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Paying the Price of Today's Parenting
What is the cost we pay for kids sports vs. parental income these days? Would our parents have ever spent so much money for us to be involved in activities 30 years ago? I just signed Jack, Michael and Tommy up for another session of Ice Hockey. Jack has moved to an in-house league, so he'll finally be playing in games. Tommy and Michael have passed out of "learn to skate" classes and now are in Pre-Hockey 1. That means they are finally wearing all of the equipment. Now I grew up playing hockey (and still play now - badly - in my old age) so I know how expensive the sport is. Outfitting a five year old in all new equipment can easily cost more than $300. And the fees are like no other sport. Besides the equipment cost the price for our boys to participate over the next two and half months is just shy of a $1000. And folks, that is for what would be conisdered minimal participation. We are in on the low end of the price spectrum.
We have friends who just had to pull their first-grader out of school to go play in a tournament in Canada. They have two boys playing "travel" hockey, which not only means that they drive (and sometimes even fly) all over creation to play in games and tournaments, it also means that they could buy a new car every year with what they spend on hockey.
The pressure on parents to get their kids heavily involved in a particular sport is out of control. Our fourth grader is so far behind these first graders that he maybe could never catch up. There is no "season" for sports anymore. Baseball practice starts in January. Kids are pressured by their hockey coaches not to play baseball in the summer so they can keep skating. Private lessons, tutors, year round clinics are offered for all sports.
By the time my kids get to school the four-sport star won't exist. These kids get so good at such a young age that those who don't committ get left behind. Would the Michael Jordan who was cut from the basketball team in high school ever have tried again, or would he have just concentrated on baseball?
Every generation does something more that the older generation can't believe. Just as our parents must be stunned to hear about what we spend on certain things for our kids today, what must our grandparents have thought about....about. What were the things our parents spent too much on for us?
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January 12, 2011 (1 year ago)
Two words. Club Volleyball. My daughter is 16 and plays. My parents with 6 kids couldn't have put the time in that we do. She loves it, it keeps her in unbelievable shape, she has no time to get into any trouble, and she has learned terrific time management for getting good grades. She lives it. If she didn't like it, we definitely would not make her play. 2 more years until college and she will probably get some money to play there. Her club in Aurora pretty much guarantees it. We volleyballers have no ideas of "going pro" like boys teams have, but it sure is a healthy lifestyle. My friend's children in San Diego play hockey year round ~ roller and ice, and travel to Canada and Chicago and New York. They even had games on Thanksgiving day. My brother's 1st grader pays $1500 to play hockey in Joliet. If you have the money it is not such a big deal, but it really separates the haves and the have nots. No real answers...