To expect some compromise regarding time change

[Communionmom]

Situation is 2 DDs. One does ballet (5), one does guitar (9). Classes for both happen in the same building. Last year, guitar was at 3.10 for 20 mins and ballet was 3pm for 45 minutes.
Was expecting the same this year.HOWEVER this year guitar is at 3pm and ballet is at 4.15.

I can’t work with the classes so far apart. I used to sit in on DDs guitar lessons but can’t do that with other DD with me. Then 1 hour with both DDs just hanging around town or sitting in the car if it’s raining. Then guitar DD would have another 45 mins hanging round.

am I unreasonable to say something has to change - like DD guitar is a different day or a later time?

i did call when I got the times but it was a kinda just come this week and we’ll see what happens.

Presumably you’re not the only one attending these lessons so you’re probably the one who has to compromise or move your days around unfortunately

Why can't the 5 year old watch the guitar class?

It's fine to call and see if the guitar can be changed to another slot. I am not really sure what the issue is. After school activities pretty much always have to be tweaked at the start of term because of time changes.

Because it’s a really small room and the only place to sit is behind a drum set - she’s not great at being quite at the best of times but behind a drum set there would be no chance!

Seems pretty normal to me. Just take a snack for the children and some activities and sit in the car and wait, or go for a walk on a nice day. There's always been a lot of hanging round when kids are at activities. I think it is more unusual that you managed to luck out last year and get such closely aligned timings. The only other option is to deny your children the opportunity to do their activities if you think it puts you out too much, but that would be a shame.

Just drop the 9 year old off, hang around somewhere with the 5 year old. Collect 9 year old,hang around for 40 mins max then 9 year old sits whilst 5 year old does ballet. Everyone back on your way home by 4.45pm? I'm sure your 5 year old manages to sit quietly and well at school, I'm sure she can manage a bit of waiting around once a week. If not this is what you tube kids was invented for.

Don't sit on the guitar lesson would be my solution and take something to do while you are sitting in the car.

I take it that it’s not the same teacher running both classes? In which case why should they arrange their classes around each other?
I run a dance school for children aged 2-18 and it’s difficult enough organising classes into age groups and levels and the 5 different styles of dance that we teach and timetabling those levels accordingly, whilst making sure that the classes for older children are a suitable time in the evening for them to get there from secondary school and sixth form and avoiding weekends for those teenagers that want to get a part time job, whilst ensuring that the junior school aged children aren’t finishing too late on a weekday evening and that classes for younger children are suitably arranged to fit in with the majority of working parents and that all sessions are not too long or short for the various age groups. It will never suit everyone- but it works for most of my students. It’s infuriating when parents complain that the class for their child’s age/level clashes with other activities or that their children of totally different ages are not in consecutive groups- I’m not going to move classes around to suit one person ffs! If you manage to get children’s hobbies to run smoothly with just a small cross over gap you are lucky, but surely you don’t expect activity providers to take into consideration all the other activities their students may do. We are already limited to cramming our timetable into a few hrs after school and saturdays- let alone moving sessions around for parents who don’t want the inconvenience of a 1 hr gap between their class and another non related other activity. (The annoyance is trebled when the complainer is someone who hasn’t even enrolled in our classes yet- everyone is welcome, but the moment someone starts demanding changes to our well organised system that are purely to convenience themselves, I recommend that they try another dance school more suited to their needs).

Not the same teachers but both teachers in the same ‘school’.

it’s just the fact that ballet class changed time by 1.15 hours with no notice. Otherwise I would have looked at booking guitar lessons on a different day.

one or other children have been going to this school for 5 years now and we pay registration fees in July so we are enrolled.

If the timings don't work for you then you need to make the decision to look for different classes. How entitled do you have to be to think the school should rearrange the classes to suit your needs. And what about the smiths who want it at a different time to you, and the Jones who want it a different time to you both. When does it end? The classes are when they are, either your kids attend or they don't

Wait, they changed the times after you'd booked? That changes my initial response.

I imagine the best you'll get is your money back, but YANBU to be pissed off that they changed the times after you'd booked then brushed you off.

Yes. Last year ballet was 3pm - this year (with no notice) it’s 4.15.

I had to pay registration back in July before I knew anything about the time change.

Yes I do think they should have told you before you paid. If it doesn’t work for you, you should have the option to look elsewhere/ turn down the class.

It sounds like it’s been remarkably convenient up until now but obviously they have no obligation to fit around your- just to let you know before booking!

I honestly think you just need to suck it up. Many parents up and down the country need to do the same for clashing activities. I've done it myself in the past.

Assuming these are group classes and not one-to-one lessons, then I doubt the school will be in a position to move anything just to suit one family - but they should absolutely have told you before you paid up! If they can't offer you an alternative like a lesson on a different day or something, then they should certainly offer you a refund.

I can see why you don't want to do a lot of hanging around, especially with a five year old.

Ballet is a class, Guitar is individual.

All sorted anyway.

Ballet was a typo, she was supposed to be in an earlier class and guitar has moved to a different day because, as I discovered, I cannot get her to a 3pm class due to the time she gets out of school. We were 7 minutes late today.