger than mine, and I just had to train them. Over and over. It took a while.

I am so glad that things are going well. And I am sure report cards will be good! I know that making that decision was hard, but we all do what we need to do for our families. Good job and may blessings come from your love and hard work!