Poor DD - it looks like it's going to hard work selling her dinghy; should we ebay it?

[KatyMac]

It's been on the market weeks & no interest

But I am worried about selling something so high value iyswim

How much do I lose to ebay if I put a high reserve on it? Is it better to put a high starting price?

DD is saving up to go to summer school, so we need to get the best price possible

I haven't been able to get this out of m head all day. I've been imagining my dd selling her pony to fund a one week summer school.

Of coursd we ahe to help them follow their dreams - but we ahve to help them stay grounded too. She probably thinks she will be "spotted" at this summer school and be on her way to stardom. We, as adults, know that's niot going to happen, and she'll come back home, having had a fabulous week, but still where she was - apart from not having a boat.

Don;t let her do it.

Seeker, she doesn't. She sees it as her only chance to perform at the West End

I'm quite against it (my baby, central London, theatre people?)

So she wants to spend 1000 quid to do a summer school show on a west end stage? With probably 100 other teenagers?

What does she think she's going to get out of it? Just that hour on stage? Honestly - don't let her do it.

Really I know

But it is her boat & her decision. We all want our children to make good ones but sometimes they don't.

I have someone looking into it to see if it's legit. But I walk a very fine line between encourage/control & seeing her on 'Britain's got Talent' in a year or so which must be prevented at all costs

I would put my foot down. But I'm a tough mum. And if she wants to give BGT a try when she's 16 then let her go for it. Better than putting all her eggs in the summer school basket.

What is the harm of her entering BGT? The chances of her actually getting on TV are next to zero. Thousands autition for BGT and if she does make it on BGT then she would make a lot of money. What makes you think her doing a summer school would discourage her entering BGT?

Well I dislike intensely the way they pick up on people with issues or additional needs, I think it the modern alternative to the 'village fool'.

As long as I 'encourage & support' I have some level of control; I have learnt to 'pick my arguments' to ensure I win the ones that matter most and to 'go with the flow' on the ones I can deal with.

This may be lazy but I really think it's the best way to parent DD; she is very very stubborn (don't know where she gets it from) & my mum & I had a very volatile and turbulent teenage time with me leaving home half a dozen times. I would rather not replicate this as it took me a while to process all the emotions and arguments we had.

But why is going on this summer school going to stop her wanting to go on BGT? (I agree, by the way - I won't have the early stages on in my house, and I tell my children exactly why).

Could you offer her an alternative? Is there a similar summer school nearer home?

It might not

But if I allow her this, it enables me to be firm when I don't allow that. I'm not stifling her creativity or being mean, it's just not allowed.

It's an argument I am prepared to lose next summer, to enable me to win at some point in the future (I hope)

Interesting. If it was me, I'd say no to this and be prepared to give on having a go at BGT. The chances are she wouldn't make it past the first stage (there are THOUSANDS of applicants) and she would still have her thousand quid. And she wouldn't have had her hope raised by a stage school with a vested interest in her coming again the next year.

I do hope it all works out for you both.

But I'm sure they would pick up on last year

Anyway the angst just now is that I have sent her off to her first festival

We're obviously in a very different place with our teenagers - I'm evil strict mum. My dd's doing her first festival without us this year - and she's 15!

I know I sound free & easy but she is going with a group of 40-60yos ; her African drumming troupe!