Coffeetime
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Posts posted by Coffeetime
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Yes, I would go ahead and pack a bag now- then you can stop thinking about it. ;) I always pack 4 weeks ahead of time, that way I feel like I'm ready for whenever baby makes an appearance.
The hospital will probably have diapers, wipes etc for the baby- you'll need a sleeper to bring baby home in.
Hospital provides pads for you, but you will probably need toiletries, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, makeup etc.
I like to bring my own nightgown for after the baby is born- I'm just more comfortable that way. And a robe. Books to read, a phone charger, laptop and movies if you like.
My experiences with hospital births has been wonderful, so if I were you I would try to focus on how great it COULD be, since it's your only option. Maybe that will help take the stress off. :)
However, my absolute BEST advice is this: ENJOY your time at the hospital- everyone is waiting on you hand and foot, you don't have to get up to take care of other children, you can nap anytime you want to, some one BRINGS you your FOOD! It's crazy. By the time I had #5 I was (half) jokingly begging the doctor to let me stay longer than my allotted 3 days.... ;)
Congratulations and good luck to you!
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One of the exciting things about Homeschooling is losing the need for grade levels and working to the level of the child. One of my favorite discussions is when someone asks me what grade my child is in, and I reply, "Which Subject?". As for official paperwork I just keep them in the grade that is age appropriate, it makes everything much simpler, and even tradidtional schooled children work at different levels. As for moving ahead, you will know when she hits a wall and needs to stay in a subject for a while. So go ahead and use those materials as you want and keep the other for days when she just wants mastery instead of stretching.
:iagree:
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I just use the student workbook from ZB and a ream of practice paper for additional practice. IMO, the practice masters looked more like "homework" type sheets that would be used in a public or private school setting. HTH!
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Of course they aren't mandatory! Honestly, I think some of the troll hunting that goes on here is more trollish than anything the vast majority of new posters post.
:iagree: I have to say I agree with this. And quite honestly, I don't understand the correlation between a "troll" and a low post count. :confused:
I would think that if someone had the time and inclination to go on to a home education forum and create a fake persona, they would probably be more likely to have a HIGHER post count than an actual person with several children and a busy life.
FWIW, I have been here for a few years, but have a very low post count. Namely, because I don't have a lot of free time and so I tend to read far more than I post- and because I try to only post when I feel like what I have to say adds to the discussion. If the advice/opinion that I would give has already been given by others- I usually leave it at that.
I have always considered this place to be one of the friendliest, most welcoming, and diverse places on the internet. I've learned so much here.
I'm saddened by the tone that's been adopted by a few (not the vast majority, certainly) people here who have self-appointed themselves the "guarders of the gates" of the WTM forums. It's led to a few interrogations and some flat-out mocking of new people for no other reason than the fact that those few thought their questions seemed "odd".
I truly believe that this is to the detriment of the board as a whole. New and fresh ideas, backgrounds and opinions is what will keep this place lively and active.
Anyway, that's just my thought- I hope that after a few years of being here I've earned the right to express it- despite my low post count. :tongue_smilie:
(And yes, I'm real. I think. ;) )
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It's a scam. This one has been going around for a while, I got it several weeks ago. Do not call the number, but call your bank and let them know you received the call.
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Grab the pup by the scruff of the neck telling him "NO" in a low, firm, voice while physically moving him away from you every. single. time.
Most importantly, make sure you have plenty of toys for the puppy to chew on- including a tug type toy on a rope that the kids can use to distract the puppy when they are playing with him. He'll eventually learn that the toys are for chewing, not the kids.
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If you want to feel appreciated, cook some food for a 10 year old boy - it doesn't usually matter what it is - they are so happy to eat!
Truer words have never been spoken...
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We use a 3 ring binder. In the binder, in page protectors, is everything we will be memorizing this year- Grammar definitions and lists, Bible, History, poetry and math facts. DD goes through the binder every morning on her own and I just listen in to make sure it's going well. For our math facts sheets, we just write on the page protectors with dry erase marker and it wipes right off!
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DAUGHTER K:
(She LOVES doing school, knows all her letters, can count to 20 something, has a very good vocabulary for her age. I think she is going to be a good student)
OPGTTR - ordered, this seems like a no brainer.
Plaid Phonics K - ordered. The above seems like a great systematic reading program, but my daughter loves worksheets and "doing school" and this looked like the ticket for that.
Zane & Bloser Level K - At this point I am just going with the book recommendations because I don't know any better. We liked the look of this better than handwriting without tears. It looked more "fun" for my young daughter.
Personally, I think you should choose to do OPGTR with EITHER Zaner Bloser OR Plaid Phonics- you certainly don't need to do both and you probably don't want to buy curriculum that you don't end up using. :tongue_smilie: I'm doing OPGTR with Zaner Bloser K with my kindy currently and it works wonderfully.
Saxon Math K. We have many homeschool friends and almost all of them use Saxon math. I'm DIZZY from reading about math. Math U See, Singapore, Calvert, Right Start... somebody stop me i want to get off. Saxon seems well proven so for our first year we're all doing Saxon.
Saxon is a great place to start- you can always change it up in years to come if you decide to take a different approach.
I know at this age I don't NEED a math curriculum so we wont push with this, we'll just use it sparingly.
We'll probably ease her in with this and then in a month or two start looking at....
Mudpies to Magnets
Everybody has a Body
Artistic Pursuits (this looks AWESOME, but so expensive)
SON 4TH GRADE:
(He is a very bright boy. He enjoys reading but reads stuff beneath his grade level, lots of junk like Cpt. Underpants and Wimpy Kid stuff. He can probably read better than that but likes graphical stuff. He is a very good math student. He struggle with writing early on but really caught up last school year. A very literal, thinking child. Probably an earlier jumper into LOGIC).
Modern Curriculum Press Workout - I don't know where to start, do I start w/ the first level? Regardless of age?
Zane & Bloser Writing - again, not sure what level to start at.
Saxon Math - we're going to test both boys tomorrow and see where they end up. We'll probably order tomorrow.
Life of Fred looks fun, we'll probably get this as well.
History: This is our big unkown. I'm just not sure what to get. I was looking at the resources in the books and was going to get one of the Encyclopedias. However, from reading these forums I started seeing things like Sonlight and Tapestry of Grace. I'm a bit lost now. I really don't know what to go with. I was looking at KingFisher and it looked possible too rigorous, i'm not sure. Please help.
Science: depending on what we go with, Bio or Earth/Astronomy. We'll get something like More Mudpies, Night Sky Spotter, or Green thumbs. We'll probalby start science a month in after getting into a schedule. Great Science Adventures looked neat.
Same with art, we'll hold off, but if I can find some used resources I like Artistic Pursuits.
SON 6TH GRADE:
Critical Thinking: I actually can't wait to go through this with him. I'm excited.
Saxon Math: We'll test tomorrow
Life of Fred
Spelling Workout: Again i'm not sure where to start here
Rod & Staff: I'm thinking of going with Rod and Staff. I was looking at the 6th GR book and I don't think he learned any of this, I may go back to the 5th GR book. Does anyone have another suggestion for a kid who has been learning public school grammar moving into a more classical, language art based education?
Again, i'm not sure where to go with the history text. This seems like it's almost the most important resource. I was looking at Usborne, Kindersley, Nat Geo... then I started reading about A Beka, Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace. I just don't know. I think being beginners, something that guides us along a little will be great.
Science: We're deciding on Bio or Earth/Astronomy. I think we're going to start either way with Creepy Crawlies & Scientific Method. Then buy some experiment packs.
Again, Artistic Pursuits if I can find a deal.
Two more items....
I don't know if we're going to start Latin. We're already a little overwhelmed and behind. If we get rolling and really enjoy it and feel like we have extra time at the end of the day I may start them on Prima Latina and Latina Christiana. However, we're considering skipping it this year and just doing Rosetta Stone Spanish with them. I already have it and I think Spanish is going to be invaluable to them in their every day life. I think we're all going to do it as a family.
Ok, so any advice, comments, or help I can get would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking for a few people to help me along these first couple of weeks. We have some home schooling friends that would be happy to mentor us through this but we're going to be travelling.
I think my biggest problem is the history spines. I just don't know what to do. Also, the big choices of just putting a lot of this other stuff aside and picking a big multi-subject school in a box from one of the A Beka, Calvert, Sonlight type companies.
Thanks for any advice you can give us.
For history I would recommend either Story of the World with the Activity Guide or Mystery of History. I think you'll greatly appreciate using a history spine that's written in a narrative style vs. using an encyclopedia- especially with the ages of your children. If you do SOTW you'll definitely need to have a good encyclopedia handy for your 6th grader so he can begin learning to outline.
You're 6th grader probably doesn't need a "handwriting" curriculum unless he's struggling with penmanship- he'll be able to practice his penmanship via his various writing assignments etc.
I would consider adding a writing program to both your older boy's curriculum. SWB's Writing with Ease is excellent and I think you would find that being "walked" through narrations/dictations invaluable- for both you AND the kids. In fact, if I were you I would consider just putting both older boys in WWE 4. It's also a great jumping off point for finding literature and read aloud books.
For grammar, Rod and Staff is solid, but personally I much prefer the format of SWB's First Language Lessons for grammar. It's a great program and is scripted- which I like when it comes to explaining some more difficult concepts. The workbook is very minimalist, and has plenty of room for writing. It also incorporates dictation and narration exercises. Good luck to you as you begin your homeschooling journey! :001_smile:
ETA- we really enjoy Apologia for science. And FWIW, I've never followed the rotation schedule recommended for science. :)
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If you have a cool place to store them, apples will last a long while. :)
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Yes, a lot of them do.
I never knew. But that's probably because I've never joined a group. ;)
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I won't ever be able to teach in my favorite (so far) homeschool group co-op because I can't sign the statement of faith which includes a belief in the literal six day creation of the universe. (Heh. Maybe that's actually a blessing based on what I've read here about co-ops.)
Homeschool groups really have statement's of faith that are THAT detailed?!?!?! Wow. I never knew. What are they going to do, teach doctrine?? I find that odd...:confused:
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My exception: when the kids have friends to play, I let them play however long they want, until the friends look bored. And then I shoo them to another activity. Boys seem to truly bond over these games. They're not just "watching a screen." They really get into the game with each other, yelling out what to do next, and taking turns, etc. I think it's an important bonding experience.
:iagree:
Absolutely. Myself? I can't stand video games. Really have zero interest in them and it's always been that way. But, I can't deny that it is a large part the culture for many kids. I watch my ds and his best friend playing Mario Brothers and you can just see the bonding over this shared experience. Socially I think it is very important.Personally I think it's no different than sugar, using the internet, drinking alcohol, etc. There are always some people who can't control their usage and it causes problems, but for the vast majority of people it's something that they can regulate. The best way to teach this to your kids is to talk about and model moderation, IMO.
:iagree:
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I would definitely say it is part of the current culture. Doesn't mean you have to give in to it if you are really opposed to it. I see it as two fold---
a) Content
b) Time
I agree with this. I can't throw in with the "video games are evil" crowd but we seriously limit what games are allowed to be played and how much time is spent on them.
During the school year, the kids are only allowed to play video games on the weekends- and typically they play them with their dad. (I swear, he's worse than the kids! :tongue_smilie: ) Content is vetted on a case by case basis- I don't go by the "ratings" because it varies so much, but so far we have only allowed "E" and a few "T" rated ones.
I think you're correct in that you won't be able to shield him from exposure to video games, especially as he gets older, so IMO it's better to have rules already in place as far as what/when he's allowed to play. :)
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So I just wonder now if my experience was rare, some special Canuckistan privilege or those of us with good hospital birth stories just tend to be quieter about it.
I've often wondered this as well.
All five of my children were born in the same hospital and my birth experiences sound just like yours. I loved it.
My hospital *insists* on baby rooming in unless NICU is involved. They *insist* on at least 1 full hour of "skin to skin" time immediately after baby is born. They encourage breast feeding and even have a lactation consultant visit during your stay -and call a few days after to make sure all is going well. Big, homey birthing rooms with jetted tubs. Supportive, wonderful nursing staff.
FWIW, we live in a fairly rural area- not a tiny town but definitely not a "big city" and I wonder if that makes a difference...
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Just for the record, I don't think your son is a sociopath.
I totally understand a 10 year old boy doing something stupid- because let's face it, 10 year old boys don't have a very good grasp on "cause and effect".
I think what most of us are concerned about is YOUR attitude that it was okay for him to deal with his frustration with the dogs this way. It sends your son a very, very bad message and *that* is a scary thing. My reaction to this would have been completely different.
And at this point I think your best option with your neighbor is to go crawling over there, completely contrite and full of apologies that sound a little more convincing and real. I'd make my son apologize as well. And, yes, I'd probably be carrying a gift basket. ;)
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I do not equate dogs to boys.
But clearly, your neighbor does. It's HER dog and she told you that they consider their dog a member of the family. Your son shot a member of her family. Can you possibly put yourself in that mindset by imagining it being your son??
Seriously, I don't equate dogs and children either- but I would be absolutely, beside myself furious if a neighbor child shot my dog with a BB gun on my property. I would call the police and report animal cruelty. It is simply not okay to use a weapon of any kind against any human or animal just because they annoy you.
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How serious do you think a barking dog gets shot with bbs?
Shooting a dog with a BB Gun would be a MAJOR issue in my house. Totally unacceptable and cruel. No excuses. BBs can and do cause injury and pain. My boys are required to treat their bb guns as if they were real weapons.
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One of my family's absolute favorites is "Dirty Rice". Really simple, super cheap.
Brown 2 lbs of Italian sausage. Drain off about 3/4 of the juice, add 4-6 cups of cooked rice and briefly saute. Take it off the heat and finish it with a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes. (Adjust according to your tastes- those flakes are pretty spicy so I keep it to a minimum.)
My kids and husband all *beg* me to make this. :)
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Littlest DD slammed her finger in a door a few months ago. When her nail started to lift she got a nasty infection underneath (pussy, red, sore). I asked a friend who is a pediatric nurse about it and she told me to use hydrogen peroxide on it a couple times a day, keep in bandaged during the day and if it didn't improve or got worse to take her in for antibiotics. I did this and the infection went away and her nail grew back- although it kind of grew back a little funky. (It has a funny crease in it...??)
I would use hydrogen peroxide and just keep an eye on it- if it doesn't get better definitely take him in.
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Legality aside- it's just plain rude! I'd be mad, too.
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Coffee/quiet time, shower, dressed, breakfast, chores and dog taken care of, the house cleaned, and a load of laundry started... and lots more coffee! I have to be up @ 5:30 to get everything done before school starts at 9. I have to be up at 5:00 on the mornings I run (which, if I'm being a good girl is 2-3 days a week).
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Oh, sweetie. It's called Hydrocodone and 800 mg Ibuprofen as often as you can take it. :P Get's worse every time. By the time I had #5 it was worse than labor.
In all seriousness, though- I have learned that the most important thing is to stay ahead of the pain- don't not take pain meds because you are feeling fine- take it on time so you don't get behind.
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OK yo must live somewhere where food is cheaper because I do all that and NO WAY is my bill that low.
Yes, we live in the Northwest- so that's likely. :) We lived in So-cal briefly and I KNOW groceries were much more expensive there.
Childbirth -- directed pushing vs. pushing instinctively
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
In my unmedicated birth I never had an "urge" to push. So no, it does not always work.
You can always wait until you're dilated to 10 and then make the decision based on how you feel at the time. It's not like they can "force" you to push, right? :P