Um, so back from a long day of outdoor work and being out-of-town and I read through the thread. I'm sorry for being a judgy jerk this morning. My venting was misplaced--wrong thread for these particular thoughts. When I hit the "Post" button, a tiny thought came that maybe I should not have posted my response and should've just deleted it or started a s/o post about VBS. I was rushing to get out the door and maybe next time I will stop and listen to the small thought and not post. I hoped to add to the discussion and fear I've derailed it and hurt others. This makes me sad: If you met me IRL, I hope you would not feel judged by me. I am often loving, warm, accepting, encouraging. Sometimes I bottle up my frustrations about ministry and people stuff and today I let it out here on the internet. I have felt a lot of judgment via church activities, so I am sad that I was the person who perpetuated that today. I'm sorry and I hope you don't allow my comments about VBS to turn you away from volunteering at a/your/any church. I didn't realize I was being judgmental and don't really think of myself that way so...it is both hard and good to see what you wrote. I need to evaluate and change my heart. Amazingly, one person heard what I was trying to say. I guess I can also work on writing more clearly, LOL. I was pretty naive with the first few VBSs I helped with. I went in with good will and thought other parents were going to pitch in too to make it this awesome thing for all children and adults involved. I'm an idealist. It ended up being a very small group that ran around to stressfully cover bases while the majority of parents truly did not seem to consider pitching in. Many refused to help, even when they were asked to cover fairly minor parts or assisting roles. At the time, I had a nursing baby and a toddler who was not old enough to participate, so that just added to the stress. I probably should not have helped with that ministry at the time, in hindsight. IME, many parents treated the VBSs like a daycare. The rates charged didn't come close to covering the costs of supplies or curriculum purchased. That was "subsidized" by the church from tithes, so, again, a small percentage of people sacrificing for the larger good. I'm cool with that to an extent, but maybe I have set poor boundaries and have let resentment set in--given too much away to an unhealthy point for myself and my family. My thoughts were along these lines and you are wise: I have served in other ministries that I'm much better-suited for and loved them. I showed up "rain or shine" and never experienced resentment because I was so happy to give what was helpful and needed. It was a joy--no matter what other people did or didn't do. Obviously, I cannot currently offer what is good and right for VBS right now. I talked to my DH about this thread as we were driving today. He said the real issue is I've never been called to do VBS. He pretty strongly-but somewhat-jokingly said he's forbidding me from doing it after this year and he's right. But I'm not sure I can say no when asked to help because I do want my children to participate. Feel like I should be willing to pitch in because I can and am able. I'm very torn about this, especially as--in the churches we've been in anyway--there never seem to be enough volunteers willing to carry out children's ministries. I would like to respond to and clarify thoughts on another post on the 1st page--

I'm sure this isn't the reply you were looking for, and I don't want to provoke any bad feelings or shame here...But I do have to say something. Would you (and possibly others who read this in the future) consider my view and experiences? I don't know you and I'm not assuming you fall in to one of the examples below, but I think this viewpoint adds a bit to the discussion, even if it's a bit off-topic: Most activities like VBS take an incredible amount of work if you really try to teach children well and in engaged ways. As a mom of young kids, I've volunteered my time, energy, creativity, and money to help with the VBSs we've participated in. VBS is not my natural calling so it's not like it's some sort of hobby for me. I've stretched and helped out because I believe, if, as parents, we're going to take advantage of an opportunity to leave our children in a safe, protected environment with uncompensated volunteers, who are going to instruct them on (IMO) the most important facet of life (faith), we should be willing to pitch in a little. And not just the registration fee, which, in most cases, would not come even close to covering what a daycare provider would charge. For example: you leave your child(ren) 5 days of the VBS week, you pitch in 1 or 2 days of help. You leave them for 2 days, you pitch in a day or a few hours. Maybe you pitch in 10% of the time they're there. The point is adding to the whole experience for others but still having quite a break for the norm as a mom. It really burned me when I volunteered at a VBS in the past that some moms would just breeze in, drop their kids off for the VBS day, and run off to indulge in their "me" time or whatever--like it was free babysitting. There's nothing wrong with "me time" in my book but there was never any thought of pitching in on these folks' parts. They didn't express any gratitude (not my motivation for volunteering). The problem was they exuded the entitlement mentality. I have no issue with people who would do this for part of the VBS and then pitch in for some time as well. VBS could also be a true break for a family that is in dire straits of some sort. But in my book, not having a latte in 6 months isn't "dire". LOL Then there are those who jump from VBS to VBS throughout the summer with no intention of actually becoming part of any church community involved. It's just free babysitting. No consideration for the actual meaning of VBS, which is akin to a "school" for learning about the Bible or faith when a kid is on "Vacation" from normal "School". Most VBSs are generally open to the neighborhood and I see the value of providing a great opportunity for children who would never have experienced something like it otherwise. I didn't grow up in the church and really could have benefited from VBS--learned something my folks would never have taught me. It's for these children many volunteers sacrifice and my issue isn't with the children who attend. It's with the entitled parents who know better and can do better (not all parents are in this boat). I do know the "creepiness" of which some of you speak and I don't like churches like that either, but--seriously? Don't go to a VBS if you don't have any intention of attending there. That solves it and creates less of a "daycare" atmosphere for those trying to create something meaningful and instructional for the children involved. Sorry for this rant. I, like most parents, have a lot on my plate. To sacrifice time in one area of life means another area of life is neglected. To give my time to others = less time for my family or to recharge my batteries. There's only so much to go around. I wish more people in "our" generation (i.e., adults with kids) would just pitch in a bit more. It would mean a richness for all of our children. Perhaps much of this post is just me mentally preparing for the VBS I have committed to help with in a few weeks :001_rolleyes: ...as our own homeschool year is starting... Perhaps I should not have committed myself to it since I seem to resent other people who don't pitch in but: my kids want to go, it's our faith community that we are a part of each-and-every week, and I think if all parents involved give just a little of themselves, it can be a smashing success in developing community between our younger people (those of the church and the surrounding neighborhoods). For the OP's case: have you considered dealing with your question by writing a thank you note to the church, expressing your thankfulness for the opportunity, sharing an example of what your daughter got out of it, and politely explaining that you are not considering attending services there? It seems to me that would answer their valid question of whether or not you're interested in their community.

Sounds awesome!

I really like this idea of "May Term" or doing something intense for a week that we're not getting to. I think I'll apply this to various things this year. Maybe part of the reason homeschooling has not been enjoyable in some ways is that I'm always on this "track" of trying to get through curriculum. The cool stuff we really want to do gets pushed to the side. I like the idea of taking a week--or even a day--to focus on something that we're not getting to. Thanks!

Yes, that's my fear: cardboard. LOL

I made it back to this post and checked out the Writing Tales website and samples. It looks interesting, but I already have quite a bit of curriculum that overlaps it. I'm hesitant to add something else now because I'm sure we won't get to it (overwhelmed). Here's my line-up for the writing part of Language Arts this year (not including reading, read-alouds, etc.): Spelling - Spelling Power Grammar - First Language Lessons series Copywork/Penmanship - a Foresman cursive workbook Writing - Writing with Ease My question: Did you use FLL or WWE? I like them and DD likes them, but it's taking some faith to continue with the second year in both books. Faith, meaning, I hope all of this copywork, narration, dictation works out in the long run-- Any experience there?

Just clarifying--sorry: You meant this in regards to grade level correlation or ?

MichelleCA, Thanks for the link! I found it and I can see what you're saying...Not so much in grades 1-3, but in grades 4 and up, I see where the PDF says "See Grade 4..." in correlation to a topic presented in Grade 5 standards. Very cool to know! Thanks a lot!

:bigear: Last year I used a "Warm Fuzzies" reward system. Each child had a jar and would receive warm fuzzies (craft pom poms) when Mom noticed super behavior: helping sibling, doing the right thing without being asked, completing schoolwork without complaining or whining, etc. 10 warm fuzzies = a trip to the prize basket (a picnic basket I keep very high up / out of reach and only bring down @ 10 warm fuzzies, so it's all very exciting for them. Intermittently added prizes to keep them excited about it throughout the year: bubble bath, pretty bathroom soap, cool pens, erasers, curly straws, chocolate, a $1 bill for spending or saving (their choice), coupons for ice cream, small puzzles, etc. Thinking of revamping the system and using raffle tickets I found at the $1 store: collect 10 tickets for a prize. I usually print off or make up my own Student Questionnaire or "About Me" book (easily found online or in teacher resource books). I'm going to let this be a dictated activity (even though my eldest can write for herself) so that it can be fun and carefree vs. a major strain on the first day. I think it will be fun to look back at their responses some day. Still listening for first day ideas... Thinking of ordering some fun school stuff and new books to wrap for the table. I like the idea of taking a photo with a sign (age? grade?), doing a fun craft, and merely walking them through our plans and books vs. diving in as I've usually done.

Same. Rural area.

As far as tips on traveling safely, packing well, traveling with kids, having fun with travel in Europe...Rick Steves is a good author of travel books and shows. The TV series might be a bit nerdy for some, maybe too upscale and basic for the super-frugal world traveler, but I love the beautiful footage and I think most of it is solid info on traveling Europe and beyond--especially for the beginner. The concise experience he passes on regarding packing lightly, currency exchange, apparel, trip planning, etc., makes the series (books or DVDs) a great place to start. I noticed my local library has his DVD series. I know he's covered Rome quite extensively. At the very least, you'll be inspired!

It's already been a decade, but for what it's worth, we got 2 round-trip tickets from the West Coast to Europe using airline miles. We had to be strategic and call on some exact day to get the flights we wanted, but it worked. I don't remember the details, but I remember I blocked off time on the calendar to just sit, poised at the phone, to make the call at some particular time. It's worth it to read the fine print and to call ahead (like even a year or more) to see what's involved in terms of details to make sure you can actually use the miles you accumulate for what you want to do. For tickets that were probably worth $2000 at the time, I guess it was worth it. There were a lot of details, though, in terms of how / when they could be used. I remember the process being somewhat frustrating--navigating blackout periods, etc. We went to using a cash-based budget system and we've not tried to accumulate points again, but now I'm inspired to check out some options. The Internet is broader now than it was then.

Oops--another few ideas... We've gotten into the habit of buying a large veggie tray at Costco or a grocery store and eating that along the way, in our hotel, etc. It usually comes with dressing or dip. You can take small plastic baggies and parcel out the veggies for snacks, a daypack or hikes. It's a little more expensive than cutting everything up ahead of time, but I find it's worth it so we can get veggies into our diet alongside pizza, take-out, or whatever else we might indulge in on vacation. I find the kids eat more veggies this way too. Baked Potato Bar? Microwave or bake potatoes. Set out toppings: sour cream, bacon, broccoli, butter, green onions, chives, seasoning salt...You can also grill or saute peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc. to put on top. Kind of light on the protein, but works for dinner some nights. Add linguica, brats, or some type of easy sausage on the side if you need the protein. It seems like with the ages of your kids, maybe they could help chop and set out toppings, put them away, etc.? My younger kids love this dinner because they can choose their own adventure! I knew a large family that had an easier night for mom on Sundays. They'd pop huge bowls of popcorn, season it with various things (nutritional yeast, Old Bay, Parmesan cheese, etc.) and have popcorn, smoothies, and a big bowl of trail mix for dinner. I'd never seen that done before, but I rotate it in now and then on occasion. You can add a fresh veggie or fruit tray and you've covered most of your nutritional bases for very little time in the kitchen. I think I'll take my air popper on our next vacation!

Just one small idea: Chinese Chicken Salad for lunch / dinner? IME, the longer it sits in its dressing, the softer the cabbage becomes and the better it tastes. You could prep ahead 2-3 days, put it in a covered bowl, stick it in a cooler, and it'd be great by the time you served it.

Some things are sold at the warehouse but not online. Some things are sold online but not at the warehouse (the website has a larger selection of big-ticket items and things small businesses or offices would use). The warehouses tend to be somewhat regional in what they stock. For example, one we use sells 110-gal. livestock watering tanks and horse feed because it serves an area with lots of small / hobby farms. Another we use is in an upscale metro area, so you'll find more luxury items there: a larger wine display, more jewelry, fresh seafood. One in a different town serves an ethnically-diverse population, so you'll find lots of different food items you won't see at all Costcos. Went to one recently near the beach that sells more swim-related stuff and boogie boards. I love seeing what the different locations carry, especially when I travel. For things like school supplies, I think most locations would carry about the same things (packs of pens, etc.) but I haven't checked online for these items lately--

I agree: Plastic project boxes = great for storing lapbooks-in-the-making (with all of their small bits and pieces, brads, tape, scissors, stickers, etc.), crafty projects that aren't complete... Thinking of buying more. Maybe they'd be good for car travel or school-on-the-go. At $20, a bargain!

Same as a few other posters here...Just used the workbook (K, 1st). Read the teacher's manual for 1st but never ended up using it. If I recall correctly, quite a bit of it seemed more geared towards teaching a larger group? I think with second DD, I'll bring out the slate and chalk and have her try the letters like HWT shows (filling the whole slate). Just saw it online the other night and it looked like a good way to teach letter formation. A friend had the wooden pieces and I think they'd be cool to use, but not necessary for all children. I did not want the expense for something that would be so short-lived around here. A larger family or students with developmental delays or different circumstances might get more use out of them than we would have. I have a box of writing "manipulatives" with a bunch of things I can pull out easily on a whim or as I'm planning for the week: letter blocks, letter stamps, letter magnets of different styles, a Ziploc filled with gel, a can of shaving cream for impromptu letter forming on the kitchen table, letter beads for stringing the alphabet, dot markers and printed letter sheets or blank paper, carbon copy paper, a slate and chalk / wet Q-tips for tracing, a large tile for using wet-erase markers on...I just pull out something that hasn't been used in a long while and use it alongside HWT to make things more interesting. ETA: Window markers are fun too! And the letters can be made in larger sizes. DD's like to clean the window when they're done!

Can anyone verify or deny this? I read somewhere in the last year that if your child is working in Singapore 2B, for example, that the level of math they're doing actually equates to the first half of 3rd grade. Or, for example, if your child is working in Singapore 1B, it's actually at the level of 2nd grade? Not to derail the thread; just wondered if anyone had ever heard anything along these lines. (I guess a lot of it might have to do with what levels a country or state defines in terms of standards.) Thanks for any insight or knowledge on this detail--

Intrigued by this post because we've been using Singapore for 3--going on 4--years and I find the pacing schedule they set in the front of the books to be very...rigorous? It's not that the math is "hard" necessarily--not always that type of rigor-- Just that, IMO, if you're going to get through both halves of a Singapore level in a year and cover everything well, there is a lot of material there. I don't like to "skim" over concepts; I want them clear and cemented. I wish the pace were a bit lighter because I don't care to do the same thing every day, 5 days/week but I don't feel the freedom to veer off into something supplemental if we're going to arrive at summer with most of the Singapore level complete. I'd like to use Life of Fred more and do other hands-on mathy things but I feel tied to Singapore's pace. I really like Singapore and I think it's very thorough, so I'm not willing to "fix something that's not broken." Maybe as I gain more experience in homeschooling, I will feel more confident in having DD skip areas she knows and/or begin a year with a level of any given subject that "matches" last year's grade. It's the beauty of homeschooling, but I also don't want DD to fall behind. I like hearing others' experiences with assigning every-other-practice-problem or that sort of thing. I'm not sure we're using the exact same Singapore book as OP; we're in "2B Primary Mathematics Standards Edition", so I don't know if it changes between books 2A/B and 3A/B. Anyway, for 3 years it has stressed me out and we've ended up doing math in the summer to get through each grade level before the next year starts. I mainly do the next thing and teach to mastery of any given concept. I try to incorporate interesting manipulatives and real-life examples or made-up stories when I can. This, and not doing Singapore 5 days every week throughout the year, eventually leads us to having 3-4 units left at the end of the year. DD does math 5 days/week most weeks, but it's not always Singapore. This year, I'm choosing not to stress as much about it. The last few units are fun (capacity, money, time, fractions, etc.) and we took somewhat of a detour this summer with Reflex Math to gain ground on math fact fluency. I figure if DD can really cement those math facts early on, it will make math (including Singapore) more fun and easier for everyone. So, we didn't finish "on time", which bothers me, but it shouldn't be too difficult to finish off those last few units this month or as we begin the new year. DD already tells time, has a pretty good grasp on fractions, etc. I just want to make sure we've covered everything before moving on to 3A. I do what The Attached Mama wrote (below), though sometimes I take longer teaching the lessons than that. Also, sometimes DD needs some help with the workbook pages. I'd like her to be totally independent in tackling a concept by the time I assign the WB, but sometimes I've had to spend more time going over a concept as she does them. "Our routine: I teach a quick lesson using the HIG as a guide. (10-15 mins tops?) We read and work problems from the associated textbook pages as examples until I feel like they get it. I assign workbook pages."

One personal experience comment about contacts...I've worn them for about 25 years now. My eyes have a ton of red blood vessels/veins that have grown over time due to lack of oxygen to the eye because of contacts. I never wore them overnight and wouldn't--even with FDA approvals, new brands/types, etc. Just a bad idea, IMO. I've never worn them longer than they were approved for. Hygiene (not using saliva, replacing cases more often, etc.) has improved as I've gotten older. (When you're a teen, you're more likely to place them in water at a friend's house overnight because you forgot your stuff or to not wash your hands well enough if you're backpacking.) Contacts are a man-made object you place onto your natural eye, obviously. I think overuse = courting long-term problems because the human body wasn't constructed to deal with foreign objects in the eye for prolonged periods of time. These contact materials allow varied levels of oxygen to the eye depending on brand, construction, fit, cleanliness, etc. I wish I had tried hard contact lenses when I started out or just not worn my contacts so much over the years (like around the house, for example). I love wearing contacts for sports, outdoor work, vanity. I hate wearing glasses. I have pretty bad vision and astigmatism. I've had weighted lenses, lenses you change once a year (a long time ago), ones you use strong disinfectant with, ones you throw away often-- I've developed some sort of sensitivity to contacts at this point and am considering LASIK because I can hardly wear them now. My point is, I would use common sense and a lot of caution with the overnight or extended-wear concept, keeping long-term eye health in mind. Some of the above advice is good.

I just wanted to post and say thank you so much for taking the time to respond! (I read the responses last week but left for a wedding over the weekend...just getting back to the Forum to post.) There is quite a bit here. I started writing a response but I think I need a little more time to sit quietly (rare around here) and think about these points as I look ahead and plan next year. Thank you for your time!!

My thought exactly. I think it's a control issue. I was around a child like this on a trip recently. I tried to be kind, but did not let her boss me, as she constantly tried to do with all adults and children on the trip. At the end of the few days, I surmised that this child--for whatever reason--was either born with an extremely high need for control or currently feels out-of-control or that she doesn't have any control in her life, or both (personality and circumstance). It was a bit grating at points. I felt a bit sad for her, though exhausted too. It was easier to let it go because she is very young, so it was obvious that, as the adult, I should gently redirect while standing firm on my own decisions. But, wow, did I have to really truly stay centered, calm, and continually and firmly hold my ground. She was persistent. I couldn't have done it so graciously with an adult and probably would have practiced avoidance as much as possible if she were older. Interestingly, "Food" is a daily, major control issue for this child. I know another group of people whom I love and have known for many years. In this extended family, Food also reigns as the supreme way to work out personal issues, show creativity, branch out in life, celebrate joys, work through grief...you name it, with this group of folks, it is dealt with via Food. I come from a very different background regarding food, so this has been a foreign thing for me to learn about. There is so much CONTROL exercised in this group of people around the topic of Food, which I don't care nearly as much about. I thank God that I've always had enough to live, but for me, food = mostly only energy to live. For them, the world hinges on creating and executing the perfect menu! :laugh: Needless to say, though I can be a good cook in my own right, I steer clear of cooking around this bunch. It's just a source of drama and control that I would rather do without! Anyway, I don't have any great solutions for you on how to deal with this person. With the child I was with, I kept gently and kindly asking if she could help with X (setting the table, whatever was needed), just so she could put her "stamp" on things and exert a little of her need to control. Just thought it was interesting that the examples you gave of her needing to exert such control were related to Food.

I have a few of these books. I basically read or re-read the applicable grade level prior to each school year starting. I proceed to freak out over anything we might have missed, resolve to do better at "covering all bases / leaving no gaps" (which is, of course, impossible in any education), and then, a few days later, come up with the previous poster's response to all of it. Maybe you of a stronger constitution and can read things like that without freaking out about gaps like I do. :chillpill: :001_rolleyes: If so, they might be of use to you. Good info and a place to start, but much of the knowledge is randomly-chosen (just the opinion of the author or group of editors). Good opinions, in my opinion, (LOL), but still, randomly-selected. How can anyone say which parts of history should be included for X grade, for example, and which parts should be left out? We're using Singapore math, Story of the World for history...these cycles and others don't necessarily match up with the Hirsch books. For me, borrowed from the library or bought cheaply used is the way to go with these.

All that said (previous post), I think the Waldorf approach nails it for the early years (preschool, kinder) in terms of aesthetics and much of the approach (natural materials, beautiful classrooms, verses to transition, rhythm of the day's events, etc.). It's a preferred approach to the modern Westernized public school propensity to treat younger and younger children as widgets who should sit in desks for full days. I like that it addresses human development, not just profit-driven results (for example, you won't find standardized testing there, as far as I know). But when DD turned out to be naturally-attracted to academics and ready for reading at an early age...We melded the "good parts" for our family with a bunch of other approaches to make our very own eclectic approach that works for us. I've incorporated much of the practical side of Waldorf into our homeschool days, but drew a hard line at anthroposophy. It surprises me how many people who consider themselves very "Waldorf" have never actually read Steiner's works! Steiner wrote some intriguing things and he was probably quite gifted in some ways, but oy! Some of it is truly weird, to my way of thinking.

Our local Waldorf school (K-8) likes to tout the fact that many students have gone on to graduate from high schools as valedictorians. Of course, they credit these statistics to the preferable pedagogy of Waldorf. Was impressed until it dawned on me that, at the tuition rates they charge, most of the parents there are highly-involved in their children's lives, provide stable homes, and are highly-educated themselves. It is a community with people from all walks of life, but I'd say it's much more heavily-weighted in terms of white, upper-middle class professionals, many with masters degrees or doctorates... Leads me to believe that the higher rate of valedictorians is probably due to superior parental involvement, lifestyle choices, and access to superior materials, extra-curricular activities, etc. This is a poorer area of the state so the "competition" for valedictorian includes many homes in which there is only one parent, life stressors for children (poverty, drugs, imprisoned parents, etc.), and not necessarily even things like...books...available in the home. In other words, my guess is that the valedictorians--and not to take anything away from their hard-earned accomplishments--had a better shot at it due to their support systems, "Waldorfian" or not.