Would you consider this to be "too much"? - Page 3

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by journeymom

To the OP I completely sympathize. I've had a very similar experience with my 9th grade daughter's marching band. She simply signed up for concert band as her elective, and they certainly didn't tell her that we'd be responsible to pay $500+ and spend hours and hours fund raising and volunteering. Apparently marching band is a life style. My daughter LOVES it and I love the 'family' she's joined. But I'm still struggling with resentment and anger, feeling a little like we were tricked into a huge commitment.

My daughter picked up on my resentment and was offering to drop band. I would LOVE for her to pick a different elective. Save us a bucket of money we don't have, time I didn't know I was going to have to give. But the deed is done and I'm not going to ruin this for dd. I'm always going to be irritated about the way we stumbled into this, but I'm getting my head in the game, so to speak. Dd doesn't need to feel like she's between a rock and a hard place.

Yes, they should have communicated better. You couldn't make a good decision because they did not give you all the information.

However you need to let it go for now, and do what it takes to get your head in the right place so that you don't bring your kids to each performance already pi**ed off.

You'll have an intense couple of weeks and then it will all be over with and you don't have to do it again.

Marching band is a commitment. I was in marching band for several years and even did it with drum corps during the summer.

It is very much a lifestyle. I spent a lot of time after school practicing, my Friday nights were always booked with football games. It is really worth it though. My facebook is full of band friends.

[aprons_and_acorns]

To the OP-- Yes, that performance schedule would certainly be "too much" for our family. I can't imagine my 5 year old wanting or even being able to do that many dance performances in such a short period of time. According to many of the PPs it sounds like the schedule is about right for a performance dance troupe, so this I am glad to know for future reference. DS wants to take dance classes, so this thread has really made me think about what questions to ask when we sign up.
OP--I hope the next few weeks go by quickly and smoothly for your family!

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by aprons_and_acorns

According to many of the PPs it sounds like the schedule is about right for a performance dance troupe, so this I am glad to know for future reference. DS wants to take dance classes, so this thread has really made me think about what questions to ask when we sign up.

There are lots of recreational dance programs that have much lower expectations. Many are offered by the same studios that have high pressure performance groups. The rec programs provide stable funding and a "feeder" system to find new performers. The rec program may offer just a couple of performances through the year, mostly for an audience of parents and family friends, so it can be much more comfortable for some children.

You are wise to be aware of the demands of different programs and to ask lots of questions first. The best source of information is other parents who have been through the system.