Thanks matey I was wallowing a bit but it's great to be heard and understood. I think I'm kinda extra sensitive to the whole idea because, having been a teacher's assistant for 5 years and about to complete qualifications I guess I am thinking "Geeze, are you kidding yourself??? You can't even help your own children! it's the teaching equivalent of "doctor, heal thyself!" ie don't try to be something unless you've got it nailed on the homefront. I know from experience that working with other people's children is more straightforward... but WHY don't the same strategies work for me at home? My DD just sees through everything. Oh here I go again! LOL Thankyou so much for the support and faith in me Shannon You are right in that she shares my strong will... at school she is different from the other girls in a similar way that I am different here in BB. Outspoken at times but with her heart in the right place, mostly LOL Maybe we clash because we are too similar!?

Another thing I forgot to include in my original post was that as I am losing a fair bit of sleep these days with both my boys I am finding that my "academic" mind is not as sharp as it used to be. So as well as the constant distractions of my littlies I just find it hard to wrap my brain around abstract concepts that i would need to be able to teach my 12yo if I home schooled. I can't even help her with her algebra... DH has to do that when he gets home from work. I used to quite enjoy sitting down and working out a mathematical concept but ATM it is all just beyond me! Once again, if i had the help of a kindly Nana I think it might be possible... maybe.