Today Westbury PS held their swim carnival. (just the gr 3-6). It was the most horribly blustery wet day out here and even though the Hagley Farm school has an indoor pool, it was cold and dark. But like all good parents, I pretended to be all enthusiastic about being there and cheered Sarra on. She came third in the breaststroke and was so pleased with herself. I didn't have the heart to tell her there were only 3 kids in the race.
You can tell the kids who have weekly private lessons as they would surge ahead with their perfect stroke technique. I worked out that it would cost me $100 a month to put Sarra and Hallie into swim lessons.My faithful cheerer-oners.................
Every January the girls have free lessons through the Rotary Club of Deloraine and then in March they do a block of 2 swims a week for a number of weeks at Hagley,(roughly $160) and the grade 3s just had lessons for the past two weeks everyday but I have never actually had them in lessons for the whole year due to the cost of it all. But then how can I put a price on water safety??
This year Hallie is doing gymnastics and Sarra basketball and I honestly don't know how they can do anymore as it is all so expensive. I would love them to learn a musical instrument and do an art/craft class once a week too but that is not going to happen anytime soon. And soon enough the boys will be old enough to want to start something too.... arrgh!!
3 comments:
I'm with you on this Simone. I feel so guilty when we go to school swimming things and there are some really confident swimmers and you know they have done professional lessons since they were born. I always work out how much it would cost and its crazy. Jay had lessons enough that he can swim and save himself, but as for strokes, I figure I can help him with that (and its great we have family swim at the gym!).
Basketball is expensive enough and Jay also wanted to do tai kwon do and soccer. I knew he wasn't serious about all of them so gave him a choice of one and I'm glad he chose basketball. I think all these things are great, but I also don't want the boys out every night after school doing something - its too tiring for them and me, and I think that being home is just as important. I think some people cram too much into their kids lives and really it isn't worth it when their kids are exhausted and everyone is stressed at home as you are running around like crazy and trying to find the money to do it all.
That's my sermon for the day :)
I'm with you both! I'm glad school has such a great water safety progam, and the kids do Esk Band at school during school time with only a couple of weekends and a concert at the end of the year. With that and Cubs we do more than enough - they need time to just be kids!
We had our swimming carnival today also, but ours was outdoors at Riverside pool...it was FREEZING and wet. Emily only wants to do swimming lessons so I'm feeling guilty and considering caving, as the boys do trampolining and she's doing nothing.....
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