@dronedad, yes we to would push, encourage, nag, and then as S18 was getting closer and closer to leaving the nest, we knew we needed to back off. He knows we’re in his corner of he needs or wants us but he’s got to fly in his own. Started that process earlier with D21 and S24, we’ll see how it goes!
Welcome, @dronedad! It’s a constant balance between too much and enough, and it depends on the individual child too! Good luck to all of us as we find the right balance.
I have a similar question to @dronedad… is there any point to nagging (or is there a more effective way to do it) when your kid has just discovered the joys of the opposite sex? Tough to get S21 to finish math homework when the alternative is jumping on-line and exchanging compliments with his new girlfriend. His phone and computer have just been confiscated because we learned the ego-boosting sessions were continuing into the wee hours, and hw assignments weren’t getting turned in. I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume he’s not the first high school freshman to be distracted by a pretty girl. Any advice from parents who’ve been through this before?
@Curiso, “ego-boosting sessions”…LMAO!
@curiosa, no sage wisdom here. My advice, try to be both consistent and flexible. What works one day for one kid won’t work the next. Think back to toddlers! Lol. Try to enjoy it, our oldest will be off to college in the fall …time files so fast
@Curisa I found out after the fact my S21 had his first GF earlier this year. I think he did have a certain level of discipline so i really didnt see any issues. On the bright side at least your son is comfortable enough with you to let you know.
Hello, I’m new to posting but have lurked for a long while. My oldest daughter is now a 9th grader, and she is and always has been homeschooled (for academic reasons, not religious reasons…we are secular). Her classes right now consist of a mix of online/Skype courses from accredited or otherwise credible institutions (CTY Online, PA Homeschoolers AP courses, Clonlara, our state’s virtual public charter, etc), and eventually (11th grade) she will take courses at colleges for dual credit. She has a few extracurriculars which she pursues in-depth and at leadership levels, a part-time job, and tons of volunteer work.
Looking forward to getting to know all of you more, and hoping we can keep each other sane and fairly stress-free during the high school years. 
Jumping back in. @Ynotgo - hope things are alright with you and your family in Montecito.
Well D21 got her first official HS reportcard this morning. She did well. A few A-'s but from I’ve been reading a lot of college look at the full transcript but only consider 10-12 grade GPA/grades? She received a 4.0 Unweighted and 4.29 weighted. So let’s just hope this trend remains.
Congrats and well done to your D21, @EGHopeful!
@Ynotgo, thinking of you and, like @Carlson2, hoping things are okay. I saw a FB post from a friend whose family lost their home in the mudslide. Really, really hard.
Thanks for asking @EastGrad and @carlson2. We are fine, and the freeway reopened on Sunday. So sad for the folks who lost relatives or homes, but we are OK.
It looks like DS21 will have all As with an A- in math and A+ in art and Spanish. Somehow an 89 on the AP Physics final brought his overall grade up from an A- to an A. That is sooo much better than his grades in junior high where he had 10 semester Bs and a C.
I forgot to mention, we went through the court process and got his name and gender changed officially as of Jan. 3! I think making progress on that is much of the reason for the better grades. Now I have a ton of paperwork to do with changing birth certificate, passport, insurance, banking, etc!
When do your kids choose 10th grade classes? Ours choose next week, though they can make changes later.
With DS17, we used to go in and meet with the counselor in January for a planning session every year. But, DS21 wants to do it himself or just make his own decisions. I think his current plan is as follows:
Art (the class for 10th graders in a 4-year academy)
English 10 Honors (special section for the Art academy)
AP World History (special section for the Art academy)
Integrated Math IIIB/Precalculus (yes, its odd)
AP Chemistry
Spanish 2
He’ll need to talk his way into AP Chem, because the Art academy has its own chemistry class. If he can’t get into AP Chem, he plans on AP Physics 2.
The course he won’t be taking is PE. He thinks he can put it off until he’s finished Spanish. They have to take 2 years of PE.
DD21 chose classes in (drumroll) early November. This wasn’t a problem because she pretty much knows what she’ll be taking all four years. Next year, she’ll have Honors Language Arts 11; APUSH; Honors Accelerated Math III; Honors Chem; AP Environmental Biology; AP Art 2D; French 4; and Dance. (IB students start with Honors LA10 in 9th grade in order to finish the curriculum by senior year.)
Whoa AP Art as a sophomore? Even the serious art kids at our school wait until senior year. It’s hard to produce the 30 or so pieces needed in just one year. Is she an artist?!
Yes, @HomerDog, among other things. She will take AP 2D as a sophomore, AP 3D as a junior, on her way to IB Studio Art as a senior. It’s not an uncommon path at our high school, and the teachers are used to this system. In fact, she thought about taking it this year.
D21, we’re overall very pleased. She has 2 B’s, French 2 and Algebra2. The rest all A’s. Schedule stays the same next semester accept math changes to geometry. Soph schedule:
French 3,
Pre Calc
APush(3 semester class at our school)
Honors English 2
Honors Chem
Fine arts elective(will be theater/drama
This could change because this year they started offering AP Capstone, so she could take AP Seminar next year. I’m going to encourage her on this path…
D21 had to “apply” for the honors/AP so we are hoping this will be next yr
Honors Chem
Honors Alg 2
APush
Honors English 10 (maybe)
Drawing 1/2
Spanish 2
And other required classes.
We won’t know what she has until July. Yay…
D21 had to pick classes a few weeks ago but I don’t worry too much about it because we always change the schedule around n the summer is anything is too far off. This year they only let them pick top 3 choices for electives, I guess they said the teachers will recommend which level class they should be in for their core courses. She will stay on the AP/ AICE track, the only question will really be science. If you are on the AP/ AICE track you normally take bio sophomore year. However the school doesn’t let you just take AP or AICE Bio, you have to take both as a two period block schedule. A few select kids each year get into the AP Bio on its own class but we have never been that lucky so far. The block is a pain because besides the fact that it is just too much biology at once (at least for my kids) but also it makes it so you can’t have any electives at all. If she decides not to do the block and don’t get in to the stand alone class I think she would take Honors Bio or Honors Chemistry. Her schedule will probably look something like this…
AP Bio or Honors Science
AICE English Language
AP Capstone 2
Algebra 2 Honors
AP World History
Spanish 2
AICE Sociology
elective?? AP Photo/Yoga/another AICE course?
my d21 high school is divided with 9-10 in one school and 11-12 in another. The crazy thing is that despite offering 24 AP classed they only offer 2 at the 9-10 building.
@burghdad I know it is different at every school. I just looked to see what our school offers for 9-10 grade. Of course we also have the AICE program and there are tons of those classes available which are also worth 6.0.
9th Grade
AP Environmental (which you can only take in a two block period wth AICE Marine Science)
AP Capstone (part 1 - can’t remember if research or seminar comes first)
10th Grade
AP Capstone part 2
AP World History
AP Bio (if you can get in or if you double up with AICE Bio)
AP Photo (which is really AP 2D Art I think but they just do photography)
AP French Language
AP Spanish Language
AP Spanish Literature
AP Computer Science
AP European History
AP Human Geography