Huddsballetmum

Can highly recommend both the MT and the Dance course at Laine's. My DD has done both, just depends what you want to do. The teaching is great and the students have the opportunity to shine. Excellent course and you can go for one or 2 weeks, the choice is open.

What a wonderful end to a horrible experience. Wishing your DS all the very best for the future and you all a very Merry Christmas after such a stressful month.

You are under a lot of pressure at the moment Nutcracker. Mock exams, pressure to revise etc. My DD is in the same situation, where school is pressuring to do well in exams and tiredness and stress is taking over the house. Perhaps you could cut back on your classes for a while, as others have said, if you don't want a career in dance then scaling back or taking a break will give you the opportunity to concentrate on your schoolwork. GCSE dance is very different to a ballet class, experiences vary from school to school. Some have bad experiences, my DD has had a wonderful experience. With regard to those you perceive as being more confident, they probably envy your technique. In my experience, those who come across as judgmental are often insecure in their own abilities. A trick to remember is that you dance for yourself, no one else. Good luck in whatever you choose to do, and keep your chin up. It's not always the most flamboyant that are the pleasure to watch in my opinion!

Restaurants often take on additional staff for kitchen work at this time of year. Washing up might not be the best job in the world but it pays! Waitressing in a restaurant that serves alcohol is out until you are 16, but starting in the kitchen might lead to a more glamorous position in the future. Other than that it's paper rounds or babysitting. Babysitting might be ideal at this time of year, lots of Xmas parties, but I wouldn't want my daughter undertaking a paper round in the dark either morning or evening.

I have found in my experience that lack of confidence and jealousy tends to be the main cause of bullying in dance schools. Those who are less able or don't feel confident in their own abilities pick on the girl they perceive to be better, more confident. It is hurtful and can get really nasty. It has reduced my normally happy DD to tears on many occasion. She has however come out of it more confident and a stronger person after trying to understand the reasons behind it. Jealous mums taking it out on other DC's are the worst. I would advise that you speak to your dance teacher and explain. Our wonderful dance teacher (sadly departed) spoke strongly to the whole class about bullying and the fact that it would not be tolerated in any form. She went so far as to say that bullies would be excluded from the dance school. By not calling out any individual she got her message across without embarrassing my daughter or anyone else. My DD is still at the dance school and although she gets the odd comments from the most jealous girls, on the whole she is very happy. It was worth speaking to the teacher in our case, hopefully it will be in yours.

Please tell your dd not to fret. A little bit of wonky dancing is often overtaken by the technique and all the good stuff. My dd took her grade 5 ballet in November and ended up on the wrong leg in one of the exercises. She was really annoyed with herself and felt that she had messed up the exam. Results were given out yesterday - 90/100 Distinction! Sometimes dancers are just too hard on themselves.

Got to say I would prefer to watch ballet live anyway rather than viewing it on TV. Those of us who love ballet are unfortunately in the minority and as the BBC is funded by the licence payer - majority rules!!

Love Aldi's parody of the John Lewis advert with the telescopes and the little old lady as a present. It made me laugh out loud.

People who run red lights and crash into your car, writing off your vehicle and giving you whiplash!!

My DD's dance teacher used to advise skipping for stamina building. 30 mins skipping per day for 2-3 weeks followed by 2-3 times per week afterwards really boosts stamina for fast or lengthy pieces. It works too!

It is tough - I've been there with my DD. It's not always the dancing that is not good enough. My DD was told that whilst she was a beautiful dancer, her body shape (legs not long enough) would not be right for classical ballet. That hurt as you can improve technique etc but you can't change your body shape!! She re-evalutated and moved into contemporary and loves it. She is on the CAT programme at NSCD and is having a wonderful time. Unfortunately this career path our DC's have chosen is littered with "No" and "Not this time". It's hard to take and even harder as a parent to watch. I just told my DD that I loved her and whatever she chose to do was okay by me and left her to process. It took a couple of weeks but her love of dancing was too strong. Funnily enough she ended up with an associate ballet place as well which she turned down to do the contemporary CAT. Sometimes when one door closes......... Good luck to your DD whatever she chooses to do. My only advice is hot chocolate and hugs!!

Sarahw I am totally with you. I hated the Teletubbies the first time round and would not like to see them make a reappearance. Children's tv seems to have gotten incredibly poor since my childhood and shame on the BBC for creating such rubbish! Rant over!!

I have had to stick gems on my daughters first pair of pointe shoes. Thousands and thousands of tiny gems because she had seen some done by Tiffany and wanted to keep her first pair for posterity. She has hung them by the ribbons in her bedroom and I have to say they look nice. Much better covered in gemstones than they did at the end of their life!! The things you have to do- nice Xmas stocking filler though.

I usually download a film or a book to my Ipad when being a dance mum and read or catch up on the relaxing that I never get to do normally. Cushion and fleecy blanket in the car and I snuggle up on the back seat. Can almost convince myself I'm on the sofa at home!!

It's so awful that people have been killed in the name of a religion when they are purely terrorists who want to hurt people. I can't imagine what it must be like for the families of those who are dead or seriously injured. My heart goes out to them.

Morrisons have started donating all their misshapped and left over food to charity - every supermarket should.

Didn't find it creepy, just thought it was a bit boring and didn't really make sense. Plus how was the man sitting on the moon without an oxygen suit? Is he an alien?

I buy Plume through Dance Direct at £17.00 for 3 pairs. They seem to last pretty well. I only end up purchasing once a year, though I have to admit I make dd keep one pair for best and I also buy her the adult small/medium which are a size bigger.

Here's hoping everything works out well for you an your family. We are all thinking of you x

I want to make this year special as I think it may be my Dad's last Christmas. I enjoy the cooking and the camaraderie of Christmas Day, its just the 3 month build up I hate and it seems to get me down. I would love to disappear abroad, but that is just not possible this year. Luckily I don't have anything to do with my out-laws at Christmas so I can avoid that nightmare. It has made me feel so much better to know I am not the only one though - thanks!

Is is only me, or does anyone else spend October and November in fear of the stress of Christmas. I hate shopping, do most of mine online, and the thought of spending hours planning, buying, writing, wrapping and then cooking and eating just fills me with dread. I seem to be okay once I get into the processes - round about the 10th December if I'm honest - but the build up just turns my stomach and it seems to get earlier and earlier every year.

As I was sunning myself on the beautiful island of Rhodes this Halloween, I've got to say that it was quite good this year!!

Like to have comfortable seating and plenty of legroom. I also prefer to be in the stalls somewhere in the middle, not too far away but not so near that I'm stretching my neck all the time. I love the stall seating in the Grand at Leeds. Ticks all my boxes.

If you have fine hair you might find a bun maker a better idea. These are available from Claires Accessories and other similar stores and are two bendy sticks, joined by a piece of cloth. You place your hair in a ponytail. Place the bottom of the tail between the two sticks and then wind up the length of the ponytail. Once you are at the top then you snap the sticks around and it makes the perfect bum. It stays in without the need for loads of clips and bun nets. An absolute godsend if your hair is really long. http://www.claires.co.uk/black-fold,--wrap-&-snap-by-hairagami/shop/fcp-product/16156

Not a tear jerker this year as far as I am concerned. Bring back the penguins!!