Science and DD....Update and question post #56

[maize]

What gets me is the practitioners who think homeschooling is so infinitely adaptable that you don't even NEED meds!   :lol:   Two kids with labels, no meds, but I become infinitely less opposed to them every day.  Have you tried caffeine on her?

 

Other things to buy you time or help you get a little peace?  (not an exhaustive list)

-dramatic increases in physical activity--gymnastics at the Y, swimming, sports

-OT eval

-S'cool Moves/Focus Moves --our OT uses this but you can get the ebook for $10 and do it yourself.  I'm CRAZY for it.  Best $10 ever, other than maybe the Ronit Bird ebook.  

-structure--the buzzword from God through all psychs who seek to console us.  You really can't have too much structure with them.  

 

In my dreamworld I'd have 2 hours of gymnastics and 1 hour of swimming every day, our OT stuff at home, energy to keep up appropriate structure (think military school and you'll be there).  And even then, I could still use meds with him.  But the things do help.  And omega 3, daily salad, healthy snacks, etc.  When they're that skinny, they *could* be forgetting to eat.  (My ds does that, just so busy he walks away!)  They could have some metabolic problems or digestion issues (celiac, food allergies, etc.).  With my ds I build snacks into our structure, intentionally feed him more compact, high fat food like avocadoes, and use food for motivators during lessons.  It will often be healthy food (pistachios, cashews, raisins, etc.) not just candy, nevertheless it's food.  And I break the laws of motherhood and buy him ice cream cones when we're out.  He was literally up at midnight last night saying he was hungry.  On Sunday nights we forage, and we found his food on his plate after he went to bed.  He had literally gotten busy and just walked away!  He woke up a mess (blood sugar low), still wasn't perked up after breakfast, but now is looking happier after a 2nd meal.  What a mess.  Just too busy to eat, gets distracted by himself and his ideas.

 

Many good suggestions here.

 

Physical activity definitely helps my oldest dd. Unfortunately her activities are so time-consuming that is hard to fit in more for the younger ones (now if they would just all be drawn to the same things life would be so much easier!). Dd7 has been doing dance once a week and gymnastics twice a week, but right now we're down to just gymnastics once a week. I'm looking into some other options though. I do have two swingsets and three trampolines (one large outdoor trampoline and two six foot trampolines that live in our basement in the winter). I know my kids need lots of physical movement.

 

I have the S'Cool Moves book, I need to incorporate it into our day.

 

Low blood sugar is definitely a trigger for meltdowns here. I had an interesting experience one week when I bought a bunch of boxes of all-natural fruit snacks on sale. I was letting the kids snack from them pretty freely, and really expected an uptick in behavioral problems because of all the sugar. The opposite happened--dd7 didn't have any meltdowns at all. All I could figure was that because she was snacking constantly throughout the day her blood sugar stayed up. I always allow snacking, but don't usually keep sweet things like that on hand; dd7 has a major sweet tooth though and doesn't snack so much on other things.

 

Structure. This is a huge weak spot for me. My kids definitely do better with more structure. The problem is that I know exactly where dd7 gets her ADHD symptoms from--structure and consistency are impossibly hard for me to maintain. If I were not dealing with pregnacies/breastfeeding, I would seriously be looking into getting medication for myself.

[maize]

(Sorry for the bunny trail, this thread just got me thinking about some things I've been needing to give more attention to.)

[OneStepAtATime]

Bunny trail away, maize.

 

And yes structure is a challenge every single day here.  I am not organized by nature.  School was so hard for me because I kept losing things, forgetting where to put things, etc.  Dad was exceedingly organizationally challenged and while Mom could be really good at keeping an already organized place organized (such as when she would help out her parents) she was terrible at imposing organization on others.  Yet I craved organization and when I finally got out on my own I was eventually able to implement some organizational strategies on my own.  Of course, I had to reinvent the wheel to do it since I had never been taught and I didn't have any good books on the subject.  Then I got married to a man with weak EF and had two kids with weak EF skills, once of whom desperately wants structure and constantly struggles to achieve it while the other feels horribly confined with structure but cannot function without it.  And I got overloaded.  Especially once we started homeschooling.  I have to step back and reevaluate on a regular basis, re-read Smart but Scattered and ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life and constantly tweak and remind myself how important establishing good habits and processes really is.  There are days when I wish we lived in a colony on Mars with these huge restrictions on what we were allowed to bring.  Small living space with very limited material so it would be SO MUCH EASIER to clean and organize.   :lol:  

 

I am hypoglycemic so I get the blood sugar issue, too.  Hugs, maize.  If I can do small snacks throughout the day I stay pretty level.  If I go an extended period without food, my normally pretty level and unflappable self turns into a weepy, emotional whiner with undertones of anger.  Not a good place to be when trying to raise kids.  I have to keep this same situation in mind with the kids.  They need small snacks throughout the day, too.  DD does pretty well.  DS not so much.

[PeterPan]

For the S'cool Moves/Focus Moves book, I used the images to print posters onto 8 1/2X11 paper and put those into page protectors in a notebook.  So now we just open the notebook and do the 5 or whatever we're working on as a warm-up.  They don't get lost, bent, etc. that way, and I can pull them out, go to the rug to do an activity with him, then put it away.  Works for us.

 

Structure I learned to accept the hard way, the really hard way, by not doing enough of it for a lot of years, lol.  

 

Food, yup, I used to have hypoglycemia.  For me it was low adrenals.  I used a nutritionist and got that a lot more stable, but she has me eat every 2 hours anyway.  It's not rabid drops like it used to be.  I include snacks in our structure and checklist, or I forget to eat.  So midmorning it's usually some kind of dried fruit and bananas.  Midafternoon regular fruit (apples, oranges, grapes, that kind of thing) and juice.  

[OneStepAtATime]

Thought I would update a bit and ask for some specifics.

 

1.  Trail Guides to Learning did not work as I wanted and that is mainly my fault.  Separating out just the science from everything else was too time consuming, much as I love the approach, and only the science ended up being what I wanted to use from this program.

2.  The on-line Marine Science class caused issues at first (difference between my own views on science and some of the YE references for one thing and DD struggling to understand what was happening during class time was another) but the conversational tone of the book and the pictures, once we got into a better routine of me reading small segments, inviting discussion and adding in some stuff with quizzlet are actually working sort of o.k. for DD.  The teacher includes lots of videos that are mainly visual which also helps.  DD can't really follow everything that the teacher is saying and gets really frustrated with all the stop-start that happens during class but she has liked the virtual field trips.  So far she seems to be retaining at least a bit of the material but I have to create a lot of review or it doesn't stick.

 

Now I am really working on what to do for next year for 9th grade.  DD and I decided Biology would probably be the best option since she won't be in High School level math yet.  We can get a used copy of Power Basics Biology for a little over $5 including shipping.  What else should I add to that?  DD does much better with a lot of visual and kinesthetic input.  Any suggestions?  Resources?  She also likes workbooks, FWIW.

[OneStepAtATime]

Looks like Rainbow Resources has the Power Basics Student workbook with answer key, the Teacher's Manual and the Test Book with Answer key.  Do I need all of these?  Total cost for all of it would be about $35 plus shipping.  I can do that if they are needed.   I was planning on getting the used textbook through Amazon for $5 with free shipping but I can't tell what the publication date is for the Rainbow Resource selections and I assume I need them to match.  Does anyone know if a newer version than 2005 was ever published?  The RR stuff is unused so I assume it would be from the latest publication.

[Heathermomster]

If you could wrangle a 400x microscope with premade slides, that might help. I like the following website:

 

http://www.biologycorner.com

 

DS likes Apologia Biology. I detest the book so turn to the Internet often when a concept isn't clear. I perform searches and watch YouTube videos using the iPad. I am getting to where I cannot get by without it.

[FairProspects]

Glad the class is mostly working out for her! We are venturing into online classes next year as well so it is encouraging to hear your experience. Hope you find a great option for biology. I've heard good things about Pandia Press Real Science Odyssey Bio Level 2, but I'm not sure on the age range.

[OneStepAtATime]

If you could wrangle a 400x microscope with premade slides, that might help. I like the following website:

 

http://www.biologycorner.com

 

DS likes Apologia Biology. I detest the book so turn to the Internet often when a concept isn't clear. I perform searches and watch YouTube videos using the iPad. I am getting to where I cannot get by without it.

We do have a microscope but not very many premade slides at all.  I am uncertain how powerful it is but DH bought it so I am betting it is pretty good.  He loves looking at stuff under a microscope (when we first got it he kept looking at his blood and was begging the kids to let him look at theirs).

 

Thanks for the rec of the website.

[OneStepAtATime]

Glad the class is mostly working out for her! We are venturing into online classes next year as well so it is encouraging to hear your experience. Hope you find a great option for biology. I've heard good things about Pandia Press Real Science Odyssey Bio Level 2, but I'm not sure on the age range.

I don't think we will do another on-line class in science for DD.  Even though we have made this one work, it has been challenging and at times very frustrating.  She did well with an on-line art class and an on-line American History class, but I scaffolded a LOT with the History class.  At least we have found a way to keep her going in this one.  She likes Marine Sciences so the topic itself does keep her more engaged than others might.

 

I wish you the best with on-line options next year.  Did you see the really great thread regarding on-line options? I can't remember who posted on that one, so if you did, forgive me.  It has a TON of great options listed.  If I can find it again I will link just in case someone wants it.