If your kids are in lessons - Page 2

[CrazyCatLady]

I expect them to start on time (or very close to it).

But I don't care it all if they run late. Any bonus/free instruction that they want to give my kid is fine by me. I have an only though so I'm sure that makes a difference. Plus I try not to book us back to back on things so I don't have to rush from one to the other.

[kcstar]

It depends a lot on the nature of the lessons and how they are paid for. For one thing, group classes are different from private lessons.

I have at times been blessed with a teacher who doesn't ask for money. In that case, I have a hard time saying the lesson is running overtime / undertime. We make arrangements on when/where to meet, and for how long. If it's tight in the schedule, we say so and try to stick to the agreed to times.

In general for paid lessons:
If we're running late, I expect the lesson to end on time. If the instructor is running late, I expect the lesson to go to the allotted end. If a teacher/instructor is willing to give my child extra attention / instruction after the lesson (positive/focused on the subject), I am grateful.

We also try not to keep a tight schedule. DS is an only so far, which helps with this.

If a class has a history of going long, and for some reason we have a tight schedule that day, I expect I would say something to the instructor at the beginning about needing to leave at x time. And then (if the lesson isn't over), I'd step in at that time, make eye contact with the instructor, and expect DS to be dismissed. If I have to say something, it would be like "I'm sorry, [DS] needs to go now."

[EFmom]

It's funny, I feel differently about different lessons.

We pay a small fortune for private violin and flute lessons. I'm delighted when those run over and my kids get extra instruction. The violin tutor, in particular, is a genius, and any extra help dd gets from her is gravy. That only happens if the tutors don't have somebody else booked right after us. We never have something booked right after music lessons.

But one kid does Tae Kwon Do and the other does ballet. I like those to end promptly.

In all cases, I like the lessons to start on time.

Go figure.

[jen in co]

Originally Posted by earthmama369

It depends on whether or not I have somewhere else I need to be after the lesson. I prefer classes to start on time and run the full length we've paid for (or, as a teacher, that I have been paid for). If they go over, as long as we don't have other obligations and the kids are still having fun, that's a wonderful gift from the teacher.

I agree with this. Our piano teacher is never late and often (if another student isn't there), she gives my DD extra time. I completely appreciate this, but we don't have anywhere to be after piano...

[Peony]

Start on time, end on time. Extra free time would be nice but I usually have places to be and other children wanting out of there.

[phathui5]

Part of why we left the taekwondo school we had been going to is that the teacher kept starting the class late. I think that's completely unacceptable.

[lach]

Start on time, end on time. But I also want my money's worth, so if it starts late, I'd rather it goes late.

I'm totally understanding that things come up, that sometimes the teacher or a previous class is running a little late. But I would much rather this be a one-off thing and I would not be happy if it happened often. And I'd prefer the teacher warn me/tell me upfront. "I'm so sorry ballet is starting a little late today. As you can see the previous class ran a bit over. If it's okay with everyone, we'll still go the full 45 minutes. If you have to leave at exactly 11:15, I'll send your child out then."

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by lach

If it's okay with everyone, we'll still go the full 45 minutes. If you have to leave at exactly 11:15, I'll send your child out then."

doing anything less than this is really rude. I was in a yoga class the other day and the teacher wanted to run late, but she said so and let every one know exactly what time is was so if they were on a schedule, she wouldn't be making them run late for something else. Anything less than this is very rude and assuming things that you cannot know.

And the impact of a lesson running over even a few minutes is very different on a family with an only child and a family with another child who is now completely melting down, or will end up melting down in the car.

I also think that if you make a habit of starting late and ending late, it becomes a cycle where people feel they do not need to show up on time, and can be a downward spiral.