I'd echo all the above advice, but with the amendment of no upper cabinets. Yes, I'm serious. With enough drawers on bottom you don't really need them anyway. And instead of these huge, expensive, awkward upper cabinets that you can't reach the backs of or the top shelves without a stool....you could have windows. Lots and lots of wonderful natural light filling your space. A truly open feeling to the room. I had a friend do this, and I secretly thought she was crazy and she'd live to regret it, but boy was I ever wrong. It has an added bonus that her kids can easily reach the cabinets to put away dishes or set the table (the soft close feature makes it hard for her littlest to go rifling through them because it takes a little strength to open them).

The only ones I've heard of that don't stain clothes are by Crayola, but there are a ton of one star reviews of those on Amazon. I have an activity book that's meant to be used with a dry erase marker, and I intended to put other sheets in page protectors since I've heard that the minimal friction of the markers makes it easier for kids to focus on the writing. My daughter loves drawing along the dotted lines and being guided to make letters, etc. but she's only two. I'm afraid she's going to stain her clothes. Any recommendations?

It's probably because you aren't as insulin sensitive as other people. As a scientist says in this article, when it comes to gaining weight, carbohydrates drive insulin drives weight gain. The Scientist and the Stairmaster http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/ You could get fasting glucose test from your doctor to determine if you are insulin resistant. The two main ways of managing it are paleo/keto/Atkins (which you already figured out) or taking a drug called Metformin.

See an orthopedist, not a general practitioner!

Th illustrated version by Jenima Catlin is incredible!

I am so sorry our culture has laid these feelings on you. Doctors, websites and health boards should make clear, factual, neutral statements about the possible health benefits of certain practices (yes, I said possible--for example, some studies show that taking multivitamins is actually bad for you) and that's it. No pressure. No guilt trips. No fear mongering. No flimsy excuse to try to make mothers feel like other people have a right to manage THEIR pregnancies through emotional manipulation. You can't make a baby genius by doing x or y. I've studied IQ for years, and all the data I've seen confirms that as parents, we can't really raise the ceiling for our kids. We can't even lower it, unless we resort to starving or abusing them. Let go of this responsibility. I know it's scary that we have so little control over biology, and a little disappointing we can't take much credit for it either (beyond passing down good genes and giving our kids with lots of learning opportunities). Your children are their own people. Let them be their own people. Comparison is the thief of joy.

I'm home alone with our toddler all day, and by the time my DH gets home at 7:30, I've come unraveled. There are lots of things I want to do after she goes to bed--spend quality time with DH, paint, practice my harp, write--but I'm so mentally exhausted that I just waste time instead. Getting a babysitter, mother's helper, etc. isn't an option for us, so I have been trying to think of other ways to recharge my batteries. I've been thinking about following the lead of some mothers who get up an hour or so before their kids, to give themselves time to focus and enjoy some solitude before chaos ensues. If you consistently get up before your kids do and you are emphatically NOT a morning person, do you have any advice for me? I'm not religious, so I wouldn't be doing Bible study, and I don't meditate. My doctor doesn't want me overdoing it on the exercise because I have a back injury. But maybe I could paint or write or read a book. I'm really curious about whether giving yourself extra time in the morning has given you more steam to get through the day. And how you motivate yourself not to just stare into space, yawning, zombie-like, when you first wake up.

Anyone?

I searched the forum but there hasn't been much talk of this curriculum for ages 3 - 7. I read about it on Farmhouse Schoolhouse and it sounds right up our alley. They're having a 15% off sale until 5/13 (coupon 15kidsohmy) and I'm tempted to snap it up. Anyone care to share your impressions of it? Link: http://www.thehomegrownpreschooler.com/?product=a-year-of-playing-skillfully-printed-version 40 page sample: http://www.thehomegrownpreschooler.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NEW-September-Sample.pdf

Skype video calling uses 22.5 MB per minute, and I'm guessing that online interactive classes would be around the same. That would mean around 1GB per 45 minutes of live streaming.

This would be incredible. I know the people there are already fans of Dreambox, so here's hoping they pull something like that off.

Thanks for all the advice so far, guys!

At what age did you start quiet time? It'd be great if she could play for a little while in her room independently!

Is it possible to get a 2.5 year old interested in audiobooks? If not, what's the youngest age your kids were entertained by them? We don't have a tv or Internet. I just feel like I need something to distract my toddler so I don't lose my sanity. We let her play a few iPad games for half an hour a day, but I don't want to go farther in that direction.

Laser eye surgery. A refurbished Roomba (we don't even own another vacuum because it works so well). A humidifier. A quesadilla maker (lunch can be made in mere minutes and it is easy for kids to use--this one is inexpensive but normally I wouldn't buy it when quesadillas can be made on the stove). High quality iPad learning apps, like Endless Alphabet, Endless Numbers, Reading Raven, the Beatrix Potter interactive books...I never download junky apps, and I'm willing to pay for something truly educational. Magna Tiles (the most expensive toy we own, and the one that gets played with most and can grow with them).

My two year old's favorites are: The Mermaid and the Shoe One Morning in Maine A House in the Woods The Gruffalo Millions of Cats

How about The Penderwicks series? BookList says it's Grade 3+.

I'm part of a book club that focuses on reading classic books. Each meeting, one person's name is drawn to choose a book. To give you an idea, so far we have read 1984, Huck Finn, Brave New World, Watership Down, and Tess of D'Ubervilles. What one classic book would you recommend and why? It has to be under 400 pages, because otherwise, I don't think people would have time to finish it. "Classic" can have different meanings to different people, but just use the definition you feel comfortable with.

My DH teaches mathematics, so I always suspected we'd imitate Rick Moranis in the 80's Patenthood movie by sort of hot housing our kids. Ha. (Not really that extreme, but a philosophy of start 'em young.) But I've been reading a lot of articles lately about the diminishing returns of trying to do too much too soon, and come to think of it, my DH was pretty much unschooled in the early years. I definitely want to use Beast Academy for second grade onward (my DD is really young so I'm just thinking ahead about what I want the next few years to look like). I talked with someone at BA about what program they think best prepares students for their curriculum, and they basically said that the foundation before BA doesn't matter much in terms of how it's taught. They even suggested just doing Dreambox for Prek, K and first grade (along with the normal things all parents teach kids about money, time, etc.) before BA 2. I'm thinking we could use Kate Snow's Preschool Math early on, then maybe her K program if it's out by then, Dreambox math online, and add in the Right Start Games Kit. So, basically just all games until second grade, when we'd switch to Beast Academy. Has anyone here done something similar and transitioned to an intensive math program later like BA without regrets?

Have you done the placement test for AAR 1?

We would immediately buy all four volumes on Audible if it was available. Just in case anyone important is listening.

Not to be a downer, but the Myers Briggs Test is really no more scientific than astrology. It wasn't even created by psychologists, and the only reason the fad won't die is because it makes a huge amount of money as a business racket and (like astrology) it's general enough that it can appeal to everyone. https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2013/mar/19/myers-briggs-test-unscientific

I wish there was a magic way around this that could make everyone happy, but there really isn't. You just have to tell her that as a parent, you are obligated to: 1. Believe your children when they tell you someone did something that made them uncomfortable. 2. Act on that information to protect your children in future. I do think psychological studies have shown that sometimes kids make things up or don't quite understand what is appropriate or inappropriate In the full sense, so honestly there is a chance the guy is innocent. But unfortunately, I don't think a parent can take that chance. The risks are too great. If the child was right, the abuse will continue and escalate because you did nothing, or even if it doesn't, your son may grow to be an adult who feels betrayed that he confided you and you did nothing...not only did you appear not to believe him (because if you DID you would act), but you subjected him to this guy's presence (which can be painful enough even if nothing else happens). Why risk damage to your relationship with your son and potential further sexual abuse just to be polite?

I usually use Pipl. This page might help you. http://lifehacker.com/329033/how-to-track-down-anyone-online

What are some of your favorite blog posts about homeschooling? I'm in the process of filling my master homeschool binder with "big picture ideas" and inspirational material. So far, it's mostly been posts from Read Aloud Revival and Cloistered Away. If there's something you've bookmarked, please share it!