IME, most kids go to daycare and/or preschool. They spend several weeks being sick, bouncing the same diseases in different mutations around the building. I think it's different for kids that stay home. Their experiences with viruses tend to be more spread out.

Remember the last generation? The ones hiding because homeschool laws were sketchy? The lack of co-ops, field trips, conventions...remember how few curricula there was on the market? Basically if it wasn't A Beka, Bob Jones, or published in 1880, you were out of luck. I find it marvelous that they made it work and paved the way for the current generation to enjoy the fruits of their labor. That doesn't mean that what is provided now is necessary, it just means that it can be nice to have. :) You're doing it old school. :) And that is something to be proud of.

Sounds like a couple of things would benefit you, then. My kids are like anyone else in the world - they don't see patterns unless they're staring them in the face. When push comes to shove, I write things down. Keep a small notebook of his various physical ailments: 8/24 - leg hurt really badly at 6:14pm. Was fine by 6:20pm. 8/26 - too sick to do school work. And sit down, have a conference. "Kiddo, I've been keeping track for a month, and you seem to be really sick on these days and hurt at this time in the evening. This tells me a few things. 1, you're not feeling well. We're going to take this book to the doctor and get a full work up done. 2. The times/days are very consistent, and I'll have you sit down with dad to discuss this further, to see why you're always hurt at chore time and too sick on school days." Then tomato stake him for another month. He works next to you. He does chores next to you. He is instantly put back on task by you. It's not about lying, it's about being savvy enough so your kid doesn't dare think about lying or exaggerating the truth.

We do simple grammar in elementary. Grammar-land for an introduction, and we'll be using this guide with it: http://www.currclick.com/product/86865/Grammarland-Activity-Guide Easy, simple, and we can laminate the symbols for use with foreign language study. My oldest only did formal grammar starting at about age 10 and going to age 13. It has stuck, and he uses it for foreign language study now.

Our library has a set of art textbooks intended for K-5th grade that we've been enjoying. I know, I know, public school textbooks! But we've found them to be easy to open and go, directions written to the student with the appropriate level of creative freedom, interesting works of art to compare, and at the most requiring 5 minutes of direction. They're called Art Express http://www.amazon.com/Art-Express-Grade-Pupil-Y022/dp/0153093153/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1440589993&sr=8-2&keywords=art+express 36 projects in each one with a couple of extra ideas like visiting murals or museums.

There's quite a bit you can do! We're taking Wee Folk Art this year and extending it to be a few days each week. This week we're doing vegetables out of salt dough, reading Tops & Bottoms, learning to draw texture when drawing animals, memorizing the poem "Rain", reading Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! and putting the children in charge of the garden out back. I pull some from Wee Folk Art, some from what our library has available, and some of what we already have at home. We'll keep the same basic theme all month (harvesting) so that I'm not switching back and forth and constantly looking for new resources.

It is a thing, but not with pictures. For upper levels it's usually sentence strips.

How do you make it work? I don't watch just anyone's kids, and I only do it part time (1-3 days a week). I'm very particular about them being a good fit, and I don't take more extra than my car can hold so we can still go do things. How do you balance the needs of your kids vs. the needs of other kids? Is carefully a bad answer? ;) We keep two schedules: two chore charts, two sets of expectations, two routines. One is for the days I have everyone, one is for the days where it is just us. How do your kids accomplish school in the midst of younger kids? Depends. We stress personal space. The children have mats and trays (and even separate tables) to define their work area. We practice first not interrupting another person's work area and then add in intentional work of their own when they've got it.. How do you handle food/meals/snacks? Especially if you have littles in the picture? I meal plan. It's easier to feed the kids all the same thing, and easier still if we try out new foods on those days. It's a bonding thing- it's hard to be the outsider saying "I don't like this" to unfamiliar food. It's easier when we rotate things so that even my own children try something new. Each child has their own cup, plate, and snack container, along with their own bento box for lunches away from home. Every meal has at least 1 grain, 1 protein or dairy, and 2 fruits or vegetables. Orange juice or milk is served with breakfast and water the rest of the day. How do you handle discipline of other people's children? The same way I handle it of my own: focus on fixing the issue, whether it's stepping back to cool off or getting a rag to wipe things up. The kids are all taught to be more independent in their discipline issues as they grow. How do you handle illnesses? It's not a big deal here, but if you take in more than one family's kids you should have a policy of staying home for 24h after fever or excessive bodily fluids coming out. Anything else you think I should know? Wade carefully. If a child isn't a good fit, it needs to be okay to say no. Keep records and have parents sign a contract if you're doing it for income - to include your hours and overtime if necessary.

Not that I've seen. Most kids max out at 3-4 events in retelling so that's how they're made.

I'd stress foundation skills. So many parents want to jump right into reading, writing, and math that they forget that a child NEEDS to touch, explore, develop rhythm, pattern recognition, fine and gross motor skills, be exposed to nature for long periods, understand seasons and rituals that go with, be able to expect and predict what will happen next, to act out familiar scenes and change elements, to understand how things work and their own world... There is so much out there that panders to the Three R's and forget all the basic childhood skills that will carry them through to more abstract learning. I'd include bits about how when a child is ready, they learn more quickly and there is no need to forgo that time for real learning to diligently memorize the alphabet.

Do you think they will? Many teachers look things up. They take the purpose of being a guide in figuring out the order things should be learned, ways to get there, and collecting resources to be used. They are not encyclopedias. That said, I do think there should be a bit of preparation and mastery of basic skills that can be used to guide or help students. I lesson plan pretty in depth. If I write out the work or create a scope and sequence, I want to have checkpoints along the way that let me know the student is getting the information I want him to. These include the child teaching me, throwing in a skill-related but topic-foreign assignment (or vice versa)/skill in a new format, cross-subject application, and pop quizzes. When it comes to checking work, I find it's best to do that together. Go over the directions or rubric - together. Slowly go through each line - together. The child will usually spot his or her own mistakes, and the few they miss are caught by the guide. Since they know they'll have to go through it with the adult, and then correct and go through it again, they'll start checking the rubric on their own to hopefully eliminate the obvious mistakes.

There is carob you could try. It's caffeine free, but it has a slightly different texture/taste. I prefer it in chocolate chip cookies or brownies/cake as opposed to eating it straight.

Why do you homeschool? Lots of reasons. This year: meh schools with long hours, linguistically gifted child, poor public nutrition program, and gosh darn it, because we want to! :D Are the schools in your area not up to par with what you can give your child by homeschooling? There is one. But we couldn't afford it without me working, and me working would give my child a very long day. If this is not the case, the local schools are great academically, would you still homeschool? It depends. I'm not looking for great academically, I'm looking for great development-based structure and being child-centered instead of test-centered. There are several schools here that get great test scores and accolades for the amount the kids know. I still don't want to send my kid there. OTOH, I have a teen that needed more than what home could provide here. He is in a "great" school (even with his insane schedule looks to be less work than classical :p ) and that is best for him right now. When you started homeschooling, did you intend to continue through a particular grade? No, it's always been year by year, on a case by case basis. Which is better this year? Which is better for each child this year? What's the goal? What best suits our family this year? We've done school alone, school with co-ops, online school, public high school...the only lack of change is the determination to make the best choice for the best situation in the current year. That's it. Has this changed over the years? Nope.

We'll be using Grammar-land -there are free guides available online and it's short, sweet, and you can draw it out if necessary. The book itself is a free download from google books (or audio file available). It's a perfect introduction to the parts of speech in a way that is easily retainable. We work more diligently on grammar later, around 4th grade when we start doing foreign language study.

Add a bit of vinegar to your rinse cycle. You may have build up that is keeping them from working. We use microfiber for mirrors, doors, and the floors. Never had a problem wet or dry.

Bookcases and an emphasis on quality over quantity. :) We don't let our kids have a ton of toys. They just aren't allowed. Everything must fit in the bin/container or it's pared down. No "big" toys like indoor playhouses or trampolines. Most toys are kept in bedrooms, though we do make space for logic games in the living room and trucks on the patio. The school stuff - we have a wall of bookshelves/cubbies, and the only stuff out is what is being currently used. Everything else is in rubbermaid tubs in the garage and attic.

I'll second Writing Tales. There are only two levels, but we enjoyed it.

We used MBtP with a child who hated writing. We did not do the full program, only the literature units. Even those we picked and chose based on books we thought he would like rather than doing a straight 9-11 or 8-10yo lit program. It was one of his favorite things. The combination of hands on work, work of choice, and writing work made it ideal for him.

Something that works is infinitely better than something that does not work. ;) I'm quite lucky this time around - I've had 10 years experience teaching math to bouncy children and went through quite a bit of trial and error during that time. It made me really love the exploration side of math. LOL

Jesus holds the banhammer.

We've never used TT, so I can't be any help there. :( Our long term plan is to use AOPS and prepare for a mostly no-calculator math. In the early years it looks very gentle: lots of math exploration, lots of hands on, lots of questions and problem solving. Anno, MEP, c-rods, MUS blocks, geoboards, Montessori tools, hands on logic puzzles (eventually morphing to paper ones like sudoku). Math can take up to 2 hours a day with just play. That'll pave the way to TOPS, Beast Academy, Hands On Equations, and Patty Paper Geometry, possibly adding in Sir Cumference with mom-made activities to go with. ;) Finally, math will be more of an extension of science, with the two of them playing off of each other during lessons.

I have a feeling this will be very hard for her. She was raised in a very sheltered environment that I don't believe prepared her to live on her own or pursue higher education so that she could do so. She will be surrounded by people that will pressure her to stay with Josh and forgive him at all costs. She would have to make the heart-wrenching decision to not give her kids the education she wishes they had and put them in public school, making them have to fight their own battles when it comes to their dad - most of which they probably don't understand (and shouldn't). For her to leave would be to go against EVERYTHING in her life to climb uphill on a difficult journey. With four kids in tow, including a newborn? I would completely understand her staying for a few more years at least.

Breaks, planning, and child input. I'm dead serious on the last one. We used to do conferences, at least once a month, where we'd sit down and just talk about what was working, what wasn't, and what each of us would like to change. The 5yo is much too young for that (his idea of change is to play Minecraft all day), but listening to him when he does come up with a rare idea helps us both get more excited. Yesterday he was in the middle of a long Playdoh session and asked why can't we do playdoh for math. Well, why not? Let's plan a bit and see how to work it in! He was quite happy doing fractions with blue pizza and making balls & worms for grouping. And sometimes, I just have to fall back to "if I hate this, why am I teaching it this way to a child who hates it, too?" If I'm not enjoying it, he's not enjoying it, I research until I find a way we can. There is never going to be a cure-all (the Doldrums attack at random times and sometimes for a long while). I wish there was. But recharging and keeping lines of communication open seem to ward off the worst of it.

Yep. Dh wants to fix it. When I vent, I have to add "just listen!" :laugh: But....I try not to vent to him. We both deal with enough stuff that we like to enjoy our time together. Venting to friends or writing about it is more cathartic for me.

Could something be underlying the laissez-faire attitude? When mine gets like that he's having a crisis of confidence. Nothing interests him, nothing he tries is as good as he wants it to be, confused and scared about life choices..it's easier to save face by pretending it doesn't matter than to care and fail.