Well I need to eat my words! The free range kids book is actually pretty good so far (chapter 3). I think my fears came, ironically, from news stories of parents kids being taken by CPS for neglect in the name of "free range kids". It seems pretty level headed so far (although I still feel uneasy about the nine year old on the subway thing!!) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh and I forgot the time when I met an English girl on holiday in Cyprus. I told her I was from Scotland and she said, where's that? I said it's the country that takes up the top part of the UK. She insisted it was just a city IN England. We were about 16 at the time so I was quite confident in correcting her. She turned to her dad and said "Dad where's Scotland?" He shouted over "it's a city in the North of England"..."See?" She said. Aaaaaahhh! Granted I have made errors in my time in the U.S. but have tried to be more knowledgable before opening my mouth. But c'mon....She lived in England for goodness sake! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh and I forgot the time when I met an English girl on holiday in Cyprus. I told her I was from Scotland and she said, where's that? I said it's the country that takes up the top part of the UK. She insisted it was just a city IN England. We were about 16 at the time so I was quite confident in correcting her. She turned to her dad and said "Dad where's Scotland?" He shouted over "it's a city in the North of England"..."See?" She said. Aaaaaahhh! Granted I have made errors in my time in the U.S. but have tried to be more knowledgable before opening my mouth. But c'mon....She lived in England for goodness sake! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I lived in the U.S. I was having lunch at a culinary school with an American friend of mine. He and the woman next to us started chatting and she mentioned she worked at a Scottish import store. My friend pointed to me and said "Oh, 'Razzles' is from Scotland" this woman then said "Me too!" In her completely American accent. My friend corrected her "oh no, I mean she's actually FROM Scotland", "yes me too!" the woman went on. This repeated an extraordinary number of times, (becoming clearer that she was Scottish waaaay back and had never actually even been) until I interjected...."No, I was born in Scotland and I'm here only a year!" In my Scottish accent!! I still wonder why I didn't speak up sooner but I was quite young and shy at the time and was probably enjoying just watching. It kind of ties into the time the librarian in the local (U.S.) library was surprised I had "no accent" even though I was from Scotland. I explained that I'm a person who picks up accents very quickly by accident when travelling but she carried on to say that I have NO accent. I tried to explain I had an American accent now, but she refused to accept that she couldn't hear my accent simply because it was the same as hers...as if upstate New York is the only place in the world to speak pure un-accented English! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I lived in the U.S. I was having lunch at a culinary school with an American friend of mine. He and the woman next to us started chatting and she mentioned she worked at a Scottish import store. My friend pointed to me and said "Oh, 'Razzles' is from Scotland" this woman then said "Me too!" In her completely American accent. My friend corrected her "oh no, I mean she's actually FROM Scotland", "yes me too!" the woman went on. This repeated an extraordinary number of times, (becoming clearer that she was Scottish waaaay back and had never actually even been) until I interjected...."No, I was born in Scotland and I'm here only a year!" In my Scottish accent!! I still wonder why I didn't speak up sooner but I was quite young and shy at the time and was probably enjoying just watching. It kind of ties into the time the librarian in the local (U.S.) library was surprised I had "no accent" even though I was from Scotland. I explained that I'm a person who picks up accents very quickly by accident when travelling but she carried on to say that I have NO accent. I tried to explain I had an American accent now, but she refused to accept that she couldn't hear my accent simply because it was the same as hers...as if upstate New York is the only place in the world to speak pure un-accented English! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for even more replies! It's good to know my error has put us ahead, not behind although here we have zero tests or requirements for homeschooling so we're lucky in that respect. What's interesting is that I've looked at what a kindergartener should be doing by the end of the year and it's even lower than our P1 (the very first year of school starting at 5 with a cut off of a march birthday -turning 5) expectations. That not to put down the U.S. Kindy's in any way but just an observation about the huge range of standards at that age. You can have a 5.5yo leaving P1 expected to be reading basic books well but yet wouldn't have even started K in the states, or a 6.5yo just going into K to learn their ABC's. Anyway...the pros of homeschooling! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for even more replies! It's good to know my error has put us ahead, not behind although here we have zero tests or requirements for homeschooling so we're lucky in that respect. What's interesting is that I've looked at what a kindergartener should be doing by the end of the year and it's even lower than our P1 (the very first year of school starting at 5 with a cut off of a march birthday -turning 5) expectations. That not to put down the U.S. Kindy's in any way but just an observation about the huge range of standards at that age. You can have a 5.5yo leaving P1 expected to be reading basic books well but yet wouldn't have even started K in the states, or a 6.5yo just going into K to learn their ABC's. Anyway...the pros of homeschooling! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the replies. Yes books for me although we read lots for the kids that naturally have more independent kids in it- Little house, boxcar kids (although I don't want them that independent yet lol!). I will give the free range kids book a read but I know myself I just have to be careful with my reading- I got quite into some parenting philosophies almost like a religion with my first child and I have to be careful now not to get caught up in something being the "right" or "only" way to do things. Hence the need for something that will help me find my balance! Does that make sense? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the replies. Yes books for me although we read lots for the kids that naturally have more independent kids in it- Little house, boxcar kids (although I don't want them that independent yet lol!). I will give the free range kids book a read but I know myself I just have to be careful with my reading- I got quite into some parenting philosophies almost like a religion with my first child and I have to be careful now not to get caught up in something being the "right" or "only" way to do things. Hence the need for something that will help me find my balance! Does that make sense? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all, I'm interested in books (especially kindle unlimited or prime!) about encouraging independence in young children...but not anything too extreme or like a "movement". (I'm thinking of the free range children book specifically although there are bound to be others towards that end I'm sure!) I'm looking for something to help me find balance between making good choices for my almost six year old daughter and knowing when to allow her to learn through her own experiences. I have two younger children (2yo and 9mo) and I feel I have to remind myself that she is much older than them. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all, I'm interested in books (especially kindle unlimited or prime!) about encouraging independence in young children...but not anything too extreme or like a "movement". (I'm thinking of the free range children book specifically although there are bound to be others towards that end I'm sure!) I'm looking for something to help me find balance between making good choices for my almost six year old daughter and knowing when to allow her to learn through her own experiences. I have two younger children (2yo and 9mo) and I feel I have to remind myself that she is much older than them. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks guys. I definitely appreciate being able to go at different paces with different subjects based on her needs, and I feel like we've got a good thing going right now. It's just easier when ordering books/curriculum for next year to have a rough idea of where she might be expected to be at her age. When I look at what is going to be covered I think "no way can she do that!" But then by the time we reach that point in the textbook, she can! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm in the UK and a little confused about what year my 5yo daughter would be in if we lived in the states. I assumed last year she would have started kindergarten (when she started primary 1 here in Scotland) however I've just met someone who has a son the same age and he will be starting kindergarten after this summer. I have been planning our year based on 1st grade recommendations from TWTM and other resources. And since most curriculum and books are U.S. based it would be helpful to know. It's difficult to find a good answer to this online. My daughter was born in the last week of Oct and will be six this year. What year would she be in based on your state? We have been "officially" homeschooling for a year, since she would have started P1 last summer. She doesn't read well yet, however she is way beyond basics of numbers/phonics and can sight read quite well. I don't know if it would be better to spend an extra year on kindergarten level stuff or just go ahead with first grade and slow down if need be. What would you do? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm in the UK and a little confused about what year my 5yo daughter would be in if we lived in the states. I assumed last year she would have started kindergarten (when she started primary 1 here in Scotland) however I've just met someone who has a son the same age and he will be starting kindergarten after this summer. I have been planning our year based on 1st grade recommendations from TWTM and other resources. And since most curriculum and books are U.S. based it would be helpful to know. It's difficult to find a good answer to this online. My daughter was born in the last week of Oct and will be six this year. What year would she be in based on your state? We have been "officially" homeschooling for a year, since she would have started P1 last summer. She doesn't read well yet, however she is way beyond basics of numbers/phonics and can sight read quite well. I don't know if it would be better to spend an extra year on kindergarten level stuff or just go ahead with first grade and slow down if need be. What would you do? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk