AnnaM Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 My son is about 4 years younger than my middle child. When he was younger school felt really far off and keeping things for him seemed silly with such a big gap, so I resold things and used the money to purchase the following year's curriculum. Now that he is nearly 4 I am starting to rethink the wisdom of selling things I will have to repurchase in a few years. I am curious. Do you keep things or do you sell and then just repurchase when you need them. I hate clutter/things that sit around for years unused, but I think I hate repurchasing things just as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Right now, we are saving everything for our youngers. But our four kids are all within a year of each other so...it's not like we'll have stuff around forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I would keep things like text books and teacher's manuals for curricula that you love. I do, though mine are only 2 years apart. Even though they are only 2 yrs age apart, they actually work 3 grades apart as the older works a grade ahead. Even though they are different learners, I have chosen materials that I like. I usually try to find a way to teach the materials and adjust it to the learner as opposed to trying to find the "perfect" curriculum for each child. My younger is more kinesthetic. I just find ways to keep her moving during the day: running breaks in the yard between subjects, using tiles for spelling words, while the older was fine with just copying them, having her hop as she recites her math facts, etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeschoolingHearts&Minds Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 My oldest is 4 years older than my next oldest. I have always kept things. I would much rather have some materials on hand already rather than have to buy all the materials for everybody in a few years. But I also find that just because I keep it does not mean I actually end up using it with with my younger kids. :D What fits one very well might be a very poor fit for another. And new materials come out every year. But, I'm reluctant to part with my library that I'm building up. I do let go of some stuff each year that I know I won't use again. Some things I have reused, some I will, no doubt, reuse in the future. Having a selection makes it easier to combine or tweak as I wish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 For my first three, I save it all. They're close enough that sometimes one is going into a book not long after another has finished it. For the last two, I have saved stuff that I love and know I wil want to use again. That's a lo of money to have to spend again when we don't have to. I also don't really resell things anymore unless it's stuff that's flopped. After 5 kids spanning 12 years, I'm not really counting on much of a resale value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 My boys are 5 years apart and you had better believe I save it all. Why would I buy SOTW plus AG guide twice? Why would I buy FLL twice? Why would I buy the SM textbooks twice? I have 4 large storage bins and I keep what can be kept and toss out consumables. When my second child is done with a resource I can get rid of it. I spend very little from year to year on my younger child. I save my cash and spend it on the older. Math and science get very expensive in middle and high schools. That is where my resources need to go. I should also add that so far, my boys seem to have very similar learning styles...or I am able to adapt for each child easily. I know some families have different materials for each child because they are so different. I am so lucky this has not been the case for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narrow Gate Academy Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 We save and reuse all of our curriculum here with younger students. I would rather store it than rebuy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threebears Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I have saved SL curriculum among all other stuff so far. I am wondering, too if I should have sold it to get more money out of it as my next oldest is probably going to use it 7years and the next 8 years after her. Now it's old and some I can for sure reuse but the sonlight teacher's guides have changed so much and I feel for the better, so now I hate thinking I should buy newer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 If there is a large gap, you might consider purchasing any matching consumables now, before they are updated and you end up with mismatched texts /tests / workbooks etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Mine are three years apart and I do save materials unless I really disliked them the first time around. Even if something wasn't the right fit for my oldest, I save it anyway, because I've been surprised a few times at what did work for my youngest. I try to buy used materials in the first place, so I don't generally expect a great resale value anyway (plus, it's too much work for me to keep things in the pristine condition people seem to want when I'm using them regularly). I figure if I can resell something later, it's just a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 If there is a large gap, you might consider purchasing any matching consumables now, before they are updated and you end up with mismatched texts /tests / workbooks etc. I do this. I keep almost everything. If we are ever in a pinch financially, I'll weed through the stuff I have. I can't imagine selling stuff to rebuy later. The extra money in shipping alone would make that unattractive. Plus the time I'd spend selling, shipping and looking to rebuy. It would only happen if I couldn't afford next year's stuff any other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohmomjacquie Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 We have a four year gap as well. So far I have sold but we haven't found what I would really love to use for the others. Once I do I will keep it for them. It also depends on your finaces. For us $ has been tight so selling has helped me a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hwin Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 My boys are 5 1/2 years apart and I am keeping everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 If there is a large gap, you might consider purchasing any matching consumables now, before they are updated and you end up with mismatched texts /tests / workbooks etc. I have done that when I stumbled upon a great sale/resale etc on the consumable. However, so far it hasn't been a problem. I am not saying it won't be a problem, just saying it hasn't happened yet. And as my first son gets older, many of the 'consumables' we use are meant to be copied and passed out by classroom teachers. I make a copy as directed and keep the master in good condition. With things like elementary workbooks created to be written in we just use them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Also, we are just starting out, but some of the things I'm using with my olders I realized I could have started with them sooner. For instance, although my younger is not ready to learn to read, I can still start introducing concepts like blending a word together once in a while. No reason not to have the younger play with some of the manipulatives already, etc. Having the texts available means I can refresh my memory and start laying the ground work even before we are ready to officially start the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I have done a bit of keeping and a bit of selling. The thing that I am finding is that I don't like using the same curriculum twice for some things like science and social studies. I guess it falls back to me not liking to read a book twice or see a movie twice. I did all of the Elementary Apologia books with my dd. I kept them all because we enjoyed them. I have lapbooks for each of them. I pulled Botony out this year and was set to do that with my son starting this summer. Ummm... I just couldn't make myself want to do it again. I ended up ordering Elemental Science because it seems so different and exciting to me! Having said that - I have used some of the same things just fine with my younger one. I guess it is just that sometimes something new comes a long in the 6 years between mine and I just like it better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moniksca Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 My boys are 6 years apart and I'm keep everything because it's such a pain to buy things used since I'm in Canada, shipping is a killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 The excuse "I can use this for both girls" is the main way I justify so many of my purchases!!!! You better believe I'm saving it! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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