No lessons for the summer

[fairfarmhand]

***disclaimer: I realize that on this board there are plenty of people just barely making in financially, so I know that my complaint seems petty for you. I am thankful that we have a steady job for my dh and know where our basic needs are coming from.

 

 

For the last few years with the costs of everything going up, we have seen our disposable income slowly evaporating. Today, I had to tell my kids that we will be having no lessons all summer. An emergency ate up all of our savings and we are in the hole a little too, so we have to build that back up before we can consider anything extra. My oldest will have no piano, my 2 middles are going to have to forgo gymnastics starting June 1, just because we don't have the money. I can't tell you how much I HATED telling the kids this. My oldest is very talented with music and has done so well. My second has done SO well at the gym. It has been so good for her self image to have something at which she was so skilled. My 3rd dd is not very good at gymnastics, but looked forward to it every week.

 

sigh.

 

I hate money.

[momma2three]

I hear you. And I'm sorry, that's really tough.

 

I always want to give my kids things they want (within reason, obviously), and sometimes it makes me sad when I can't. My daughter really had her heart set on guitar last year, and we just couldn't swing it. And now she's talking about it again for this year, and this year's even worse financially! I hope we can do it for the 2012/13 school year.

 

Not having formal things in summer isn't so bad, though. They can play outside a lot. I think it's more important in winter, where I sometimes feel trapped because of the weather.

[fairfarmhand]

I hear you. And I'm sorry, that's really tough.

 

I always want to give my kids things they want (within reason, obviously), and sometimes it makes me sad when I can't. My daughter really had her heart set on guitar last year, and we just couldn't swing it. And now she's talking about it again for this year, and this year's even worse financially! I hope we can do it for the 2012/13 school year.

 

Not having formal things in summer isn't so bad, though. They can play outside a lot. I think it's more important in winter, where I sometimes feel trapped because of the weather.

We are just hoping that things will improve enough that we can get back to them in the fall. So far, I;ve told the kids that we will re-evaluate in September. (fingers crossed)

[Reflections]

It is like that here for us too. But I would encourage you to have your children practice during the summer the skills they have been taught during this past year - they could 'teach' each other - and it might help lessen the blow for all of you.

[fairfarmhand]

Thankfully, we had not planned on taking a vacation, so we don't have to cancel that too.

[Jen in PA]

:grouphug:

[Chris in VA]

You know, we always take a lessons break in the summer. We don't do choir, or piano lessons, or have dd acolyte too often if at all. It actually gives us a bit of a Sabbath! When we start again in the fall, we approach things with a freshness and an appreciation that sometimes gets lost in the running around.

 

It can really be a good thing! :D

[mom2samlibby]

You know, we always take a lessons break in the summer. We don't do choir, or piano lessons, or have dd acolyte too often if at all. It actually gives us a bit of a Sabbath! When we start again in the fall, we approach things with a freshness and an appreciation that sometimes gets lost in the running around.

 

It can really be a good thing! :D

 

:iagree:

 

My kids are always excited about a summer break. They love their piano and dance lessons, but it's also nice to have a break. We can try other things or just take some time to "miss" it a bit, so we start up again, it fresh and new again.

[catz]

:grouphug: I'm sorry. That really is hard. It would be very hard on all of us if we had to make a decision like that.