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I guess I am always second guessing myself, asking if what we are doing is "enough". So I guess more than advice I'm looking for encouragement! My 3rd grader just completed unit 20 of Bigger Hearts. She is halfway through Math Lessons for a Living Education and halfway through Rod and Staff 2. We aren't using a handwriting program right now, but I want to add one in. That's all she does! We aren't using DITHOR, either. Some days seem really short and light, but that's perfectly fine for ME. I see all these other homeschool moms with their curriculum lists, including all sorts of other subjects. It just makes me wonder if I am giving her too light of an education? I don't feel like I am...please encourage me!

Is she doing anything for reading? If so, then I think it is enough. I would make sure she is getting physical activity most days as well, of course. The only things we formally add to HOD are Xtramath for math facts practice, Duolingo Spanish (starting around third grade), and Awana. We do go on some fun field trips every few weeks, have a house full of educational tours and books, and limit screen time. But I think HOD is enough as written.

Thank you for the encouragement! Yes, we have a 30 minute block for free-reading each afternoon, plus the story-time in the guide. I am also going to make her do 30 minutes of "skill practice" each afternoon - finger knitting, cooking, baking, painting, knot-tying, things like that. I guess I just need to relax!

We have been with HOD from the beginning and are currently in Rev to Rev with my oldest. I can absolutely say HOD is enough. If my college students could write and communicate as well as my 11-yr-old in HOD, I would be so happy (and language arts isn't even his strongest point). The breadth and depth of skills introduced and practiced as the guides progress is amazing. Carrie has done such an excellent job in weaving those skills into fun activities throughout the guides.
One thing I have realized over the years is how important those younger years are for growth and development. It is tempting to spend hours with all the greatest and latest books, but at that point our children really need free time to run and play and be creative. When I think of the activities my boys did in those earlier guides because they had the time to do them, I realize that was as important, if not more important, than what they were doing in the guides. Your day will get longer too, so enjoy now and relax knowing you are doing the "best of the best" as far as curriculum goes I wish I would have come to that conclusion a little earlier. It is hard not to have that nagging doubt.

We put our oldest in a charter school this year for 8th grade. It's the first time she's gone to school (other than a year in a three half-day per week preschool program when she was 3-4). We used HOD from the beginning and never really added anything in (we do awana, have a ton of science experiment kits they play with, and I'd occasionally do unit study type things, but nothing other than HOD regularly. From about the last 1/4 of Preparing she was 95% independent with her work. We only made it through R&S 4, only went through DITHOR twice, and did Singapore math through 5B, then a semester of pre-algebra after I knew we were putting her in school. I also stopped story time with her around the middle of Preparing and just read the books. Just to let you know what we did and how we did it. All her teachers have come to me at some point this year telling me about her study habits, note taking, and how she can read something and tell them the important things. She always is having notes written on her papers/reports saying how well put together they are. Her lowest grade on her first two report cards was an 89, but that was in ELA, and the teacher said that they were doing high school and college level work. Two of her four main subject teachers want to move her to the advanced class. The other two just don't want to deal with changing her schedule and figuring out where she needs to catch up to in their classes.

So no... I do not feel the needs to add anything to HOD. It is more than enough at least through 8th grade