A friend's daughter is now a doctor, and she was only a cheerleader all through high school. Nice generalization though.
bullshit.
same shit different level. girls are much better off doing other sports from field hockey, softball, vollyball, gymnastics or swimming.
girls are much better off doing other sports from field hockey, softball, vollyball, gymnastics or swimming.
Sorry, I've already cut your food...not going to chew it for you too. If you can't see that chastising your daughter for wanting to do cheerleading and needing the parent to front the costs while you're toking it up is bad parenting, then there are some serious issues on your end as well. Also, I never said that he should not hold the daughter accountable for some/part of the costs, so good try on that one.
My gut feeling is that you're wanting to start and argument for argument's sake and I won't bite on it.
Cheerleading is gymnastics
After most schools closed their gymnastics programs, those girls just moved over to cheerleading and continued there
1. Could possibly earn her a scholarship for a lot more than $700
2. Or at the very least make her that much more attractive to a better university which will lead to far more than $700 in extra lifetime earning potential for her
3. Or at the very very least means that she has that much less free time to get pregnant and ruin her life
I'm just sayin, Vdub is complaining about paying $720....he should be complaining about his daughter wanting to go after an activity that sexualizes and objectifies women.
My wife and I are working on kids, so I have been trying to get into the mindset.
The more I think about it, the more I feel I would just pay stuff like this to make sure my child couldn't get into worse. I would look at it as a $700 investment that at least that many hours after school and on weekends she isn't doing drugs or getting pregnant.
Same thing with a smartphone. Any daughter of mine is going to have an iPhone first time she wants one. Thanks to apps like "Find my iPhone" I would consider the $100 monthly phone bill the fee to be able to know where my child is at any time.
Life is all about opportunity costs. If your kids are spoiled but they go to college, get married at the right time to the right guy (and not just the high school BF that knocked her up), and go on to have a good career and their own normal family, then wasn't all those "bribes" over the years to stay on path actually a good investment?
So my daughter is a freshman in high school and wanted to do Cheerleading "all of the sudden".
As a father, and one of a European decent (read, there is no such a thing as Cheerleading outside of this country)....I was not too happy. However, if it's something she wants to do I let that be her choice/swallowed the pill.
So she made the team and my wife just came back from "parent meeting" with a list of things they will need. Keep in mind this is public school (not private). Clearly they were overcharging for silly crap, but it wasn't even that, just sheer amount of stuff they need?
Basically, they expect $720 for everything ("first time"). My wife said she almost fell off the chair/was appalled. She said all the mothers/parents took it like it's a "no big deal" and started writing checks etc.
Must be nice.
Anyways, there is no way in hell we are paying that BUT it's within my daughters power to get this money (which should be a nice motivator). She has a choice to make this happen by babysitting neighbors kids/doing yard work etc and possibly allowance.
Anyways, since I'm completely ignorant about this cheerleading thing. Why is it SO expensive? Is this just a "location" thing (we live in middle class town I guess). Also wanted to get an idea if other schools charge similar rates?
We should see how bad she wants to do it (based on her actions in coming weeks with work hehe)
So what? If he earned the money, he gets to decide where to spend it. Letting his daughter earn the money to pay for her recreational activities is not a bad thing.
I'm just sayin, Vdub is complaining about paying $720....he should be complaining about his daughter wanting to go after an activity that sexualizes and objectifies women.
Pics of cheerleading daughter?
Cheerleading is gymnastics
After most schools closed their gymnastics programs, those girls just moved over to cheerleading and continued there
I bought a house at 24 years of age.
Just bought a piano...
Still equating extracurricular activities with spoiling children I see...Well here is a little secret for you. Lot of these after school activities open doors to drugs/getting pregnant.
You think it prevents children from doing crazy shit?
I grew up in a town FULL of parents that spoiled their kids EVERY chance they got. They got them dirt bikes, equipment and just about anything they asked for.
Guess what, I've seen BIGGER percentage of these kids fall for drugs and addiction than kids that come from poverty/no parents.
To the East and West we have 2 major cities full of parents that don't have money to send their kids to after school activities etc (and some do)
They turned out just fine.
Personally I think these kids with power of money and fucked up parents that sponsor EVERYTHING are LOT worse then some ghetto kit coming out of poverty that MIGHT have enough to buy a dime bag of weed.
You see, when you become a parent you quickly realize that it's 50/50 game. 50% if what you do/how much time you invest and how you utilize that time.....and the other 50% is simply them being the person that they are.
You can steer your kid towards whatever you want....it won't matter.
So if my daughter won't do cheerleading, guess what, my wife and I are here after school and we do things together on daily basis.
Will YOU be able to say that when you have kids? We shall see. I will warn/tell you that it takes a LOT of sacrifice to be able to do so.
To me, TIME investment is the greatest gift I can give my children.
And if you think your daughter won't be smart enough to figure out a way around that crap, you are in for a shock. I'm an IT guy and I've seen my kids do shit that blew my mind.
Besides, she WILL know and can leave a phone at a location.
Sure, you can say that. But how many of these college students end up with no job, 0 accomplishments, no significant other....drug addict or alcoholic etc
The lesson is simple.
If you want something, you work for it yourself.
If your kids know that you will pay for everything and anything.....you better be ready to sponsor their entire adulthood cause it will be VERY easy for them to do NOTHING.
Spoiling your child not only has a long term effect, it has an effect on their attitude about life and towards YOU like you can never imagine.
They won't appreciate anything and will expect everything to be given to them. After all, that's what they are used to their entire life.
There is a VERY delicate balance when it comes to raising children. ANYTHING you do to the extreme is NEVER good.
That goes for life in general. It's all about balance and moderation.
Besides, I will most likely chip in 100-200 bucks. That counts, doesn't it? I can support her financially AND teach her a great lesson all at the same time.
What's the problem?
We already have one. My kids play (we teach them/I used to go to music school). They also get lessons.
I don't understand this mindset. It is our responsibility as parents to provide every possible opportunity for our children to flourish. That doesn't mean spoil the shit out of them, but anyone who thinks paying for school-sanctioned extracurricular activities qualifies as "spoiling" is really reaching in order to justify their cheapness.Then you won't want to read this post, either.
She does not NEED her parents to front the costs, nor does she NEED to be a cheerleader. Teaching her to be responsible and proactive for the things she wants to do IS responsible parenting, no matter what other activities he may be spending HIS disposable income on.
Your average Cheerleader couldn't do half the stuff that Gymnasts can.
How many schools do you see that have Acrobatic cheer teams as opposed to cute girls who stand on the sidelines with pompoms and kick their legs up in the air.
Gymnastics requires WAY more discipline and athletic ability. Being able to do a few backflips doesn't make you a Gymnast.
I don't understand this mindset. It is our responsibility as parents to provide every possible opportunity for our children to flourish. That doesn't mean spoil the shit out of them, but anyone who thinks paying for school-sanctioned extracurricular activities qualifies as "spoiling" is really reaching in order to justify their cheapness.
Meaning he'd rather do something else?My son has the ears but is an lazy ass... He has been going to lessons for about three years.
Meaning he'd rather do something else?
Look, kid, music, sports, academics, .....excel at what you like...but excel.
Amen...excel...but not at video games. He's got a better chance at making $$ in the the NBA that as a gaming professionalVideo game is not a viable option. That is what he would rather be doing
Amen...excel...but not at video games. He's got a better chance at making $$ in the the NBA that as a gaming professional
But if you're going to support him.....