to think this is too expensive for a child's dance class

[bionicmummy]

DD has just started school. One of the other mums seems really keen for our DDs to be friends and kept badgering us to take DD to this class on a saturday morning.

DD already does swimming, cheerleading, streetdance and gymnastics during the week - not cheap! but she enjoys it all.

This class on Saturday is 2 hours long, which I knew, and is a mix of all the above.

But is £12 a week.

AIBU to think that's way too much (the other classes are £3 or £4 for one hour, or we pay in blocks).

DH thinks its fine if DD enjoys it and it gives us some peace to mumsnet go grocery shopping, do housework, him to do some work (he works from home)

She's the biggest girl there (not fat, just her build), all the other kids are dainty and small.

So what do you all think? AIBU or is DH?

a 30 min dance class will cost 4.
a 30 min swim class will cost 5

Not round here it wouldn't.

We pay £4.50 for a 90 minute dance class, £1.50 for a half hour session. Swimming is £3 for a 30 minute group session (4-6 kids); private sessions cost more at £12 for half an hour.

It does sound expensive to me. Possibly worth it if you can afford it and dc is keen, but obviously the OP's dd doesn't have expensive tastes! :)

It depends what it included

We pay £7 per 45 mins for ballet & £6.50 per 45 mins for modern & tap

The dance school down the road only charges £4.50 but to be in any of their shows you have to attend Sunday rehearsals from October through to May & pay for those rehearsals. There are also extra classes if they want to take sn exam At dd's dance school shows are included & just one extra exam class (the mock exam) is required You do have to buy costumes & tickets

She also does Stagecoach which is approx £25 for 3 hours. Now tea costs for shows and costumes & tickets are included.

Wow, we don't pay any extra for show classes or exam classes either, though we do buy costumes and tickets for the shows. Exam clothes are rented through the school, and we do pay exam fees. We also pay for an additional half hour competition class, but that's very optional iyswim. £7 for 45 minutes sounds expensive! Is that in London or the south east? Can't imagine them getting away with it round here...

She sounds busy. And that would worry me with school on top. But I wouldn't consider her build as part of that. Ask her what she wants and maybe drop one or 2 of the other classes.

Right. I've obviously been corrupted by London prices, but £12 for 2 hours seems cheap to me!

My dd goes to a one hour dance class every week that costs £5.50 (missed lessons still have to be paid for as well). She also has an annual show that costs us at least £100 in costumes and another £75 in tickets, photos, DVDs etc.
She also has 1:1 swimming tuition, riding lessons, piano lessons and ice skating. Am hoping her natural talent soon begins to shine through cos it's costing me a chuffin fortune tryin to unearth it!

I wanted her to have something to do at weekends as soft play/park can get repetitive and boring

With all due respect I really dont get this obsession that some people have for their children to be constantly busy and "doing something", why? Especially a 4/5 year old, what's wrong with entertaining themselves, relaxing etc - why do they always have to be "doing something". Its the weekend as well, her week sounds busy enough, no matter how much she enjoys it.

I think you also have to look at who is teaching the class and the quality of the teacher. DD started tap in January I was a little taken a back by the £8 for the hour. Though having discovered that she is taught by one of the top tap teachers in the country and after two terms is dancing really really well and she loves it I think it is excellent value for money.

No not London , a deprived area in the north midlands. It's the norm here.

I also wanted to make sure dd was taught by qualified experienced teachers not some 19 year old with no qualifications.

She does a lot but it is her choice, she considered vocational school but has decided against.

£3 for half an hour here, so times the time by 4, so the money does too. Sounds like a too long class though.