:grouphug: I am sorry that this is happening. Sometimes it is hard to fit in to a homeschool group. Some of them seem to be made up of people who all go to the same church, and therefore have the same friends and do the same things. We are Catholic, so we are misfits for that from the start with most of the Christian groups. We are lucky to have found a group with no statement of faith, but it has still taken a while to be around enough for us to really start making friends. I just find that most people here already have their lives and activities settled, and if you don't go to their church, you don't fit well into that. In my area, I don't think they mean to be exclusive or cliquish, but it definitely can come off that way. Other people are just mean and still behaving like they are in junior high, and the sad thing is that these people always seem to be the ones in charge of things. What we have done is found a neutral ground activity, and we have used that to get to know people with the same interests. I am not sure we will even really be "group" people, but after three years, we are finally starting to feel like we have friends and know people, if that makes any sense. You are not alone!

We have both. My 10 yo DD has a dwarf hamster, and my other two DDs have guinea pigs. I would say it depends on how old your DD is and what kind of fun she expects from a pet. We like both! Guinea pigs live longer (7 years on average). They have to have fresh fruit and vegetables along with pellets, but they are easy to care for and generally even-tempered. Since they are larger than hamsters, they are often more cuddly and easier for littler kids to relate to. My girls have even put baby doll clothes on one of ours, and he didn't complain. I don't recommend that, but it does show the temperment. I change the cage once a week and scoop out the soiled areas once a week also. The hamster is more fun to watch. Dwarf hamsters come out more during the day, but they are smaller than Syrians, so Syrians are often more tolerant of younger kids. Pet store hamsters that haven't been handled are often not tame and bite. Dwarf hamsters also need to be handled at least every other day to stay tame. But hamsters are not particularly cuddly and many of them are obsessed with escaping. They are also active at night, and that can keep you awake if you are a light sleeper. I would say the guinea pigs are easier to deal with in our case, especially since our dogs would eat our hamster if she ever got out and they found her. We have to keep her in a glass aquarium for that reason. The dogs haven't been too interested in the guinea pigs after the first week, but I wouldn't leave them alone together either. Good luck!

ZB is a very traditional method and look of cursive. We like it because it is what I think of as cursive, and my DDs so far have not had any problems learning it. ETA: Those books are gorgeous!

Just to throw my hat in the ring, I think part of the issue is the definition of what a secular curriculum is. Just because it doesn't mention Jesus or the bible doesn't mean it doesn't have its own agenda. I think a very real reason to use a religious curriculum if you can find one that suits you is to substitute the bias you know is there and can live with with the bias that the publishers want to pretend is not there and that I would have to unteach. Just my opinion.

:lurk5: Yes, not meaning to hijack this thread, but I would love to know. My 7yo DD has these issues and I am looking for some non-prescription resources. Thanks and sorry again for butting in! And if no one else is interested, please PM me!

I try to follow reasonable requests, so in that sense, I do try to make sure that for each child, there is *something* enjoyable. But each of my DDs has something they just don't like, and we have to do it anyhow. My middle DD honestly just doesn't like any subject but science, and only then with experiments or about animals. For her, if it had to be enjoyable, we would have to completely unschool. And while I have several friends who do that and it is working for them, it is not in my personality to make work, so it is not an option for us.

I am having a similar issue. I really need to be home more to get everything done, but with 3 DDs, I am out more than I would like if I let each choose one activity even. And I have this thing about trying to have well-balanced kids (whatever that means :tongue_smilie:), so I make myself crazy trying to let them try different things and be socialized and all. Ugh. I know this is nuts, but I can't help myself. Now my oldest DD wants to join the swim team, and that is a 4X/week commitment, and that is just for her! Ouch! And my 7 yo DD is starting 2X/week speech therapy this week too. Anyhow, I think this just gets worse as they get older. ETA: I do try to limit mine until 4 pm and after, except for one day a week. We only homeschool 4 days a week, so I allow one morning or early afternoon activity, and that is it! It helps some. What would really help me is a radical overhaul of my definition of enough ... ;)

I just got mine today too. And I haven't ordered anything yet. There is still hope yours is coming!

If your children are going to Methodist religion classes, then, yes, they would become Methodist. The Catholic church isn't going to recognize those classes as part of the process of becoming Catholic, and I would think the Methodist church would be just as confused, as I am sure they intend those classes to prepare children to be Methodist. If you are Catholic and want to stay Catholic, you need to be in a Catholic parish. Especially if you intend to raise your children to be Catholic. If that is the case, you might be able to attend another Catholic parish that would suit you better. The doctrine is the same, but the character and flavor differ between parishes. So this is really an issue of whether you intend to remain Catholic, IMO. ETA: I will be praying for you as you both decide this. I am a convert, and sometimes I see some of the same issues your DH is talking about and find myself wishing that I could take the best of that and put it into my parish. What keeps me Catholic is the Eucharist. Best wishes!

Different people have different gifts, so I think it is hard to really compare apples to apples here. Sometimes something that really stokes the fire of learning in one child would completely put it out in another, KWIM? I do believe that the right method will definitely produce more eager learners and kids more willing and able to pursue their own interests in learning, which is one of the things that I think make up a well-educated person. But the right method is going to vary between families. There is no way I can teach my kids everything they need to know (nor could a school, for that matter), but I can teach them how to learn and get them interested in learning and I can expose them to all sorts of things until something triggers an interest.

This is the tentative plan for my middle DD, who is a 3rd grader next year: Grammar: Rod & Staff English 3 Spelling: All About Spelling 1 Writing: WWE 2 and CLE cursive handwriting book Phonics: Little Angels phonics D Math: Abeka Math 3 Science: Apologia YE Zoology 1 Religion: Faith and Life 3 Social Studies: Sonlight Core 1 And piano lessons, YMCA homeschool PE, and either swimming or martial arts. I would live to add in Prima Latina, but not until phonics is completely over and done! * Continuing where we leave off this year and subject to changes because I am notorious for not completely making up my mind until August! *

Winter Promise has some good stuff for American history. They have a two-year program for lower elementary, upper elementary and a combination program for both that might be worth looking at for you. Sonlight also has great also American history, and it is very thorough. It may be a little too much for your 7 yo though. They offer a two-year program of Core 3 and 4 or a one-year program of Core 3+4. I will be looking closely at both of these options when my two younger girls are 10 and 8. Good luck!

Well, I always dilute mine, and I have never had that happen. I normally buy the lemon, though, so maybe there is a difference? I use mine diluted to clean the bathtub. Sometimes for bad soap scum I use a little undiluted on the shower walls. I have also mopped the kitchen floor and bathroom floors with it. and I always rinse!

My oldest DD lost a tooth and swallowed it, and she suffered no ill effects. We never saw it again, but of course, I didn't go looking for it either!

My DD is working through this independently, so far. I think she will need some coaching when we get to the serious outlining, and I still need to review her work regularly to make sure everything is getting done well. But the material is pretty straight forward, and the resources are all age appropriate. If you are looking for something to read along with yours, SWB's upper level book is great. I found it to be very informative and engaging. If not, I would recommend that you have your child do some narration (at least in the beginning) to make sure the material is being absorbed! Good luck! We are both really enjoying HO.

I am hiding my good stuff for that very reason. Not that I have a lot of good stuff ... But DH bought me some Amazing Grace body wash, and it is ALL MINE. A little OT, but do you love the Purity? It is on my list to try next time I buy facial stuff.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I wish you all lived here! My 5yo DD would love to have a sleepover with her! Is there anyone among the people you have met that you feel like you could make more of an effort with? Sometimes asking what things people you or the kids like are involved in can help you decide what else it might be worth doing, even if it is just to see the same people again more frequently. Or if you can find out exactly what your kids think they are missing, maybe you can work on that specifically. Like with the sleepover, maybe you could just ask one of the girls DD does see to sleep at your house, and then they could reciprocate? Maybe if your organized something, it would be easier to keep going after that? Or maybe the kids could try something new out? Mine look at the YMCA catalog and each get to choose an activity, and that seems to help keep things fresh with us. I just think this stuff is the most frustrating part of homeschooling for us. It helps to remember that you can be just as lonely in a room full of other kids, but I don't think that always helps at the right moment.

I have tried a co-op, a church that was 30 minutes away, 3 different homeschool groups, 2 different PE classes and countless field trips. What really works for us is the homeschool PE class at our YMCA. Honestly, I think it works because of the sheer number of kids there, and because the YMCA is responsible for setting it up, so it is very stable as far as place and time goes. We liked the other activities, but we had trouble making real connections and then being able to see the same people often enough to really make friends. I guess my question to you is if it is you feeling that way or your kids. I know I can obsess over this, but my kids are fairly happy with things how they are. Sometimes I think we can get hung up on what we think is enough for socialization or friends, and we can lose what we really have and what is working. It also depends on the personalities involved. Many people even in a large class will only have one or two real friends. Other kids are just happy having things to do and nice people to see; the real friendships as we think about them will come later when they are more mature and ready for them. I think if you focus on a few things that your kids really like and want to do, they will find the friends they really need. They may not have large numbers of them, but the ones they have will really be friends who have the same interests and values, and not just acquaintances. At this point, I would focus on what you and they want to be doing, and only worry about seeing specific people if you kids seem to be specifically asking for that on a consistent basis or if you happen to stumble on something you just know is right. Good luck and God bless. I really think this is the hardest part of homeschooling.

Crossing my fingers, but I *think* I am getting mine on Thursday at the homeschool conference booth. I honestly don't know if I am more excited to get it or the new WTM, which btw is driving me nuts waiting for!

Honestly, I don't pay more than half. I don't haggle, so if it is more than that, I just move along to the next thing. I guess I am spoiled, but that is the standard discount on stuff at the local consignment store, so that is what I am used to. I usually pay less than that at used sales. This is probably why I have yet to buy on the boards here though. ;)

For me, I just don't see things as that set in stone, and I feel like I had to learn this the hard way. I have the '99 WTM and will be ordering the '09 version too. If you are doing well with the '99 stuff (or '04) and have it all, why switch, and is that not following the program, since the recommendations have changed? Also, since WTM often gives multiple suggestions, which of them are you following to not stray? Any? All? I think we could all be following WTM and it look different. I take what works for me, and I am coming to learn that if something isn't working or stops working, my first stop is the WTM book and whatever the updates are. But WTM, IMO, isn't curriculum in a box with a set book list and schedule for everyone, so I don't really believe that picking and choosing is really straying from it all that much. I do think it is narrowing with each update, as SWB publishes more and more things, but in between updates, things go out of print, and new things come up and some really are WTM-appropriate, even if they aren't in the book. I hope this makes sense! I started with WTM, had things that weren't working, and gave up on it completely and went elsewhere for awhile. If I had come to see WTM more as a buffet than a lunch special, I would have stayed and probably been a much happier homeschooler.

Actually, there is one, but I don't think it is very active. http://www.latincentered.com/forum I just read the book, and I like a lot of it, but I sure haven't started Latin anywhere near soon enough to follow it exactly. Good luck! I am sure there are LCCers out there who can give you lots more info.

We almost have to or we would have nobody to talk to at all, between curriculum choices and being Catholic. There are not too many Catholic or classical homeschoolers in my immediate area. My one caveat is that I only want to be around people I feel like I can actually talk too. No walking around on eggshells. Or even feeling like I am just tolerated. Or it is a deal breaker. I would rather be alone than always feel like I can't say anything without being jumped on or ostracized. As far as explaining things to the children, to be honest that is not really an issue. WE are usually the ones in the minority, and most of the time, it just doesn't come up anyhow.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Sometimes it just pours, doesn't it? Will pray things get a lot better faster!

:grouphug: I did this to myself two years ago trying to switch from WTM to MODG. Two weeks into the school year, we were all in tears and I got rid of all of it and hodge-podged stuff together with what little funds I could scrounge up, what little I could salvage or sell, and some stuff I had saved from used book sales. It hurt! Oh, and I am now rebuying some of the stuff I ditched to make that ill-fated switch! Ouch! Hope it works out better for you. It will all be a distant memory by the fall hopefully.