It’s time again for The 4 Moms of 35+ Kids to answer reader questions!

As for me, here are a few questions I have been asked recently:

How much milk do you allow your children to have each day without breaking the grocery budget?

We normally drink a gallon of milk each day, and that is mainly allowing milk only at breakfast and dinner, with water for a lunch drink. Since we just got 2 dairy goats and one is due to kid at any minute, we are hoping to allow as much milk as anyone asks for as soon as those babies are strong and healthy. After the goat kids are a month or so old, the custom is to separate them from the mother at night, and milk first thing in the morning. Then the kids are turned out to be with the mother all day.

We are also hoping to make some of our own cheese, butter, and yogurt. Check back for reports on how that goes!

How do you deal with grooming? Do you trim nails on a schedule or just when your kids looks like Wolverine? Same with haircuts.

I go with the Wolverine method, trying to double check everyone before church on Sundays. Our goal is to have no more than one at a time who looks like a ragamuffin. It usually works.

How do you encourage children to become independent with their school work?

This is a struggle with certain children. Since they have my attention all day, I sometimes find them asking for assistance or at least to check their work on every single question. I usually don’t even realize it is happening until I have helped with every problem half way through the assignment. After I realize what is happening, I go over the ideas in the lesson to make sure they understand, encourage them that they can do it, and then send them to their rooms to do the rest on their own.

I think each of my children is plenty independent in thinking, playing, and working, but in the subjects they feel weakest, they want to be sure to get the answers right, so they want me by their side. I don’t consider it a huge problem, especially since they do actually care to get the material right. But once I realize they are monopolizing my time and not going on to any problems without my help, I send them on their way.

How do you deal with the afternoon slump?

We have a daily one hour nap time. Everyone goes to a bed or couch to read or rest. I use this time to catch up on work or rest myself, and you’d be surprised how refreshing this can be! By 4:00 I know I need to start thinking about dinner plans, so even if I am in a slump, I press on and begin preparations.

Don’t forget to visit the rest of my team to see what questions they are answering today:

• The Common Room
• Life in a Shoe
• Raising Olives

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