[quote=FlyerInHi]Like Bernie Sanders said, university education is now an extension of High School. The bar has been raised.
There are plenty of paths to “success” but if kids are smart, why not give them “the best”, if you can afford it.
If you can afford it, what are you saving the money for? To buy big trucks and expensive toys like your brethren in TX and OK, do?[/quote]You’re just being obstinate, FIH. People with young kids today have NO IDEA how much college is going to cost them 10-15 years hence. Nor do they know how much rents will be in the locale of the campus their kid is admitted to (which may but very likely will NOT be their “1st or 2nd choice” campus). It’s scary!
The BIG money spent on kids should be spent where it counts and that is college prep and college (or vocational school, as the case may be). It wasn’t my idea for my kids to be in show choir. I was against it and all the traveling expense (over and above the exorbitantly expensive costumes they had to buy/rent) because I KNEW CA public university systems would not credit them for this experience in the admissions process nor would the three out-of-state campuses give them credit for it (for which they were guaranteed copious financial aid but didn’t end up applying to). I didn’t have any say in the matter and was “railroaded” into it. Aside from the in-state (mostly by school bus) cities my kids frequently visited for show choir, their performance schedule also took them (by air) to national “competition” shows in Boston, Manhattan (NYC), Chicago and Honolulu, which of course, cost a lot of $$. There is also the 8th grade trip to pay for each kid (in our district it was Wash DC). And they all had braces on their teeth. It’s all expensive and I understand expensive. But kids actually remember what they did and learned at age 14 and up but NOT at age 2-5. At age 2-4, in particular, they need love, attention, stories and playtime, NOT drilled and grilled incessantly and forced to learn to read music and play piano or violin. (Not saying here that this is the case with yamashi’s kids). Kids this age are too young to even learn ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop or martial arts. It’s crazymaking! Have you ever watched a Pre-Ballet show of 3-year olds twirling around on stage? They have absolutely no idea what they’re doing and it’s hilarious!
When I was 19, I “retired” from my amateur athletic “career” and obtained certification to judge local gymnastic meets. I got a job teaching tumbling at the local YMCA and they would not even allow kids younger than five in my classes (we used a spotting belt and the student had to understand our instructions implicitly). After the first 6-8 week session, the Y decided the beginning tumbling students had to be 6 to be in my class. Even that age is marginal to begin learning the discipline that is expected of them and what they need to do to even acquire basic skills. Little kid’s brains aren’t ready for all the stuff parents today want to try to cram into them, imho.
