Hunter's point was a warning not to use any supplemental teaching aid (DVDs, CD-Roms, etc.) in LIEU of Saxon's text. You wrote that you are using Reed's DVDs "in addition to" the textbook, so you too aren't ditching the textbook. Thanks for letting me know about the Reed DVDs. I too will consider supplemental DVDs, CD-ROMs, but plan to still use the textbook/Saxon's instruction as my not-to-be-missed primary source of instruction.

This has been so very helpful! Thank you all very very much, esp Hunter!

We've never done Saxon. When you say "read the books" do you mean the Saxon Math books themselves as in the actual lesson text itself, or are there additional books that Saxon has written?

I'm trying to decide between these 3 to supplement Saxon 5/4. Any advice/thoughts you can share? Here are the 3 choices that I'm debating. I don't see many reviews/additional information describing them and their similarities and differences: https://www.christianbook.com/saxon-homeschool-teacher-roms-third-edition/pd/773718?event=ESRCG https://www.christianbook.com/saxon-math-dive-rom-3rd-edition/pd/544543?event=ESRCG https://www.christianbook.com/3rd-edition-study-teaching-technology-bundle/pd/824201?event=ESRCG (They're also on rainbowresource.com)

Does a person who is interested in tutoring Challenge A have to have tutored Essentials beforehand? I heard that Essentials was a prerequisite but didn't understand if the leader meant attendance or tutor of Essentials. What are the requirements for one to be considered for this tutoring role?

I'm enjoying reading all the replies. Thanks, all!

What's it like having teens in your 50s? I'm 38 and pregnant and the thought of the mid50s+ with a teen is FAR more overwhelming than being almost 40 with a newborn. I'm thinking about elderly parent care, etc. I'm thinking about being ready for some R&R myself....but on the flipside, I'm thinking I don't like the idea of an empty nest really. I've heard so many stories of parents just kindof giving up on parenting as they're out of the energy for it (and stories of why the babies in the family are so spoiled "rotten" and how parents get so lax when they're older as if they're late-in-life CHILD is treated more as one would a grandchild (less rigid rules/strictness/etc.). My own mother said that her mother quit parenting them and got lax when my mom was in 10th grade; and my grandma had her 3rd and last child (my mom's younger brother) at only age 32! In short, please share your thoughts on having had babies (as I am) in the later half of your fertility spectrum and what it's like as you get older and they're teens/older. Are you just exhausted? What's it like?

OP here. Thanks all. I'll check all of this info out this weekend for sure. My issue is leakage with cough/sneeze and I feel "a presence" down there (similar to how it feels when tampon is not quite in enough) the week before my period. Can someone explain how in the world SQUATS help?!!!!! it seems to me that they'd just smash all your guts down on top of the pelvic floor even more.

Kegels: Do they just slow progression or can they heal/reverse damage? Any testimonials?

I've been a cat person ALL my life and have owned many a cat. In my experience male cats make better pets than females. FWIW.......:-)

Thanks ALL. You've helped me firm up my decision to not join. I wish there were other little cellists in our area. There was one other little boy my son's age who did the String Camp but I found out that he wasn't continuing cello (that he only did the camp to try it out) :-(. Lots of good suggestions here. Thanks again to you all. We'll just continue with our private lessons and maybe one day there will be some more cellists to form a group.

I didn't make that part clear. This wouldn't replace his private lesson with his cello teacher. This would be separate. The $450 would be for BOTH the Group class and it would pay for the private lesson as she's agreed to let the University pay her. Before this, I was paying her directly, but now the University will be the "middle man" in my paying her (they'd pay her for our private lesson). He's in Book 1. And, actually the Group class' kids are beyond book 1, they are in the MIDDLE of Book 1 so he'd have to play some major catch up anyway.

My son is 7 and has just started playing cello. We found a teacher who teaches out of her home (she has a Master's degree and is a professional cellist). We began lessons with her this past summer. We had 3 lessons when she told me about a Camp that a friend of her's was having at a local university. We signed up and attended the String Camp (his teacher was one of the 4 directors of the camp and she taught the cellists). After the camp, it was announced that the director (viola player/teacher) was beginning a Suzuki program at that university. Our cello teacher only participated in the camp, but she doesn't lead/attend the university's Suzuki program (so this would be a separate endeavor for us and addition to our cello instruction). We signed up to attend the Suzuki program and I told the director up front that I was going to sit in on 2 classes to see if it was good for us before committing/paying the $450/semester. Here's the issue. My son is the ONLY cellist in the entire group. And the violin Suzuki book / songs are written in a different KEY than for cello. So, I'm just wondering if this is a good fit for us. When they play the songs, he can't play with them because what he's practiced at home (with his cello book) is in another KEY. It sounds counter-productive and a lot of money to me for it not to be a Suzuki CELLO program. The instructor (viola/violin teacher) keeps encouraging me that it'll be good for him, but I don't see how. I don't really think it's fair for her to take time out from the other 14 violin players to deal with his personal cello instruction/differences. And, I'm not sure the other parents aren't annoyed by it (the fact that his cello sounds OFF -- he's playing the song "Mississippi Stop Stop" correctly, but it's in a different KEY!). Any advice? Thoughts? Experience with Suzuki? EDIT for clarification: this group Suzuki would not replace his private cello lesson (45 minutes per lesson). This would be separate. But, I would not have to pay for both....the Suzuki program (that $450) would be used to pay the same teacher for the private lesson also.

Thanks so much to all of you. You've lightened me up for sure!

Thanks so much to all of you. You've lightened me up for sure!