Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Light hearted post as I think we need it. I've moaned in the past about being a taxi service, getting up early on Sunday mornings, having to kill times in random place such as Stockport on a Sunday afternoon. Endless money spent in Costa, waiting outside stage doors when panto over runs. You know the kind of thing. But tonight I'm standing freezing cold in the corner of a sports hall surrounded by over enthusiastic dads & some other mums whilst ds's team gets beaten - again! I've become a football mum & boy is it competitive! At least with dance I usually got a chair of some sort & a warming waiting room!!! 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Good one - the grass is always greener! Luckily my non ds does an indoor sport and it is usually warm. Just dreading if he asks to start rugby!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 And in dance the mums might be pushy but the teacher usually keeps them pretty quiet, no parents shouting instructions from the side! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katymac Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Me too I've volunteered to do the costume for the show as I miss it so much 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Too true. At least most dance takes place indoors in relative warmth and at comparatively civilised times. My other role is hockey mum and goodness, my youngest gets to play in some extremely bleak places! When he first started I bought him thermal undies but it soon became apparent that it was actually me who needed them! The other aspect is that whilst DD has had the odd blister or minor injury, dance is pretty safe compared to hockey. As my son is the youngest on his team, and the goalkeeper I have the delight of watching much bigger boys hitting a very hard ball at him at high speeds and I can't say I enjoy it very much.....but he does so I guess I will be getting up at death o'clock on Sunday mornings to shiver by the side of inhospitable pitches for some time to come. The things we do for love! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancemum67 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I've still got a few years to go before DD goes off to university (she wants to be a dance teacher rather than go down the vocational route) but I know how much I'm going to miss being a Dance Mum (of the non-Jennifer Ellison/Abby Lee variety ). I'm trying to make the most of it while it lasts and chaperoning for as many competitions as possible. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 As we speak, I am making what is almost certainly going to be DD's last new festival costume before she leaves home. I have very mixed feelings about it - a bizarre mix of relief and sadness. And I have an awful lot of rhinestones and sequins to dispose of, given that sparkly hockey shirts are not popular...Still, we have one more dance school show to go this year, so I don't need to hang up my glue gun just yet! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interested Parent Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I'm lucky in that my non-DD plays the clarinet and guitar. It's lovely to hear her practise (sadly not often enough) and we get invited to all her concerts. Musical teachers always come across as caring and sharing and everyone is appreciated for their critical role in an orchestra or band. The parents run a cafe at cost so we get cheap hot chocolate and biscuits while we listen to some wonderful band practise in the hall next door. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Why do you think I'm a moderator ;-) I'm lucky my son is a professional dancer so at least I get to enjoy that side of it but I miss the local stuff since my daughter went off to vet school (and took up rugby!). One of my friends keeps me up to date with the gossip from our local school and I'm an admin on their FB page so I'm still a little bit involved. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat09 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 This Forum reminds me I'm a dance mum … oh … and all the stress moments like appraisals Thanku everyone for keeping me sane xx 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 post made me smile – my other two kids are much older and were sporty... endless dark Saturdays on freezing fields, and being 'sprayed' persistently by the sprinkler on the hockey turf above the soccer field in winter was a highlight. So I'm delighted to have a DD whose activity is mostly indoors and fascinating to watch – we make the most of it by having picnics in the middle of long intensive days, and try to make out-of-town competitions into little holidays where the competition is only a small part of the weekend. (Her father is not quite as enchanted, however!) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 For me I used to dream about being a Dance Mom. But only having one child,a boy,who has inherited his late father`s two left feet,and an interest in ballet and all forms of dance and performance that is nonexistent,I have to say I always feel a little bit of envy of all the dance moms and dads on here. I don`t envy the expense or the stress, or the tears,etc though.!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Too true. At least most dance takes place indoors in relative warmth and at comparatively civilised times. My other role is hockey mum and goodness, my youngest gets to play in some extremely bleak places! When he first started I bought him thermal undies but it soon became apparent that it was actually me who needed them! The other aspect is that whilst DD has had the odd blister or minor injury, dance is pretty safe compared to hockey. As my son is the youngest on his team, and the goalkeeper I have the delight of watching much bigger boys hitting a very hard ball at him at high speeds and I can't say I enjoy it very much.....but he does so I guess I will be getting up at death o'clock on Sunday mornings to shiver by the side of inhospitable pitches for some time to come. The things we do for love! Oh Pups_mum, you just reminded me of my older daughter who played hockey – and had to go to school balls with a black eye (from hockey ball), and use foundation to cover the bruises on her legs (until she gave up and got a long dress). It certainly isn't for the faint-hearted! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletsister Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 This reminds me to savour all the lovely things about dance. The years whizz by so quickly and at times I want to put the brakes on and take time to enjoy it. They won't need us forever so we must make the most of it from open classes to stage performances and all that goes on in between on a daily basis. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Oh no I must be the only one on here. I won't miss being a dance mum. I've enjoyed watching my daughter dance when she was little. I don't miss all the pushy ballet mums, one or two were lovely, but I always felt you had to watch your back. At least at vocational school I didn't really come across many pushy mums, we were all polite to each other. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I think perspective is important in all areas. i have just been to DD's parent/teacher interviews, and while the teacher was saying how well she was doing and with all her dance commitments she might not get all her homework done... I disagreed and told the teacher that actually her education is more important 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I've done this the other way round .. Football mum first and dance mum second Standing in the bitter wind and rain pretending to understand the offside rule! Listening to football managers who explain players need to "play for their positions" and the best players make the team / get more time on pitch. When I look back now I wonder how parents and football managers got in such a tizz as the ballet world is far more harsh, competitive and ruthless by comparison!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Don't bring up the word hockey in front of me! I started out my education at a grammar school and was reasonably okay dancing part time and playing netball - I loved shooting and did a beautiful temps leve in arabesque to shoot the ball into the net! But then misery of misery they started us on hockey and I hated it! Whilst we were just learning how to dribble the ball with our sticks I coped, but then we started having to play games and I was TERRIFIED of getting hit! That was when I started nagging my parents to let me leave the grammar school and go full time to the performing arts school, where I was learning ballet twice a week. I have never been so relieved when they agreed and I could hide my hockey stick away under my bed! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpaws Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 The thing I miss most is watching her dance Because we are very rural and spent hours travelling to ballet lessons, before she started at vocational school, I was able to watch DD dance for a few hours every week There were only lovely mothers there (and the odd father), lovely students and a wonderful ballet teacher. We were so lucky Only watch her at the end of term at the moment, which is amazing to see how hard they all work and how DD has progressed The journey has moved on to another stage, but I'm so pleased that she's loving what she is doing I could always get on with the housework 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I think that's the thing I miss most, not seeing him dance. It's been 2 terms and it's killing me. I Don't get much from shows, it's class I want to see, so I'll be looking forward to Demo's after Summer school far more this year. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpaws Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 But we will never watch class again, will we - I really appreciate, the classes i was able to watch, but it was really abut location. Once a DC is in vocational school, it isn't possible to have parents watching, unless invited...................................................................................................................................................................... BUT I just can't wait till next Friday when I will watch DD in her end of term class at Central with my best friend - BRING IT ON :) And following that, I would like to wish all DC's that are attending Central Finals the very best of luck XXXXXX 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its her Life Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) I think that's the thing I miss most, not seeing him dance. It's been 2 terms and it's killing me. I Don't get much from shows, it's class I want to see, so I'll be looking forward to Demo's after Summer school far more this year. Harwel, if your ds is at Tring, you will get to see him dance in class on the last day of summer term. Parents get invited to Founders Day where you can watch class. Edited March 22, 2015 by Its her Life 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Oh that's great to hear, it's her life. Can't wait for founders day! ???? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I know this thread is meant to light-hearted, but having talked to mothers after DC stopped dancing, I think it is important to recognise that there is a form of grieving that happens, similar to when kids leave home. Rather than beating ourselves up, it's healthier to acknowledge it, pack away the tutus (or in our case, we were given three, which was such a lovely gesture), and look for new ways to use that energy – but only when you're ready. I've been enjoying making a dance photo album with pockets for all the exam/competition certificates. And by all means, hold on to that favourite costume, first pair of pointe shoes, or teeny tutu 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Jazzpaws - you do sometimes still watch them in class (we did once a term at Elmhurst even in upper school). I watched my son and his company when I visited at Christmas. Such a treat. And I also persuade my son to dance at our local dance school when he's home so I get to watch then too. I'm very lucky :-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpaws Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I think I just need to get used to the difference and I'm really happy that she is at Central. I have 9 grandchildren, the boys are into sport, but I did earmark one of my grand daughters for ballet. Thing is she wants to be a boy and play football - everything has to be the green and yellow colours of Norwich City !!!!!!!! BUT she is only 7, so there is still time ................ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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