How are all the committed children doing?

[KatyMac]

I started a thread a while back for children with significant hobbies; we decided 'committed' children described them nicely.

So how are you all?

DD is back at school GCSEs have hit with a vengeance; but she is still dancing copious amounts

ps not sure if "a vengeance" is right.....but I think I spelt what I say (even if it's wrong)

We have 3 dance exams in November (ballet, tap, modern)
Plus a show coming up.
Plus we have been informed he is now old enough and ready to start taking his LAMDA exams. He is thrilled

Our biggest problem has been finding the right Secondary for him for next Sept as it "has to have a decent performing arts curriculum Mum" and so tonight was school number 4 that has been trawled around and assessed to his exacting standards. I'll be glad when the decision has been taken out of hands.

Hi Katie and co... Wondering if ds2 is or should be committed ...
He does four nights football training (inc one Goalie training) and Saturday friendly and league matches every Sunday 9am, (sigh) plus school team matches as and when, so not every week (thank goodness)
He also fits in violin lessons, swimming lessons, cubs and rock climbing. He's 9. Thankfully my other two dc do less than him, but dd (6) aspires to match him (scream) with her tennis and dancing.
I think I need another mortgage.

Dd1 had her cast taken off today - she's actually been dancing with it on for the last four weeks. She is super chuffed, but horrified at the state of her arm.

In promising news, she has back to back lessons M,T,W, and no lessons on thurs or fri. Sundays will add in after Christmas again, but in the meantime, I am driving less even though she is doing more classes!! Woo hoo! (There's another class she wants to try on a Thurs... We won't pay any more for it as she's reached the max monthly payment threshold with the school, so she can go as a freebie, it's just time. I am unconvinced... (It's street jazz. I'm not even sure I know what street jazz is.)

Not sure if you remember she's a tapper who transferred to a dance school that didn't offer tap, so they do private lessons for her? This year (after she competed solo last year) they are now running two full tap classes because so many of the girls want to do it. she is thrilled! (She still has to dance solo, lol, as they are all beginners, but she loves the fact that she inspired two full classes of girls ) they have also changed their ballet syllabus, which is causing a few raised eyebrows.

Hi, I haven't seen this thread before and wondered if I could join in. DD is 8 and very committed (should be committed).
She doesn't go to school anymore and practices for about four hours a day. She plays Violin, Sings, Saxophone and Piano. Also she does dancing ballet, modern, tap, Jazz and National. She enjoys competitions, choir, orchestra ensembles and has taken a few exams now.
I have read all your posts and find it amazing how you fit it all into a day, with school.

Hi morethan ... I'm amazed I fit it all in too!

MrsShrek.

Your second mortgage comment sounds just like one of mine. Doesn't it all add up. At the moment dd costs us around £40 per week in lessons and subs and if we were unable to teach her music theory and dad teach one of her instruments it would be more likely £60. I suppose we are all very lucky to be able to afford to do this for our dcs as when dd was at school there were several kids who wanted to dance whose parents said they just couldn't afford it.

Tbh we're the same wrt music - DH teaches an instrument, I have a dance school and do an instrument at home with ds2 meaning that he can have a group lesson at school instead of private out of school which would cost considerably more.
Thing is, I was one of those kids too, my parents must have been run ragged (and equally poor ) but the buggers set a precedent and having experienced it, I want the same opportunities for my dc that I had. Were others of you like that too?

Ditto.

That was me too. My parents were wonderful and encouraged our talents and as I wasn't too bright music, dance and drama they really supported. I felt it was important to give dcs same opportunities, although dss's went down the sporty route of which I had no experience.

I was always miss average - so no my parents didn't

They were always massively supportive but I never really 'did' anything

DH I think would have been had he had any opportunity at all; but I think he had quite an unsupported childhood really

So DD will be supported

I was miss mega busy . brownies +church choir+ piano+ recorder +swimming age 7 led onto
Church choir+ school choir + London Wide choir + school plays + youth theatre + Rangers + DoE age 17 . In between I had dabbled in running, youth club and cycling.

DS is starting a little younger than me. at 6 I was only doing ballet until I was old enough for Brownies and church Choir. BUT DS is an only and I had an annoying little brother cramping my style.

Dad was a music lecturer, so we could play any instrument we liked (great for my musical brother, but not so great for my sporty sister, or geeky me). Other options for us were Church choir (Dad was choir master) and Guides. DH was 1 of 8 children and none of them did extra curricular activities.

DD was taken to ballet at age 2, because my mother was a professional ballerina (Royal Ballet). I'm beginning to think I shouldn't have done it! She also had a go at swimming, kick boxing and gymnastics when she was younger, but the dancing has now taken over her life (and mine).

I never got much support in activities because we couldn't really afford anything, so I went to choir etc; which was free, and was taught the piano because my father played the piano proffessionally- until he moved abroad when I was 7. So I support my DCs in as much as possible.

DS1/2(twins) are both 'committed' I think. DS1 is committed to watersports, he's at the same level as his instructors now and goes down the lake for kayaking five days a week and one of those days he's with Sea Scouts taking people canoeing or kayaking. Any spare weekend he's sailing or kayaking. He then plays the tuba, saxaphone and violin.

DS2 is also committed- to something completely different. His dream is to be a dancer. He goes to ballet three days a week and tap twice a week, as well as having streetdance and other styles taught to him during lunch at the request of his teacher. He manages to fit in an oboe and a trombone lessons, choir, swimming competitively ever week, football and numerous bands/orchestras.

Thankfully DS3 isn't so keen. He sticks with football twice a week, a game on the weekend and basketball during school. He's my cheapest child!

DD is just starting drama school, after she was picked for an advert for a charity supporting children like her. She does it three days a week, but as she's four, that's quite a lot.

I always love this thread, because it makes my life feel sane . I know a lot of other mums think I'm mad with all the hobbies my two DDs do. How old is your DD pictures, as it looks like you have got a similar schedule to me.

My DD (8, almost 9) does...
Monday - 3.25 hours gymnastics
Tuesday - Choir after school, followed by 2 hours dancing (ballet/tap/modern)
Wednesday - Flute lesson in school, 3.5 hours gym after.
Thursday - nothing
Friday - 3.25 hours gym
Saturday - nothing at present
Sunday - 3.5 hours gym.

DD2 does Irish dancing on a saturday morning, (1.5 hours) and DD1 is desperate to do it too. Currently debating whether we say she can, or if we make her give up ballet dancing to do Irish dancing. As always, I completely overthink it, worry continuously and keep trying to stop her doing too much - but then again I think some children are just like that, she is full of energy (strangers who meet her always comment on it!) and she is only at home on a saturday morning, watching tv....

I think I struggle because the gymnastics is such a big part of her life, its almost 14 hours, I worry about the sacrifices that she has to make for it - missing school discos, birthday parties, playdates and the like because they are ad hoc and often happen when she has got training, and I do want her to have fun at other times and just do things that she enjoys ... and she does enjoy organised lessons / dancing.

I'd be interested to hear whether everyone else has the same continual worries, and how they resolve them??

Have you seen the weekend we have planned for a few weeks time?

That looks pretty hellish - yep definitely makes me feel better .

LadyL, yes tothe worries... But I just have to get over it - pot kettle etc and I'm still the same. Am in no position to complain, worry orcriticise as I fit in orchestras, my dance school, swimming and all sorts as well as my childrens stuff. I drive my mother mental. I do worry that ds2 will burn out or something, exhaust himself, but hey I haven't yet

My weekend from hell is over......& DD won!

Hurrah for KTs dd. well done that girl and well done those parents for getting her to and from all her commitments over the weekend.

I've been asked to think about training as a coach for DS's bike club.

Well done katyjunior

Well done katymac. It was all worth it then.

Hopefully my journey between house dance and GCSE dance was worth it tonight ... via a road closure and a fiord!

Thanks guys; I hope it was worth it - we have the finals soon

Good stuff - well done Katy's Girl

Hey, well done KM Jr. It's moments like these that make you realise that all the crazy stuff is worth it.

Good luck for the finals...