Kappasweet wrote:  What do you do for calcium, vitamin D, and protein and fat source then.  There aren't many foods that are very complete on these types of nutrients, which I think is one of the main reasons our diet is riddled with dairy.  I don't think they should recommend getting rid of dairy without suggesting affordable equivalent substitutes.

Well, for calcium we make smoothies with almonds or brazil nuts in them, also salad lettuce is a good source of calcium, some fruits and other things too.  Vitamin D is manufactured by your own body when you are exposed to sunshine, so unless you're living in the far North where the winter days are dark, then a daily exposure to the great outdoors will be plenty for Vitamin D.  Protein is in lots and lots of stuff; besides the nuts I mentioned, it's in fruits and vegetables too.  Protein is made up of amino acids.  A fruit or a vegetable or a nut or a grain doesn't have all the amino acids, but with a varied diet, it should be no problem to get enough complete protein.  (The real concern in North America is probably that many people consume too much protein).  There are many healthy fats that aren't animal based... for the baby I mash avocado with banana for example... also nuts, olive oil... even oranges have a small amount of fat in them believe it or not.  In our house we do use cheese... mostly because it is convenient and tasty... but I'd feel very comfortable feeding the kids a totally vegan diet too.  I think the older ones might protest, and I'm quite sure my husband couldn't do without some meat either, so for our family we have a 'mostly vegetarian diet' and we all seem healthy.  There are lots of vegan books that explain how vegans easily get their nutritional requirements, but I'm not any kind of health expert... I've just read a few books and I feel quite comfortable without emphasizing dairy consumption in our children's diets.  The nutrients you mentioned are actually some of the least concerning to vegan diets from what I've read.... sometimes iron or vit.B12 can be an issue.  (One book I read asked "Why are the countries with the highest dairy consumption per capita also the countries with the highest incidence of osteoperosis?")

Many books that advise eliminating dairy do point out that the American and Canadian Food Guides have changed over the years to emphasize more fruits and vegetables and less dairy and meat... they suggest that medical science is discovering that so much dairy is not good for our bodies (a milk that is designed for a large muscular cow... human milk has less fat and more lactose - the milk sugar that grows our central nervous systems; our brains).  However, they point out, even with this medical knowledge, the governments can never suggest to cut down or eliminate dairy because the dairy industry is so huge...it wouldn't be a good political move at all.  And remember, it's the dairy industry commercials that say "Milk...it does a body good".

My big question is still "Why are we the only species that don't wean?"  All the mammals in nature look pretty healthy without drinking milk past infancy.  Well, like I said, these are just my own experiences and insights... I'm no medical expert.  But I've read enough books that I feel comfortable with the diet we eat in our family.  And our babies are getting milk until they're almost three or longer... human milk.  If I couldn't breastfeed for that long for some reason, then I would definetely look for some alternative because babies do have different nutritional needs than adults do.

I don't know... I feel pretty safe not giving my little ones cow's milk (or goats milk, or soy milk, etc).  Some of my children like to drink it occasionally.... we have it in the house mainly for DH's coffee or for recipies (pancakes, cheese sauce for mac'ncheese, etc).  In a week we might go through 4 litres (1 gallon) at most.... for a family of 8!  My oldest is 15 now and they're all growing up just fine without having milk as a regular part of their diets.  In fact, in 15 years with 6 children, we've had a grand total of only 3 or 4 ear infections... I've read that dairy can contribute to this.  If I didn't breastfeed them for almost 3 years or more, then I might get some sort of 'vegetarian baby' book from the library.... but they are all getting milk (from me) during those first few years, and then they are weaned.  (Just like all the animals in nature who wean and then no longer drink milk for the rest of their lives... especially not the milk of a different species... it just doesn't seem natural when you think about it like that).

Well, it's only my humble opinion... I'm no medical doctor or anything... but to me I think it must be okay and healthy to wean from milk past babyhood.

Sometimes when my kids were younger and we were using homeschooling workbooks, they were not yet ready to do all that writing yet even though they could easily answer the questions.  I gave them as much writing practice as I felt was appropriate for them, but for the rest of their workpages, they gave me the answers and I did the writing down for them.  I did not want to hold them back from learning simply because they weren't ready for that much independent written work.  That is one of the benefits of homeschooling... you can tailor the use of curriculum to your individual child's needs... giving them just the right amount of challenge, but not too much.  You will not be able to buy an all-inclusive curriculum package for her and expect to make that work.  If you want to start using curriculum materials, you'll have to buy her a very-beginning handwriting (or download free handwriting sheets from the internet), get her lots of books to read from the library at her level, find a math workbook that is her level, for the other subjects perhaps do it more informally (history & science... get non-fiction books from the library, art... idea books and art appreciation books in the non-fiction children's section, etc.  She is so young still.  Above all you want her learning to be enjoyable.  Doman says above all "don't bore the child".  With 'school-type' curriculum packages, sometimes they are a bit bored with some of what's being taught, but if they are older then they can at least understand that they just have to learn it anyways and if they just get it done then they can go do something they like to do.  I don't think you'll be able to do that so easily with a preschooler... I think you're just going to have to be looking around (like at the library or on the internet) for stuff she'll find interesting to learn.

One of the advantages of following a bought curriculum program is that you don't have to try to think of what to teach about and you can feel confident that all the different subject areas are being taught thoroughly... covering all aspects of it.  You can also do this by getting a book (bought or at the library) that has a list of what to teach in each grade.... like the Core Knowledge "What Your ___th Grader Needs to Know" series.  There are many such books available.  Perhaps your library has a selection of them, or ask a homeschooler for a catalogue from a company that sells lots of homeschooling books (or look on the internet for an online catalogue)... usually near the beginning of the catalogue you can find a few books like this.  After you have a few titles, then you can ask your library to get the ones they don't carry by buying them or through interlibrary loan.  Anyways, get a book like this that you like and just use it as a checklist... that way you can use a variety of books and methods to teach all the different areas, but still have the comfort that you are giving a thorough education to cover everything.  We live in a country that has no obligations to do testing or keep records or anything, but in some places you do have to... so maybe when your child finally is school-aged then you can't just simply follow this eclectic informal 'curriculum' method, but it works nicely for a lot of people.

'Hope this helps.

Yeah, the longest I let a couple of my happy little nursers do it exclusively was shortly past 1 year... then I 'cut it down' for a couple of miserable days so they were more hungry and they really took to eating solid food after that and I went back to not restricting their nursing.  I don't think they were nursing 10 times in the day plus at night, but it was once in the night and maybe 7 or 8 times in the day.  It was working for me, working for the baby... who's to say how often is too often.  In some indigenous cultures they nurse way more frequently than that even.  I know my first child nursed very often like that, but the second had her little thumb-friend, and with the third I was quite busy with 3 kids and unless I knew he was hungry, I would tend to carry him around if he was hurt or upset or tired.  Maybe some babies who are nursed that often aren't just nursing for nutrition, but also for comfort.  I don't know if this is wrong, but with more children it just wasn't going to work that way for me.  I think that is an important thing to consider when talking about the hows of breastfeeding.... it has to work for both the Mom and the baby.  If the Mom is feeling frustrated with nursing her growing child so often still, then it is definetely time to start cutting back on the nursing because the baby can sense the Mom's tension and that isn't good either.  Anyways, I'm sure everyone will agree that the MOST important thing that the baby thrives on from Mommy isn't her breastmilk... it's the love she gives her baby.  There are many valid considerations in deciding when to introduce solids, and the right time is an individual thing to every nursing relationship.

(But if you want to talk medically recommended for introducing solids, the current recommendations are waiting until after 6 months to introduce solids.  They used to recommend 4-6 months, but with newer research the recommendations have changed.)

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has this in their Position on Breastfeeding:

Optimal infant and young child feeding is exclusive breastfeeding
for 6 months, and continued breastfeeding for at least
1 and up to 2 years or longer, with age-appropriate complementary
feeding. This is in accord with the World
Health Organization (WHO)/UNICEF’s 2002 description
of optimal feeding and as interpreted in the policies
of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College
of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Academy
of Family Physicians, European Union Blueprint on
Breastfeeding, International Federation of Gynecology
and Obstetrics, International Pediatric Association, and
many other physician groups.6

I am only telling my own personal experience, so for a really great page with lots of breastfeeding questions answered by the experts:

http://www.llli.org/nb.html

Besides our current baby, all our children were exclusively breastfed until at least 10 months (our little guy started just before 6 months).  Well, a couple of our children in particular surely filled out quickly!  The one born at 8lb12oz, she was 20lb when she was 4 months old, and chubby, chubby, chubby (she had 3 or 4 chins!).... at 5 months exactly she started crawling on her hands and knees, walking at 11-1/2 months... and at a year old she was 21lb... average weight, average height... now she is 12yrs old and has a nice healthy slim figure.  Our 5yob was the other 'fatty' little baby... he's a normal average healthy size now.  Why did we start feeding our current baby so much earlier?  He didn't start off nursing quite as well (he had a poor latch) and I think he just never got as efficient at getting lots of milk, also affecting my milk supply I think... he didn't seem content like the others did, and he wasn't the chubby baby that I was used to having.  Besides the fact that I'm totally happy to be expecting another little blessing now so soon already (they'll be 16-1/2 months apart... a result of introducing solids much sooner than the others), I do wish that I hadn't started the food so early.  I can see it that it isn't as healthy as breastmilk is... his muscle tone isn't the same, it took him longer to recover from a cold a couple of months ago, and he doesn't gain as well as the others did... he was 10lb5oz at birth and now he's 19lbs at almost 1 year old.  So my advice is, breastfed babies can get quite chubby but it is not an unhealthy chubby, and it is best to wait until they are in the second half of their first year to introduce solids (that's medically recommended nowadays too).

I am more patient now with 6 kids than I was with 2 kids (1 was not so hard, but after 2 then I found it quite difficult at times).  I remember when I only had one, she was not going to sleep when it was bedtime and I felt so frustrated that I was crying!.... Later I learned to just let the kid stay up another hour and try again, also that a very regular bedtime routine means that you'll rarely have any bedtime problems.  But when it was the first kid, things would frustrate me (was I honestly worried that she wouldn't ever fall asleep that night?!).  Back then, I could have easily written exactly what you wrote... I've done it too.  Also I was only 22yrs old... now I am 37 and that makes a big difference.  I always say to people, "You raise the first; the rest just grow up".  I still am not a perfect Mommy!  I still do get quite snippy occasionally if I am very tired, or if something else is on my mind and bothering me... I sometimes stay up too late because I want to get all sorts of things done to be a good Mommy for my family... sometimes night after night... and then the children notice that I'm grumpier.  This is normal to be out of sorts sometimes, and I think it's okay for kids to realize that their parents are human too... it's important for them to know that your wrong reaction wasn't fair and that you are feeling tired/frustrated, that you still love them.  They will forgive you just like that!  If you are really having a problem and being an abusive, neglecting parent, then go and get help for it... but know that every parent loses it once in a while, and your kids will be just fine.  Try to find out what is bothering you and deal with that.  If you aren't getting enough sleep, then make sure you do.  Regular exercise is great for regulating those happy/calm chemicals in your brain... take the kids out for a daily walk (keeps them out of mischief for a while too!)  Are you worried about something?  (Often the underlying cause of anger is fear).  Maybe you are worried that your efforts aren't paying off, or that your misbehaving toddler will turn into a juvenile delinquent, or that someone who sees your kids will think that you're not a good parent for some reason, or that they aren't learning enough, or that you've told them a million times - why don't they ever get it?!  My own biggest personal fear is that I'm not doing a good enough job raising them... I always feel a certain degree of inadequacy!

In our family we expect obedience from our children (Children, honour your father and mother)... but guess what?... we don't always get obedience.  It is very important to us that our children learn this, so sometimes I have become too focussed on behaviour.  As I become a more experienced parent, I realize more and more that they are a work in progress... to behave is something they will GRADUALLY learn... and it doesn't matter how perfect my parenting is, they will never ever be perfect kids (or adults!)  Humans are ALL subject to selfish human nature, and before they are three, psychological studies show that they aren't even capable of thinking of the interests of others.  So we must be VERY patient with these little ones in training them with manners and sharing and so on, because they just aren't developmentally there yet... it's nothing to get angry about.  The goal is 'slow to anger, quick to forgive'.  It is important to consistently expect the correct behaviour, but it is way way more important to develop a good relationship with your kids.  You see it all the time... kids growing up in 'good Christian homes' who end up a mess as teenagers, and just as often you see children growing up in quite 'liberal' homes with lower expectations and they turn out to be happy well-adjusted people... the most important ingredient is love.  It isn't the perfect healthy diet, or the age they learn to read, or the tidiness of the house, or how well behaved they are, or whether they are in school/daycare or at home/homeschooled, or how many languages they learn, or how much/little TV they watch that will determine how they turn out as adults.  What really determines how well they turn out as adults (as far as being happy people with successful families), is the unconditional love they receive from their parent(s) growing up.  So don't worry too much about how good of a parent you are.... concentrate first on loving them just the way they are and expecting nothing in return.... the other details don't matter nearly as much.

So you wondered how a mother of 6 can get through a day still sane... well, experience, maturity, (necessity!), knowledge, practice, efficiency... these are all a part of it I suppose, but personally the only way that I can keep going day after day after day is because I trust God to supply me with all my needs, so I don't need to spend any time worrying about having enough money, time, patience, wisdom, or physical ability to look after 6 (7 in December) kids... I know that my loving, generous Lord will give me all that I need.

So get some rest and exercise, address whatever is making you feel tense, and start fresh again tomorrow.  Your kids know you love them.  There aren't ANY perfect parents out there.  Just keep loving them and try not to worry too much if they aren't behaving the way you want them to... they're just a work in progress.  (Just the fact that yelling at your babies has bothered you so much that you would write on this forum with such passionate remorse.... I'm totally convinced that you love your children and they are going to turn out just fine!  You're a wonderful mother.)

I don't know if any of this is helpful... it's just my humble opinion... I hope you have better days ahead.

Bananas, apples, other fruit.... great healthy food and they travel well to work too.

Muffins (make lots of them and keep them in the freezer for quick convenience).

Any cereal (granola, muslei for healthier choices) in a little ziploc with a spoon, bowl (you can get disposable ones too) and a small carton of milk (probably doesn't need to be kept refrigerated/on-ice if he's going to eat it in the morning.  Yeah, it's more expensive to buy small cartons of milk... you could take a thermos, but I know my own husband would prefer not to... anyways, it's cheaper that buying it in the cafeteria or at a restaurant.

Bagel with cream cheese... bagels travel so well because they don't get squished!... my kids prefer them toasted for breakfast.

Healthier brands of granola bars (the typical granola bars have an extraordinary amount of sugar!)

For waffles and pancakes (which I usually only make on the weekends) we usually make extra and freeze them and the older kids can even pop them in the toaster oven themselves.

At least once a week I serve the kids oatmeal (porridge).... it's not their very favourite of course, (brown sugar goes a long way!), but it's a healthy and economical breakfast.

For a change, maybe the kids would like a smoothie.... handful of brazil nuts or almonds (soaked for several hours to a day and then peeled...good source of calcium & protein... adds richness), a few dates (for sweetness), a couple of bananas, some frozen fruit or berries, a bit of water to get the right consistency (eg. more if you use frozen bananas... sometimes I've bought too many so I freeze them before they go bad)... blend, blend, blend.  Yum!

Friday night's leftover pizza is ALWAYS a popular breakfast choice!

Here's a great article (from a website full of great articles) about keeping the budget down for homeschooling costs:

http://www.home-school.com/Articles/phs28-loriharris.html

My first baby was clingy like that too... maybe this is more typical of first-born children?  Anyways, I really believe that when you meet their needs when they are little then they will grow up to be confident adults who aren't craving attention and full of insecurities (I'm sure you all know an adult or two like this?)  Anyways, she is 15 now and for a long time now she has been a very confident young lady.  It took her a little longer than the rest to be comfortable to do something like go overnight to a Brownie camp so we never pushed her in things like this, but last summer she went all the way to England to a camp for 2 weeks with people she'd never met before and to visit with my sister for another week, and she only called us 2X.  She had a great time.  If you need to send her to nursery in a few months, then you are doing the wise thing to slowly and gently transition into it.  Don't let it bother you if she seems clingy... she'll outgrow it... I just think it is evidence that you are a wonderful Mommy and she has a very good attachment bond with you.  That is very important to have a good attachment and trust with you, her first love, because that will positively affect all the relationships she has for the rest of her life.  Keep up the good work!

First, rule out is she sick, ear infection, anemic (by lately, do you mean the last few days or the last few months?)

Then ask yourself, is she getting enough sleep?  I see some parents that have a child this age and they are allowed to stay up so late at night because they seem busy and so active and they don't want to go to bed easily.  Establish a very consistent bedtime and bedtime routine, consistent naptime (if she still naps... I think it's still needed at this age), consistent waking-up times... and stick to it even if she doesn't want to go to bed.  If we have company or something and they get to stay up late, I see my little ones getting really busy and active, but it's a different kind of busy... they are going from one activity to another, their attention span is much shorter, and I can see that really they are just over-tired.

Toddlers are very smart and they easily figure out too that if they cry and fuss they are more likely to get what they want and quicker.  It's hard to avoid completely, but with my own kids, if they whine for something then I model how I'd like them to ask and, if they're old enough, I insist to hear them ask nicely before they get what they want.  If they ask nicely the first time then I try to praise them for asking so nicely.

When they are babies, they only have needs, but as they get older they have more and more wants and you can't give them whatever they want all the time.... they have to learn to accept the word "no".  When you say "no" to something, make sure that no amount of crying or whining or anything will ever change your mind.  Using the word "later" gives you the freedom to change your mind later.  When you are consistent with this, then I think they give up quicker after you say "no".  They need clear boundaries to feel secure and happy.... having too much freedom and always getting what they want to make them feel happy all the time does not make them feel secure.

But they are still so little at that age.... there are a lot of frustrating things at that age... they can't always tell you what they want, and they aren't yet capable to do all the skills they want to do.... so that's what I mean -- you can't completely avoid the crankiness at that age... it's not easy being two.  Just be patient and consistent and do your best.... this too shall pass.

ooohhh!  I like the pack 'n play 'pillow case' sheets idea!!!  I hate the way the elastic sheets make the folding bottom board bunch up in the middle... I want that padded board to lie flat!  Thanks for all those great ideas... for all these forum parents that are so keen to purchase things that will give their kids the best educational advantage (and many are single-income with one parent staying at home), any money saving tips are greatly appreciated.

I have several kids and the best way I can keep organized is to have a checklist of things to get done.  A typical day might include:

Change the bedsheets (K,S,M,A,J,P,us) ... (everyone has a different initial in our family)
M's multiplication flashcards (1 2 3 4 5) ... (10 flashcards 5X a day... short but frequent... very effective)
Passive listening, Classical Music (1hr), French (1/2hr), Dutch (1/2hr)
Treadmill or walk (2 miles)
Bath (me,A,J,P)
Schoolwork done (K,S,M,A) ... (I have separate checklists with more detail about their schoolwork)
Doman reading, Jonah (set I - 1 2 3, set II - 1 2 3, set III - 1 2 3, books - 1 2 3)
                      Peter (set I - 1 2 3, set II - 1 2 3, set III - 1 2 3)

Then I check things off as I get them done.  We don't always get everything done, but I find the checklist method an invaluable thing for me personally to keep me on track.  I try to keep everything on the list broken down into short manageable items, and I just fit things into the day whenever I can.  There is a general pattern to our day, but not extremely scheduled.  There are always plenty of interuptions and adjustments need to be made all the time.  Everyday is a fresh start though!

Well, I have found that it's true that children really are a blessing.  It's so enjoyable to watch them grow and to have lots of children to share your love with, but also the tough parts of it are a blessing because they teach you lessons and make you grow and change and reach towards your potential... each one makes you want to be a better person.  Today I heard the heartbeat of our 7th baby, and I just can't imagine that there will ever be a time when I'll say "No thank you, God, we've had enough of your gifts now".  So we gladly leave it up to Him and are so excited for each one that comes.

A book I really recommend to decide what curriculum choices to make is Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.  She ranks all the different choices according to learning style, homeschool philosophy, ease of use, etc.  It's a popular book so maybe the library carries it, otherwise you could likely get it through interlibrary loan.

budgethomeschool.com  looks interesting.... lots of internet links for lots of different subject areas.  These days, the internet is truly amazing... there is just so many resources and so much information available!  I saw a book at the library too that was just full of internet links, but I can't recall what the title was.... something like "Homeschool Your Child for Free" or something.

I think if I was on a really tight budget, then the only thing I would buy would be a Math text book (not impossible to teach without a textbook, but way, way easier with a textbook... especially for a new homeschooler), and probably a science textbook (because I want them learning from books that don't teach evolution as fact).  Everything else you could get from the internet or from the library.  The cost of those two books alone would be way, way less than the cost they are already spending on their child in school (student ID card, field trips, a little lunch money (or pizza day, or whatever), special gym shoes, picture day, backpack, lock for the locker, etc, etc, etc!  Spelling is a subject I wouldn't worry about, unless the student is really behind, because when they are reading, reading, reading, then good spelling will come too.  (Also, not being in school for so many hours in a day, and then doing homework all evening, they will actually have time now to read lots!)  Homeschooling is wonderful and such a nicer way for the family to live together.

In Ontario here it is perfectly legal to homeschool without any supervision or testing or anything, but I know that in many states there are different regulations.  In Ontario, if I wanted to, I could be very eclectic and creative in my homeschooling approach (if I had that kind of time and energy, or I was that relaxed about it!), but in the States, a lot of places require record-keeping or submission of curriculum plans or testing (so you'd want to teach a lot closer to what the schools are teaching each year).  Maybe you could briefly tell us what the homeschool requirements are in your area, then people might be able to give you more suitable ideas.