CF or just protecting her business?

[Feckinlego]

So dd goes to a dance class. That's obviously not been happening for the last few weeks. Term fees are due next week and the owner has requested that we continue to pay. She is doing an online class which my dd has no interest in. I understand she wants to keep her business going but I cant help thinking its cheeky to expect us to pay for a service we are not using. Aibu?

It's not her fault you aren't making use of the service she is providing. I'm still paying my DS scouting subs even though he is not going to meetings. They are doing lots of things online.

I expect your DD's teacher still has to pay rent and insurance fees for when proper classes re-start

In a way I can see where you're coming from but in these times things aren't necessarily black and white. If we want these services to come back to we might need to make payment of some of our normal fees. I'm a childminder and id originally asked my parents to pay half in the event the gov closed us down. As it turned out the gov are looking after us self employed but it hasn't gone unnoticed the parents that were making excuses about paying when they were still on full pay. It's worth paying if you trust them and you're still on full/80% pay. It's also worth negotiating if you're not

She's still offering a dance class albeit a streamed one. It's up to you if you're going to use it but effectively she's still offering her services as a teacher to her students so yes she would bed paying. It's called using your initiative and making a living. She may not qualify for anything other than universal credit otherwise so good on her for trying to keep going.

We’re still paying our gym
Membership and getting live classes each night. They are a small business and will go tits if everyone stops paying. Businesses are trying their best to survive.

Why isn’t your daughter doing the online classes? Surely she needs to maintain her level and practice in order to keep up with the rest of the class

But why should parents pay for a CM service when they are doing the childcare themselves? The dance teacher is at least offering online classes. You wanted money for doing absolutely nothing?

I’m still paying for my exercise classes. We haven’t been hit financially as a result of the current situation so we are paying everything we usually do to minimise the impact on others. If everybody that can pay continues to do so then it will help lessen the impact on small businesses.

We are in the same boat but I am going to pay because it's only £20 I can afford to, it keeps DD place and dance teacher will be able to continue dance classes when it goes back to normal and DD will have a place xx

Why does your daughter have no interest in doing online classes - probably because of your negative attitude?

The teacher is doing her best to keep thing going, yes partly because she needs the income as she'll get little help from the government , but also because she knows if lots of students stop lessons now they won't restart when this is all over because they will have forgotten things and will be frustrated by their inflexibility. This applies to things like music lessons too.

Previously you must have thought it was a good thing for your daughter to do dance classes, so if can afford it you should pay the fees and encourage your daughter to keep up her dancing.

@Wannakisstheteacher because if we don’t then these businesses won’t be there after all this is over with 🤷🏻‍♀️ The childminder has no income so has to find alternative employment and therefore is not available when parents need childcare again.

Offer to pay half to help support her, but also to reflect your daughter is not using the service

Our dance school is doing online classes and they're great. I thought they would be of minimal use for dance and just a way to keep DC busy a little but they have been really good. And it's been a huge boost to DC mental health as it's giving a sense of normality, fitness, structure and seeing friends. Well worth it.

Pay 20 %.. She will be clawing back 80 % from the gvt..
Unless your dd won't be returning therefore pay nil..

I’ve been paying for my kids gym classes, because our income hasn’t changed and when this is over I want to be able to go back to the activities, I don’t want them to be bankrupt. Actually had an email last night saying they won’t need us to pay from April because the government support will start so I feel confident they are being clear & above board about their finances & not profiteering out of this.

We're still paying Explorer subs (meetings done online) and guitar lessons (done via Skype) and have paid the dog walker for this months invoice, even though she's unable to work.
We're fortunate that we're able to afford this and I don't think you're being unreasonable if you can't (laid off, furloughed etc) If there's little change to your regular income I think YABU not to pay.

I agree with you. My child can't do the online classes that my dance teacher is offering. My other children keep getting in the way and we don't have the space but we have to keep paying which seems unfair.

If your child doesn't want to join the inline class I would suggest withdrawing them.

She's still offering her services, though.

If you don't want to take part, then don't pay, but don't expect her spot to be kept open for her.

I wish our dance class could do online if they did we would be delighted. Pay or quit completely.

I cant help thinking its cheeky to expect us to pay for a service we are not using.

I suspect it's not cheek, it's desperation. It's the heartbreak of thinking a business you built up might be sucked under, through no fault of your own.

If you don't want to/cannot keep paying then withdraw, accepting this may mean the dance class is not there to go back to when this is over.

Our karate school is the same.

If your daughter doesn't want to dance at home, then withdraw her from the school. Seems fairly straightforward

DH and I are both working from home (and getting paid). We're choosing to continue to pay for this kind of thing to support the small businesses involved, but obviously we'd be making a different decision if our income had been cut.

She's not being a CF to ask. But it's up to you whether to continue or not.

The service is still available, albeit in a different format.

How old is your DD? If she's like 3 then I can completely understand that she's not interested in online classes. Does your DD want to resume classes once we're out of lockdown?

If not then don't pay and let someone else have her space. If so then pay, or try and negotiate a holding fee for her place.

Our dance teacher is doing the same. It's not perfect but it's pretty darn good. We would have kept on paying regardless, we want the lessons to start up again.

If you expect her to be able to restart the classes once all this is over, I'd suggest you pay. Otherwise either the classes will never restart if the business folds, or the owner may simply decide she doesn't want your DD back as is her choice. How bothered is your DD about returning once it's all over - if she doesn't care, then don't pay - but if she wants to start again, then pay. Simples.

You can choose to pay, and encourage your DD to do the classes to keep up and maintain her skills

OR, you can not pay and withdraw your child from the school, understanding that this means she will lose the skills she has, won't make progress and may not be able to rejoin the school afterwards or may have to rejoin in a lower class.

Either of these is fine - just make a choice.

I say this as someone who sits on the committee of a local dance school which has made the same choice. We'll understand either approach, although we hope and are finding that the majority are grateful for the online classes (which cost money and time to make btw).

What's not okay is whinging that its unfair you have to keep paying and (if you don't pay) whinging that you can't access the online classes/whinging about losing your DD's place/whinging that they might miss progress and exams/whinging that they might have to move down levels, because they can't work at their current level after months of not doing the work.