Just me, but if their social and academic needs are getting met I'd probably keep them in school. Until the end of the year at a minimum at least. I would cut back on activities if necessary and make an effort to get out on the weekends. I think when the time changes in the spring and the days get longer some of these issues will diminish.

I would say Love Letter for sure!

We are avid board gamers and I have an 11 year-old DS. For something they can play together I highly recommend Star Realms. For something in a larger group (3 or more players) - Coup, Love Letter, Loot, Sushi Go, and Saboteur are great. These are all inexpensive card games, easy to learn, and fairly fast paced. I know Catan and Ticket to Ride get mentioned a lot but IMHO they are a little slow for new gamers. SET and Hive are also great but more abstract theme and sometimes get old quickly because of that depending on the temperament of the kids. Another possibility is the Exit game series which are like an escape room in a box. They are not re-playable but can be a great family night in for the price of a movie ticket. Honestly, I would stay away from some of the traditional games like Sorry and Monopoly. There are so many fantastic new games that are well designed with exciting components, great themes, and balanced game play. Barnes and Noble has a lot of the modern games and Target has a small section as well if you prefer to look and purchase in person. If rules seem complicated or unclear don't forget to check out youtube for explanations/clarification.We love watching video guides on how to play before diving into the rule book - though most of the ones I listed are pretty simple. Hope this helps!

My DS can follow a checklist that looks something like: -Finish math review problems 15-25 -Practice Piano -Complete history essay -20 minutes of typing practice Etc. At his age (almost 12) more than 4-5 things would be overwhelming and it's more like homework than anything else. I would expect the majority of actual learning to be collaborative even up to high school age.

Totally agree with the idea of a flat fee, paid in advance, no refunds. We used to run group campouts this way, charged $X per/person and any extra went to firewood and to cover part of our cost in setting it up. For your situation $10 sounds perfect.

With kids I really enjoy the Flamingo. It's a little more affordable than other strip hotels because its older but they have beautiful grounds with flamingos and turtles that kids really enjoy. It's an easy way to entertain first thing in the morning without going anywhere. The pools are also very nice and more family friendly than some. Definitely go with buffets. For kids that can be a lot of entertainment in itself. The medieval knight show at the Excalibur is cheesy but fun.

DH belongs to a sailing club that has boats available for checkout free to members. You have to qualify on the type of boat you want to check out and contribute to maintenance but its a very inexpensive way to have access to boats. The dues are very reasonable - like $100/year.

I used to love MMM but the tone started to grate on me. He's a little condescending: "Golly gee, I don't know why people buy all that fancy schmancy food like aged gouda and wild caught salmon when you can buy big blocks of cheddar and bags of frozen tilapia at Costco for a fraction of the cost." My budget doesn't always allow the former option but let's not pretend they taste the same or say people are idiots because they want something nice once a while. I suspect he's someone who is naturally ascetic but has turned it into a moral virtue. I feel like Amy D. was a lot more authentic: "Hey bean soup isn't the best but its nutritious and feeds my family for a $1, so we can spend money elsewhere." I also feel like Amy was less moralistic and more about optimizing your personal values. I really miss the "Like Merchant Ships" blog. She has an eye for beauty and entertaining on a tiny budget and a talent for thrift store shopping that was fun to see even if I couldn't hope to replicate it.

Totally agree. It's changed my perspective on things forever. As an example: we recently spent 5 weeks on a self-drive camping safari in Africa and needed some quick dry UV clothes. As soon as I got back I got rid of them. They served a purpose but were not stylish, were not something I would wear in daily life, and were extra worn and pill-y from all constant rough washing in a bucket (we only brought three outfits each). In the past I would have saved them for another camping trip and then never have worn them. I realized its ok to have some clothes that I used for just a month, its just part of the expense of the trip. I did save the hat I bought though. I love the hat ?

Concur. I agree about the scholarships being generous. We've been the recipients of them twice. OTOH the hoops you have to jump through would discourage a lot of people who are truly from a lower socio-economic status. For instance having to put the entire balance of a camp on our credit card while waiting to hear whether we qualified for aid. Even though we would have gotten a refund if not qualified, that's not something a lot of super low income people could do. Or tracking down where to get tested and paying for the testing fees up front. So I agree some of it is about outreach but there is also just a lot of friction and that can be intimidating to a lot of poor people (I grew up super poor, so have some clue). Feels like their aid is really for middle class educated folks who are just short on funds at the moment, rather than really about creating opportunities for lower income kids. But in any case, curious to see how it turns out and how this decision might change the direction of the program.

I'm cynical as well. Especially because I imagine their online programs are super lucrative. I would rather see a push to bring new kids in (especially minority and under-represented through waiving testing fees). In our previous city they had a test-once-in-for-life policy for their self-contained accelerated/gifted program that ran from 1st-12th grade. It led to a big watering down of content after middle school. Some kids who were just developmentally ahead at age 7 could not keep up with a demanding program at age 14. However, perhaps its the case almost every kid who qualifies once, qualifies again later. If CTY has this data and is basing their decision on that then kudos for cutting out an unnecessary step.

I think most people don't discuss their finances. I only hear this when people are opting out of a social event or group trip because they want to make it clear it isn't personal (ie. "Aww... sorry we can't do a beach weekend but we're saving up for a big family vacation this year." or "I'd love to go to out to dinner, but our car is on its last legs and we need to tighten our belt for a few months."

I don't think its inevitable. When my weight started creeping up in my late 30s (20 lbs heavier than usual) I made a concerted effort to get it under control before I turned 40. Now at 44 I have no problem maintaining a weight of 125 lbs. I only exercise about 4 days a week but its high intensity - interval running and lifting weights. I also eat on the lower carb end of the spectrum but nothing extreme. I'll have sushi or a slice of homemade bread if offered. I think the key is I don't snack and I absolutely do not eat any sugar unless its a special event or I'm on vacation. I don't find living this way difficult or deprivational. This weekend I was in NYC visiting some friends and had a few sugary cocktails and a french toast brunch and thoroughly enjoyed it without guilt. It's just not something I would ever eat at home. I understand I may gain some weight after menopause due to hormone changes, but I can live with 10-15 lbs from where I am now. I don't think 30+ lbs is healthy or unavoidable.

I've done it a few times - mostly because I need something. I once bought a hat in souvenir Cambodia because I had lost mine. It was an amazing conversation starter when I went on other trips and hikes. I love hearing about other people's trips. If people think its bragging that's their issue.

We're in this situation (about 1 hour away) and its about once a month. It would be hard to do more because 2 hours on the road + 4 hour visit is still basically a whole day and we don't always have a free Saturday or Sunday to spend on just hanging out. There's also nothing for DS to do at their house so he ends up getting bored and cranky. It works better when we plan a hike nearby or something to do thats more active.

I have a son similar aged son in (5th grade) and who is high achieving in math by most standards (finishing AoPS Intro to Algebra this year, and has completed Intro Number Theory and Counting and Probability). He spends probably 2 hours a day on math but it still looks a lot like play. He is not sitting down and grinding through contest prep problems. There's no goal. What is he doing then? Here's a few examples: playing with Zometools, reading Murderous Maths books, watching James Tanton's Visualizing Mathematics videos and Numberphile, writing a python program to solve Knights and Knaves problems, experimenting with what numbers look like when written in fractional bases, developing betting strategies for casino games, reading about weird topics like the fourth dimension, going to the National Museum of Mathematics when we're in NYC, figuring out what different curves look like in taxicab geometry, learning the basics of digital logic circuit design, and so and so on. He even still loves to play with little kid math manipulatives like pentominoes and pattern blocks. We also play tons and tons of modern boardgames. I think this is what truly intrinsic math interest looks like. Yes we still do our book work, but its relaxed and fun most of the time and we put it away when we don't feel like it. I also strew like crazy - I have a computer science and math background myself and LOVE this stuff so when he shows an interest in something I pull out tons of resources. But its organic, and more often than not he's the one showing me something new these days. Maybe my son is unusually immature but I have a hard time buying into the idea of a driven, goal-oriented 4th grader. How does a kid that age even know about AMC tests unless its coming from the parent? And yes, my DS took the AMC 8 last year for the first time but I presented it as "Hey, here's a chance to do some interesting problems." I didn't even tell him his score other than to say "You did better than the average." I'm parting with this picture of my son walking home from the National Math Festival last year when he was in 4th grade. I love the fact that as excited as he was about all of the math and games, he was almost as excited about the balloons. :)

I'm glad you found a solution! I have an only child, but one criteria I use for evaluating activities is how much will this activity extend into adulthood or provide long term benefit. My DS LOVES to ski, and part of the reason we make a significant investment is that we view it as a lifelong sport. Even my MIL came with us a few years ago in her 60s! Something like scouting would also fit as it provides outdoor skills and appreciation that can be used a lifetime. There are plenty of other worthwhile activities that are only for a short time but provide lasting benefits like confidence and fitness, but the activities that might actually be practiced in adulthood would get the edge for me if we were having a tough time choosing.

I have an 11 year-old finishing up AoPS Intro to Algebra, and who has also done the Intro Number Theory and Counting and Probability problems as well. I've found the main problem with Alcumus to be that my DS does not always read the solutions (especially if they are longer) when he gets something wrong - he'd rather just move on to the next problem. So I use it for review, but would never use it to actually teach something new or practice a concept he was shaky on. I also think the format tends to favor problems that can be solved quickly, rather than the kind of problems you really have to wrestle with for a while. If he's having fun I don't see the harm in it.

I think it can matter. My DH is getting an MFA in Creative Writing at a top program. The access to award winning authors, agents, publishing connections, etc. would be hard to beat elsewhere. He has National Book Award nominees reading his stuff. That's not something he would be to get at directional state U. The name and recommendations also help when applying for arts fellowships. Same for my graduate degree from Georgetown - if you want to work in government or think tanks, the alumni network, letters of rec, etc. helps a ton in addition to the brand name. I think for things where there is a clear certification process like law, medicine, or engineering it matters less. Or where a portfolio matters more than degree. An example of the latter is my friend who is 26 and earning close to a six figure salary in graphic design with an art history degree from a state university. So I guess my conclusion? It depends.

My DS is doing his language class through them and I feel its worth the $$. Very impressed. Some of their stuff though is waaaaaay overpriced. A local sleepover at the museum event cost at least twice what a normal event of that type would cost through the museum itself with no special activities. Their summer day camps are great but not worth 3x the cost of other options (we qualified for a scholarship last year, but won't this year and refuse to pay full price). I've heard good things about the residential camps though.

When my DS has gone through phases of being careless I have him do LESS problems or harder problems. Like just 2 even. I just tell him "We're going to do a few problems, but focus on being careful." I don't stress about arithmetic errors if I know there is good conceptual understanding and tend to think its a product of work bring too easy and not requiring concentration. But half wrong is too many so I would scale back but expect close to 100% for those few problems.

I'm curious too. I miss her posts.

The ones that DS and I have enjoyed: -Anything by James Tanton or Arthur Benjamin -Botany -Cooking courses with Bill Briwa -Photography with that National Geographic guy -A Child's Guide to Folklore and Wonder Tales -Chess -Python Programming -Mind-Bending Math -Understanding the World's Greatest Structures -Greek & Roman Technology I feel like all of these have more engaging lecturers. I agree that there are quite a few that are dry (unfortunately).

A splatter guard for sure. I use one every time I make burgers.

I'm intrigued by this idea. Even though DS is still young he's a high achiever so I've been trying to picture what the high school years might look like. The idea of outsourcing everything to a bunch of AP and DE classes is kind of depressing to me as I really enjoy teaching, the lifestyle flexibility of homeschooling, and off-the-beaten path investigations. Part of me thinks if he's going to end up taking a bunch of outsourced classes I might as well just put him in the local nationally recognized public high school, but that has significant downsides as well (intense academic pressure, limited time for travel and outside interests etc.) How was your DD able to convey the rigor of classwork and academics to the admission committees? I guess that's my main concern.