I feel bad for parents if this is close to how things work now

[poofyhairguy]

I like how you seem to have found your niche complaining about others' travails navigating young suburban parenthood.

Agreed. This is way better than the usual threads complaining about tipping or driving.

Maybe my next thread will be complaining about the parents who stand at the fundraiser stands at stores trying to sell things instead of making their kids do it. Lots of good ideas here of things to complain about

My body is ready.

 

[waggy]

Yeah. Dance and Gynastics are two things I have no interest getting my daughter into for this very reason. They are a time and money hole. Tae Kwon Do is expensive...but the only weekend stuff is for belt testing. That's a few times a year and it's about an hour long. My daughter seems to enjoy it enough that we have avoided the other "girly" activities.

gymnastics is terrible in the low levels gymnast level and competition levle (yeah there are different level 5's etc). EVERYONE got ribbons. though like most sports they do start to eventually only give the top few stuff. though they do seperate it by age group and level (for reasons. a 9 yr old is going to do better then a 16 yr old at the same level)

Both kids did TKD and it was a joke. Both got tired of it within a month (both were orange belts within a year). Eventuallyl we found a "self defense" class that was far better. no belts just learning how to defend yourself. using wrestling and many combinations of martial arts.



The dance i agree with. My niece is in a dance club. We went to a recital and it was 4 hours long. We went on night 2..ugh.

We aren't up to sparring gear levels, but we bought a used set from a friend for half the price. So we have that going for us. 🙂

What I find the most amazing (at least at her academy) is the leadership program and hours required for the higher belt. There are class leaders in most of the age groups that are absolutely amazing kids. The work the instructor does with those kids is incredible. I hope my daughter sticks with it long enough to make it to that level. Those kids have their shit together better than most adults.

sparring gear aInt that expensive. thoughyeah you can get it cheap. I got both kids full sets for $99 frankly the self defense class they are in are cheap and they have learned more in that then any martial arts friends kids are taking.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm not even a parent, but I think that's ridiculous. As a parent you should not have to pay to go to your kid's performance considering you paid for all the sessions/lessons etc, it should be part of the package. Not to mention you should be allowed to take pictures of your own kids performing. Probably some stupid IP law thing, they probably own rights to all the kids and their performances. Kind of like how music artists are not even allowed to distribute their own music.

 

[KeithP]

I feel bad for parents if this is close to how things work now

Now? It has been that way for at least 20 years based on how my niece's dance group worked (she is 26 now).

-KeithP

 

[DrPizza]

Travel baseball for my son: Expensive as hell.
Worth every_damned_penny

Edit: though this year has sucked as he's been injured and will only have played in 16 of the 60+ games they have scheduled. Painful for the whole family.

Mine did motocross. I win. Even when my son wasn't in the current race, it was still really exciting to watch. I'd rather get a root canal than sit through a dance recital or a kids baseball game.

 

[SearchMaster]

Mine did motocross. I win. Even when my son wasn't in the current race, it was still really exciting to watch. I'd rather get a root canal than sit through a dance recital or a kids baseball game.

Baseball games for the very young are boring but once the kids start understanding the game and throwing strikes consistently it is often quite exciting. I'd sure as hell take my three boys' baseball/football games over dance recitals, that's for sure 😀. If I had daughters I'd probably make it to the first recital then tell my wife there's just no way I'm sitting through two hours of this shit to see her dance for 1 minute - I'll watch her 100 times in the living room instead. At my youngest son's 5th grade "graduation", I told him the next graduation I'd be attending for him would be high school - period. Fortunately they don't do 8th grade "graduation"s anyway.

The baseball can get expensive as hell too - obviously the cost of being on the team approaches $2000/season but then each game is $5-$10 as well, and often parking as well. At least the gate money is generally going to fund the hosting high school's programs instead of going into a tournament organizer's pocket. Many tournaments that my son attends have 200-300 teams per age bracket...at $1000-$1500 per team entry fee...that's quite a haul....and they have tournaments every single week for over half the year.

 

[John Connor]

Went to my 5 year old niece's first dance recital.

First surprise was that tickets were $15 each and that parents didn't even get a free set despite paying for the dance classes.

Second was that it was a 2.5 hour long recital and they asked people not to leave. Of course the 5 year old had about 1 minute of dancing

I knew my sister and BIL had to buy my niece's 2 time use outfit through the dance company at an absurd price for being used only twice. Annoying but probably not that big of a deal. Then I saw some of the older girls were in like 6-8 routines. Those poor parents.

The next surprise was that they don't allow videography or photos during the show. If you want any of that you're supposed to buy it from the company they have on sight doing the filming. No idea on the price but I'm pretty sure it isn't cheap given the ticket price.

I also wasn't prepared for the cacophony of crying babies that parents didn't bother to take to the hallway during the show or the people without crying babies getting up in the middle of a routine and walking past other people (and stepping on my toes) because they couldn't wait the 30 seconds for that dance to end before disrupting everything. Sure sometimes nature can't wait but I don't think that many people had bladder\bowel control issues

Not to mention all the 'Woo girl' mothers who would yell for basically anything:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdlm4YqkqRw

And lastly it really does seem like they give awards for everything. I quickly got the impression that almost all of the elevinty bazillion dance groups were a winner in something. "Please welcome to the stage the winners of northern section of south eastern michigan's intro to line tap group A mixed age division Q competition!"
(WOOO!)

At first I thought that maybe this company was just that good. Then they spent the last 15 minutes of the show handing out trophies for things like participation, attendance and 'most stickers' - whatever that means. But 15 minutes wasn't enough. Parents are expected back tonight for part two of the award ceremony!

Well, this staunch Conservative would like to say welcome to the wussification of America and the entitlement culture. But I can't on the wussification part since this deals with girls. So I give you a meme instead.

 

[waggy]

Mine did motocross. I win. Even when my son wasn't in the current race, it was still really exciting to watch. I'd rather get a root canal than sit through a dance recital or a kids baseball game.

kid's baseball games are fun! you just need the right amount of beer!

I was ok when both kids said they didn't want to play baseball. Good god was it boring watching them play.

 

[Fritzo]

Yep. That's the world we live in. Been through two decades of that crap already.

 

[pete6032]

I feel bad for parents

No, actually you don't. This thread is about you feeling bad for yourself because you had to sit through something you didn't want to sit through.

 

[TXHokie]

The beginning always suck. But as they get older and if they become good at it (and like it as well hopefully), it'll be much better. I remember my daughter's first piano recital with a few notes of Old McDonald had a farm...brutal. Now it's mesmerizing to listen to her playing a good classical piece.
Then there's sports. I've done the time and investment in baseball, basketball, and now soccer. It's tough to watch when they just don't have that natural ability.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Went to my 5 year old niece's first dance recital.

First surprise was that tickets were $15 each and that parents didn't even get a free set despite paying for the dance classes.

Second was that it was a 2.5 hour long recital and they asked people not to leave. Of course the 5 year old had about 1 minute of dancing

I knew my sister and BIL had to buy my niece's 2 time use outfit through the dance company at an absurd price for being used only twice. Annoying but probably not that big of a deal. Then I saw some of the older girls were in like 6-8 routines. Those poor parents.

I basically went through this exact same experience with my 4 year old daughter. Tickets to her recital were $17 (f*ck me!) each, with no freebies to parents or discounts for young kids. The show was held in a public school auditorium so I KNOW it did not cost them that much top rent the space.

My daughter's costume was $65 and we did not even get to keep the damn thing. Next time that happens I plan to bring it up with the dance company. The entire costume could not have cost 1/2 of what we paid. It was basically a leotard and a small dress.

FWIW - my daughter's school did not give out many awards at the recital. In fact the only one they gave out was to a girl who had been taking classes at the school for 14 years and was now moving on to be a dance performance major in college.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

kid's baseball games are fun! you just need the right amount of beer!

Yeah, it's like watching bad drivers on icy roads. There's entertainment value even if it's for the wrong reasons.

When kids get a little older baseball becomes unwatchable because without the Keystone Cops factor it's got nothing.

 

[Homerboy]

Mine did motocross. I win. Even when my son wasn't in the current race, it was still really exciting to watch. I'd rather get a root canal than sit through a dance recital or a kids baseball game.

Mine does baseball. I win. Even when my son isn't playing in the game, it is still really exciting to watch. I'd rather get a root canal than sit through a dance recital or motocross race.


See? I can be a jerk too! People like/appreciate different things, no need to put the other one down to raise yourself up. Hell I sit through baseball games where my son isn't even playing quite regularly. I find it just fun to watch youth sports. And, for the record, that would include a motocross race (whcih I have sat and watched several times in fact)

 

[dainthomas]

Mine does baseball. I win. Even when my son isn't playing in the game, it is still really exciting to watch. I'd rather get a root canal than sit through a dance recital or motocross race.


See? I can be a jerk too! People like/appreciate different things, no need to put the other one down to raise yourself up. Hell I sit through baseball games where my son isn't even playing quite regularly. I find it just fun to watch youth sports. And, for the record, that would include a motocross race (whcih I have sat and watched several times in fact)

Baseball CAN be fun to watch. What doesn't sound fun is if your kid has multiple games and you have to sit out in an open field all day in 95-100 degree heat.

 

[Homerboy]

Baseball CAN be fun to watch. What doesn't sound fun is if your kid has multiple games and you have to sit out in an open field all day in 95-100 degree heat.

And I could say the same thing about motocross. 100 degree heat? Multiple races of which for some types of courses you can't even see your kid for portions of the race? "Boring". But I didn't because I understand everyone likes different things. Did you read the spot where I said I watch games where my kid isn't even playing? Crazy, right? It's like I find enjoyment in it or something.

 

[poofyhairguy]

No, actually you don't. This thread is about you feeling bad for yourself because you had to sit through something you didn't want to sit through.

Not quite.

This thread is about him trying to feel BETTER about his situation of having to sit through something he didn't want to sit through by reflecting on the fact that parents of young children are obligated to sit through such events on a regular basis.

I don't know about y'all, but I do that all the time too when life makes me do a one-off thing I really dislike. Sometimes a little perspective like that can really be a silver lining in the moment.

Bonus points if you can be like Mike Rowe and instead feeling luckily that you aren't forced to do that action over and over you feel respect for people who chose that of their free will. I loved Dirty Jobs for that reason.

 

[Homerboy]

I loved Dirty Jobs for that reason.

I loved that show. It was interesting as hell. Really made you think too about all the little cogs in the machine that make the whole machine work every day.

 

[Exterous]

No, actually you don't. This thread is about you feeling bad for yourself because you had to sit through something you didn't want to sit through.

.

your head

Bonus points if you can be like Mike Rowe and instead feeling luckily that you aren't forced to do that action over and over you feel respect for people who chose that of their free will. I loved Dirty Jobs for that reason.

I really like that show. ("The biting I can understand but the chewing?") Hes gone on to do a lot of other great things like the MikeRoweWorks foundation and helping with Project JumpStart

 

[rh71]

Also, dance classes don't seem all that expensive to me. Certainly cheaper than say hockey.

I have 2 seven yo's just starting travel hockey so I can give an idea of costs up to this point. I don't think anyone has mentioned dance costs with figures to compare.

- 1 hour group clinics run $20-$30 each on avg (participating ~2x a week). I help coach so we get many clinics free which is great (especially with 2).
- Optional individual skating lessons which are about $40 for 30 minutes.
- Travel hockey (Sept - March) is $2500 per child and that's on the cheap end, tourneys included. Some are $4k and clearly it's a business.
- Weekly house league for $700 each season (3 a year).
- Summer camp - Optional, but 3 hours of ice-time a day is extremely valuable. Includes swimming and soccer, etc. $3k for 8 weeks. Comparable to any summer camp really.

 

[shortylickens]

gymnastics is terrible in the low levels gymnast level and competition levle (yeah there are different level 5's etc). EVERYONE got ribbons. though like most sports they do start to eventually only give the top few stuff. though they do seperate it by age group and level (for reasons. a 9 yr old is going to do better then a 16 yr old at the same level)

Both kids did TKD and it was a joke. Both got tired of it within a month (both were orange belts within a year). Eventuallyl we found a "self defense" class that was far better. no belts just learning how to defend yourself. using wrestling and many combinations of martial arts.



The dance i agree with. My niece is in a dance club. We went to a recital and it was 4 hours long. We went on night 2..ugh.



sparring gear aInt that expensive. thoughyeah you can get it cheap. I got both kids full sets for $99 frankly the self defense class they are in are cheap and they have learned more in that then any martial arts friends kids are taking.

HEY WAGGY!

Dont you have grandchildren now?

 

[norseamd]

Went to my 5 year old niece's first dance recital.

First surprise was that tickets were $15 each and that parents didn't even get a free set despite paying for the dance classes.

Second was that it was a 2.5 hour long recital and they asked people not to leave. Of course the 5 year old had about 1 minute of dancing

I knew my sister and BIL had to buy my niece's 2 time use outfit through the dance company at an absurd price for being used only twice. Annoying but probably not that big of a deal. Then I saw some of the older girls were in like 6-8 routines. Those poor parents.

The next surprise was that they don't allow videography or photos during the show. If you want any of that you're supposed to buy it from the company they have on sight doing the filming. No idea on the price but I'm pretty sure it isn't cheap given the ticket price.

I also wasn't prepared for the cacophony of crying babies that parents didn't bother to take to the hallway during the show or the people without crying babies getting up in the middle of a routine and walking past other people (and stepping on my toes) because they couldn't wait the 30 seconds for that dance to end before disrupting everything. Sure sometimes nature can't wait but I don't think that many people had bladder\bowel control issues

Not to mention all the 'Woo girl' mothers who would yell for basically anything:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdlm4YqkqRw

And lastly it really does seem like they give awards for everything. I quickly got the impression that almost all of the elevinty bazillion dance groups were a winner in something. "Please welcome to the stage the winners of northern section of south eastern michigan's intro to line tap group A mixed age division Q competition!"
(WOOO!)

At first I thought that maybe this company was just that good. Then they spent the last 15 minutes of the show handing out trophies for things like participation, attendance and 'most stickers' - whatever that means. But 15 minutes wasn't enough. Parents are expected back tonight for part two of the award ceremony!

Thats horrendous.

Shit has gone so far south since the 90s.

 

[pauldun170]

Went to my 5 year old niece's first dance recital.

First surprise was that tickets were $15 each and that parents didn't even get a free set despite paying for the dance classes.

Where was the recital? Hall? Theater? Did they have DJ's or musicians? If they have a recital at a separate venue then they are subject to market prices. Having recital a separate fee allows them to be flexible where they host it. If they include it in the overall fee, then they are screwed if they can't lockin a venue at that price. Charging the recital separately allows them to base the cost on how many people they actually sign up for the season.

Second was that it was a 2.5 hour long recital and they asked people not to leave. Of course the 5 year old had about 1 minute of dancing

Its a recital. the right thing to do is stick through the whole thing. Imagine what the kids see when groups of people start leaving during their performance. Sure its one minute of dancing but stick the fuck around and don't be selfish asshole.
Don't want to stick through a recital then don't go. If you just want to see your kid dance then just watch them when you bring them to practice.

I knew my sister and BIL had to buy my niece's 2 time use outfit through the dance company at an absurd price for being used only twice. Annoying but probably not that big of a deal. Then I saw some of the older girls were in like 6-8 routines. Those poor parents.

Picture parents all making their own decision on what costumes to buy. Now you have a bunch of kids wearing different outfits. Doesn't matter what you think. The fact is there are idiot parents and it is impossible for some to follow instructions.

The next surprise was that they don't allow videography or photos during the show. If you want any of that you're supposed to buy it from the company they have on sight doing the filming. No idea on the price but I'm pretty sure it isn't cheap given the ticket price.

Option 1. Every asshole in the audience standing up filming trying to get their video to post on facebook. Others who just want to watch the damn thing being blocked and now can't see a fucking thing. Now toss in constant flashes directed at kids on a stage who are supoosed to be doing whatever they are doing.

Option 2. Sit your ass down and actually watch the recital in REAL life instead of a smart phone screen.

I also wasn't prepared for the cacophony of crying babies that parents didn't bother to take to the hallway during the show or the people without crying babies getting up in the middle of a routine and walking past other people (and stepping on my toes) because they couldn't wait the 30 seconds for that dance to end before disrupting everything. Sure sometimes nature can't wait but I don't think that many people had bladder\bowel control issues

Not to mention all the 'Woo girl' mothers who would yell for basically anything:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdlm4YqkqRw

And lastly it really does seem like they give awards for everything. I quickly got the impression that almost all of the elevinty bazillion dance groups were a winner in something. "Please welcome to the stage the winners of northern section of south eastern michigan's intro to line tap group A mixed age division Q competition!"
(WOOO!)

At first I thought that maybe this company was just that good. Then they spent the last 15 minutes of the show handing out trophies for things like participation, attendance and 'most stickers' - whatever that means. But 15 minutes wasn't enough. Parents are expected back tonight for part two of the award ceremony!

Some of those things are awards that are competition based.
Some of those are "trophies" are because parents spent $$$$ to send 5 year old to hop up and down on a stage and they want something to show for it besides some pictures. That little trophy might inspire the kid to want to sign up again next year. They have been doing that shit for ever.

Otherwise, a soft bristle brush and some soap in the shower should remove the sand from your vagina. Make sure you when you remove your head from your ass to keep it from entering your vagina or else you risk a UTI.

 

[norseamd]

Ironically, two of the biggest martial arts stars to grace western screens trained as dancers.

This is like saying some of the bests wines actually come from California, but then showing some mid-tier brands. Nothing against Michelle Leoh and those other chicks, but that does not do the topic real justice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd70iqK_bsU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qC1nmVjtpo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSFQrPzSAnE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUlSI0_I2Gk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxTg6f_fYT0

 

[msi1337]

yes, this is how it is.

My daughter had her first ballet recital a month ago. Had to stay for the whole show as well, even though she was done in the first 10 mins. I did however get 4 free tickets to it, so I didn't have to pay for that.

Costume that was used for literally 10 mins : $120
Getting the recital on DVD : $35
The expression of accomplishment on my daughters face: priceless
For everything else there is MasterCard