Hi AmyEJ,
I started HSing this year as well. My son is 8 and in 3rd grade. Kriston has talked me off the ledge a couple of times ha ha ha. I definitely don't regret the decision at all. DS is so much happier. And we also have so many more of those moments when I give him a big hug and kiss and tell him how much I love him rather than dealing w/ a sullen child in the evenings and battling 2hrs over homework. It's a lot of work (I have a 5yr old in PS K and a 22mth old) but I think the payoff will be HUGE! If you have any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them.
My son sounds like your DD. He was having daily stomaches which was morphing into headaches. He was developing poor work habits from not being challenged and had totally lost that spark. I see it coming back and his brain slowly turning on.
I think the best advice I was given is that no decision is permament. Sometimes you just have to try something different.
I find that the most comments are "Oh wow, I couldn't do that." and more often than any other "I hear kids learn so much better and efficiently by HSing" and this by people w/ kids in PS. IF someone asks why, i just say "Oh he has a different learning style," and usually that puzzles them enough to end the conversation.
the other advice is to add one thing a week....start slow...don't buy too much at first. I was an ASer so I already had most of what I needed.
