To expect a parent to pull a 4 year old down after he has climbed onto a grand piano?

[twentypence]

Father said to teacher - "well how much does one cost?"

In what universe is it okay to climb onto a musical instrument?

(no special needs, dad was talking to him as he climbed up and crawled across it, both parents put out that he was not allowed to "express himself" in this way).

Just a lack of respect for precious objects, both from the parents and the child, but the child won't know any better with a father like that.

Hand the parents a bill for a replacement grand piano.

reagardless of how much it cost you teach your children not to clamber all over other peoples possessions whether it is a grand piano or a car boot sale table!!!

Piano was all closed up with lid down.

This is the same boy who kicked a girl in the face last week, and his mother dismissed it as an accident.

And this is a posh music class!

Aargh I feel like garotting the dad myself!!

'and this is a posh music class'

is that like posh kids have better behaviour standards .. because in the last 6 years I've come to the conclusion that sometimes, the posher the parents the less able they are to be a parent (rather than an enabler of 'free-expression' to the detriment of other children / precious objects) whilst looking around as though everyone should be in raptures over Tarquin or Cassandra

(which reminds me, why the hell would one name a child after a prophetess of doom?)

I hope teacher said "about 7 and a half grand now teach your brat some manners idiot"

She told him it was worth $60K, but then rather ruined the effect by giggling nervously. It wasn't my class - I would have used my stern voice.

They had been telling another mother how difficult it was finding a school for him. Yes, well it would be difficult to find one that would find it acceptable to climb all over a piano when he was supposed to be learning something.

shocked that he was even allowed on it in the first place. Annoyed as a mum and distraught as a pianist!
Free expression AAARRGGGHHHHH ...yes kids have to express themselves but they also have to be given boundaries and taught social skills. You have to know the rules in order to be flexible about them. Even worse, he was being allowed to express himself at the expense of others. GRRR

Coming off soapbox now. If any child had been allowed to climb on my piano the whole family would have been politely requested to express themselves elsewhere. [grumpy old bag emoticon]

He was on top of it?

was the dad taking the piss?

He was 4!!!!

idiot parents

He climbed up the stool, stood on the bit that goes over the keys and then crawled across the top. When I alerted the teacher he was looking as if he might stand up and jump off.

And he's 4 and a half.

Outrageous!
What about respecting other people's property.
Some parents have no idea.
Sounds like they are raising a little monster.

His right to "Express himself" does not render anyone's else's right to express themselves null and void.

I would've expressed myself with words like "Oi!" and "get off there now!" and some rather agressive body language, possibly involving gently grabbing said child and, in the manner of a fairy or perhaps Mother Theresa, dumping him on the bottom step with a "Sit there!"

Twig speaks the truth. Sentences you will never hear:

"Tarquin, stop it now, or you will not have an ice cream!"

"Farquar, if you do that again there will be no tv."

Sentences you will hear:

"Tarquin, darling, Mummy will be a teensy bit cross if you pour sand in the baby's eyes again. Why don't you come here and have an entire tub of Ben & Jerry's?" (smug look-at-how-good-I-am-at-distraction face)

"Farquar, sweetums, I know you love kicking the shit out of old ladies, but please stop it cutie-pie, pleasey weasey woo."

I am covering for the usual teacher in a couple of months - this could be a very interesting experience (for both of us).

The parent's opinion is probably that if you don't want to have kids climb on your grand piano you shouldn't put one in the room you teach them in.

When I hire rooms they are usually pretty prison like because I want to avoid problems like this - but the teacher here is employed by a music school.

I have no problems with children running around and ignoring music teachers, it goes with teaching preschool children - I just wonder at what point these particular parents would bother to step in.

You have physically to stop children sometimes. It's happened with my sister's children - they just go too far and she doesn't stop them. I will physically pick it up and prevent it (not the piano...)

You need eyes in the back of your head (as my mother used to tell her school pupils) and then as soon as they move on to the item they should be on you go over and stop it.

Not at all unreasonable - the dad sounds obnoxious - on a childish note I would love to set my lot over his car and see if he was as laid back then.

When I spoke to the mother around 2 years ago, she said that he had wrecked everything in their house. So I am picking there is not much your children can do to their car which would be noticable.

Some parents are complete idiots. Shouldn't be allowed to breed

was going to say you should have let the little bugger jump off it he may have learnt the hard way that its not a sensible thing to do but but lord farquar (the father) would probably have sued!!

Kitty how right you are a breeding licence sounds such a good idea

You are not being unreasonable, how can any parent feel this is acceptable behaviour.

I'd expect them not to allow him to get up there in the first place.