For the past three years, one of my dearest friends and I have swapped out English and math curriculums. Our kids are one grade level ahead and below each other, and we've both chosen to use the same materials making her my perfect curriculum "buddy."
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I bought the English 6, used it, and then passed it onto her the following year. She bought the Teaching Textbooks 4, used it, and passed it onto me.
We've been flipping and flopping curriculum like this since her first days of homeschooling and have both saved quite a chunk of change because of it.
In addition, I have another math curriculum loaned out to a friend in a different town, a Christian sex ed series being previewed by someone else at my church, and a faith-building book for kids set aside to pass along to a mom in my homeschool support group the next time I see her.
I love sharing books. It's like I'm passing along a trusted friend to another...well, trusted friend.
But, while I love the bond that shapes from sharing a much-loved treasure, I don't enjoy the headache of trying to keep track of who has what and when it should be returned.
That's why the "Items on Loan" form in my Family Notebook is a MUST!
As I loan out items, I make a quick note of it on this form, and then forget about it...no wasted brain space.
While the majority of what I loan out is from my own personal homeschool library, I also lend other stuff. I use this handy little spreadsheet to keep track of all those "others" that I loan to friends...my crockpot, my silver necklace with the chunky loops, my husband's electric drill...whatever.
I have some pretty concrete opinions about the modern mantra of "sharing" and about holding stuff too tightly, so I loan out things often. This little form helps me to keep it all straight!
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Thanks for sharing! I don't always comment your posts but each time they always seems to fall just in time: ideas of snacks, titus mothering, crockput, tips in the kitchen, bible study and of course... all the posts on homeschooling! So, thank you very much and God bless you :)
ReplyDeleteNancy
I'm so glad they are helpful, Nancy. Thanks for chiming in!
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