Topic : Homeschooling

lol, no my clothes don't smell, but hey, that's a logical question. My husband hates the smell of vinegar, so I assure you it doesn't smell. when the vinegar dries, it has no odor. I add 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle in place of any dryer sheets or liquid softener. The vinegar will also help to break down your laundry soap that you use. After the clothes are dry, from either line dried, or the drier, there will be no smell. Give it a try and see what you think. I agree that the price of some of these natural products is way too much. I google natural cleaners and try to find recipes to make my own. Also when I wash the bathroom down with vinegar, it does smell, but again, only until it dries.

My husband is having a hard time with the vegetarianism as well, but I don't shove it down his throat. He eats it when we go out (rarely) and at work from time to time.

do you want me to send you some good veg. links, so you can read up on it? I will if you want. but I won't unless you ask because I don't want you to think I would push this on you or anyone else.

I have two children. Both girls, ages 12 and 5. My 12 year old became a veg. first and after I read up on it, I didn't want to eat meat EVER again.

The best books I read on it were the Fit for life books by Harvey Diamond. I learned so much from those books. I had always feared cancer because it's in my family alot, but after reading Fit for life (a new beginning) I never fear it. I got this book from my local library.

I agree with what you say about the debating.

How many children do you have? How long have you been HS? What was your reason to start HS? I started because I just didn't agree with the system and my daughter was so miserable. All year she has stomache aches and was so depressed and then in the summer, she came alive and was so happy because she was out of school. I hated the control the school had over our lives and I wanted to be the one to teach, or as I call it, learn with my kids.

It's really nice to have met you! THat's the reason I stick with these boards. Every once in awhile I find someone I can relate to.

Sherrilynn

I'm going to try the vinegar one of these days. I'll let you know what I think.

Yeah - sure send me the veg links if you don't mind. My husband would never go without meat. He's a meat and potatoes kind of person.

 

I have 3 kids.   I'm not a homeschooler yet. I guess you could say I'm a wannabe ;-)  I will be homeschooling one next year.  I'll send you an email with a little more detail.

 

Anyone have any favorite books you'd like to post...along with the age range of the book???  I'm trying to find some new material - we're tapped.

Hello,

I just pulled my 16 year daughter out of Catholic High School because she suffers from

depression.

 

Two years ago her best friend was killed by a drunk driver and since then she started to cut herself.

 

She has been cut free for two month but last week  the girls that she was going to the prom with

(sharing a limo) started fighting with her because she was upset that she could not sit with them at the Prom. She started to cry and now they ate making fun at her.

 

She was having panic attacks at school. The school notified us and we picked her up. She told us that she could not take any upset from friends. So we pulled her out of that school and we are now home schooling her.

 

Can any-one help me. I am very worried about her.  Annette viola avio48@hotmail.com

 

 

You've got mail!

Hello,
I am 15 years of age and I am currently being homeschooled; I started during my first year in highschool after being expelled in my third month of October. I had many friends in school, but I was still depressed, I guess the whole environment wasn't working for me. I eventually started doing drugs and not even showing up at school at all. My parents had no idea about this until after the fact when I was arrested at the park for possession of marijuana and absences at school. My parents took everything away until December of that year when I found out my first love ended his life. We started dating my first month in highschool up until a month before his death, he wanted me to get on the good side of my parents and we decided to break it off. I still to this day have not gotten over his death, I will admit it is very tough. Taking my phone away and not allowing me to go anywhere for months only depressed me more. If you catch your child doing wrong, first warn them and shorten the leash every time, do not take it all away at once. I now have my life back together and I am ready to help others that are in need and give advice to those who do not know what to do.

People tell me everyday that I am not going to make it anywhere in life, but those who are willing to try as hard as they can will make it. I have stopped with my online programs and I am now teaching myself by observation. When I turn 16, I will take my highschool equivilancy test and I will then get a full time job to save up for college to take Psychology. I help others as much as I can now but I would like to push myself and increase my knowledge in any way that I can. I can now say that nobody is ever too far gone to get their life moving back in the right path.

I am also here to tell the parents who do not support homeschooling to really think it over. If your child is not doing well in school and you know there is something wrong, do something today, do not sit around and wait for something bad to happen. I know you all wish your kids would talk to you more often, so if you do not have a good connection with your child, take at least ten minutes out of your day to ask how their day went, even if they seem uninterested inside they appreciate it and feel cared about.

 You need to make it clear that you will not get mad at any wrong choices they are making in their life but you will do your best to help them out. Once you form a trust relationship with your sons/daughters, you will find them telling you more and more every time. Considering I was in a dark place, I would have loved to have then what I now have with my parents. In most cases, it takes a horrible situation to make you and your kids close. Please do not let any situation spiral out of control, connect with your child now. Depression can come with any age, from situations of bullies in elementary school to peerpressure in highschool. So start communicating with your child little by little each day before they make a choice that's not too good for them. Everyone needs their parents.


-Angela




If you ever have any questions or would like me to talk to one of your teens, I've been through many experiences and will devote as much time to you as you would like.


clownvixen@hotmail.com
 

What a great post Angela. You are so articulate and I love how you are learning now, on your own. I unschool my children and we all learn that way (on our own) because I believe that when forced to do a certain curriculum, we will not truly learn it unless we have an interest in it.

My daughter will be 13 next month and we are going through some hard times as far as communication goes. We used to talk about everything, but now she seems to be shutting me out. I can see reasons that she is doing this though and I know I have a part in it. For instance, she is getting interested in boys and I see that, but she knows I will not allow her to date at this age, so I think that's why she doesn't talk to me about it. My daughter and I were always so close and would like to have that again, even if it's a different kind of closeness. any advice would be appreciated.

you say that people tell you everyday that your not going to make it in life. I can tell that you WILL make it life. You are strong and determined and you are have such a kind heart to want to help people. I can't figure out why anyone who cares about someone would ever tell them such a thing.

I love to hear from teens and see they are doing well in their home schooling environment. Thank you for that!

Hope to see many more posts from you. I think you can add alot to this board and help parents out. We sure need it!

With home schooling becoming more popular and you being so articulate, you may consider writing a book on your experiences with home schooling and LIFE in general, with all you have been through.

Also I would like to suggest a book to you. It's called the teenage liberation handbook and it'a an AMAZING book for teens and their parents. It helps to relax me when I get into "panic mode".

Great chatting with you Angela,

Sherrilynn

 Thanks for the comments on my last post. I would have to agree with you about learning with a certain curriculum, it will not work unless that particular person shows an interest in it. I have heard of the "unschooling" technique, read lots of great things about it. In my opinion, schools do not teach things you really need to learn like how to pay the bills, balance a check book, or clean up around the house; these skills can only be taught at home and are best to be learned at a young age.

Sorry to hear about your daughter, but usually little disagreements here and there will cause communication in any relationship to slowly stop. I know the dating thing is tough, but she may come home one day with a huge smile on her face telling you that she has a "boyfriend".  I have two younger sisters, and a little brother; the next closest sister to me recently turned 13 and she shows really no interest in dating. I guess me and my sister have always looked for the more mature guys to be in a relationship with. I remember having little crushes and actually being in a relationship in third grade up until sixth grade, but of course they meant nothing at all. My sister was the same way, I think we've had our time to experiment and we've found out what love is not. I guess you have to use your best judgement as a parent and figure out how much you actually know about your daughter. If your daughter does not come off as being premiscuous or "off the chain" at home, then your worries shouldn't be quite as bad as most parents are but do talk to your daughter about dating with caution.

If you don't feel as close to your daughter as you did, here's a little tip: If you don't go out now to do anything fun that a pre-teen would like to do such as the arcade, movies, mall, or whatever your daughter likes to do, start today. I know if you and your daughter find things in common with eachother, the communication line will slowly start opening up again. At least that's what my mom did, she tricked me, and it's still working to this day.      :p    I do have to admit though, I love going places with my mom and connecting with her, it didn't seem too fun at first because on the outside I was trying to hide that I was actually having fun when on the inside I loved it.

I really do appreciate your comments. I will share my opinions on any topic and help out as best as I can. I have considered writing a book on my life experiences; there is so much I would like to talk about now but there's too much not to have in book form. I know once I start a book it may never be finished, I'd be adding more and more to it every day. I currently play the piano and that in a way tells a story itself.

If you want advice on any topic, feel free to ask. I'll give my honest opinions and answer from most teens point of view. By the way, I will take a look at that book, I've read some reviews on it and it seems interesting. Thanks for the input!

-Angela


clownvixen@hotmail.com

My daughter is also into music and she loves to sing. She just joined the adult choir at the church we used to go to. We no longer attend church, but she does enjoy going to sing and it's a great work out for her voice and it's free music lessons, so she can learn to read music.

 

My daughter will turn 13 next month and I want to do something really special. I'm not sure if it should be just the two of us, or a family thing with my hubby and her sister (6 years old). Do you have any suggestions? When she was little, I had always thought of this day  and thought I would throw her a teen party,. but she is not into that and not very social, although she is coming around and she has one best friend that is turning 15 next month as well. I would love it if you could give me some suggestions.

THank you so much!

Sherrilynn 

As far as the boyfriend issue, I have to say I'm pretty strict on that one. she has not asked if she can have a boyfriend, but there is a boy on our street that she has a crush on. I woudn't mind if she hung out with him as friends where they would be supervised, but I would not be comfortable with them being alone unsupervised. I know it doesn't mean much sometimes to say you have a boyfriend, but sometimes it does and this boy is actually far more experienced than my daughter. He had a girlfriend for 3 years and he was used to her always being at his house becuase she has a bad home life and this boys mom felt bad for her.

Anyway, I'm just going to try to get closer and stop nagging so much. I can be very high strung sometimes and I know this isn't helping. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and in trying to be the perfect mom and keep a perfect house (impossible), I can get stressed and take it out on others.

My daughter has been helping out more around the house the last few days without being asked and that has been nice, so I did something nice for her. She wanted to go to a Y.M.C.A dance with her friend, but her friend is going away on that night with her family, so I offered for her friend to spend the night here and I would drive them both and pick them up. Infortunatley, she was not allowed to stay over, but I know my daughter appreciated the gesture.

It was nice chatting with you again Angela. We can all learn from each other, no matter what our ages.

I am 34 by the way. I am happily married and I love my life, even though at times it is too chaotic for my brain to handle, lol.

Sherriylnn