What a day ...
April 17, 2005 at 9:25 AM
by Ashleigh
When I went into the room she was quite polite and asked if she could help me. I said (in Dutch) that I was hoping to enrol my son for the following school year and that he was bilingual in Dutch and English. To which she replied 'We don't speak English here' (in dutch) and turned her back on me!! I then tried to get her attention several times to no avail. Then I gave up.
Anyway, after listening to her talking to another mother I think that it wouldn't be the right environment for him anyway. They don't let children learn to read music unti they are 7 or 8 and they don't let them progress at their own pace. I was really annoyed by the attitude of the woman though , and Seb was really disappointed.
I wish this wouldn't happen or I wish I could dismiss it more easily. I'm working on it though - before now I would have tried to get the woman to help me, but now I know when to give up.
Unfortunately its made me feel rather depressed about the whole piano thing. Am I just trying to capture a way of life we don't have anymore by wanting to play again? Is it fair to expect the boys to learn to play when its something I want more than something they want? Then there is the whole question of lessons and practice and getting them to and from lessons. Seb is 5 now so there's a whole lot more of that starting.
If he was in the British school he would have his piano lessons at school as well as most of his extracurricular actitivies. But he's not - so its up to me to arrange them. Which means for this coming school year arranging music, football and swimming. Whichfor me means ferrying him to and from lessons after school. Then there's the question of Brad who likes his food on the table when he gets home - some of these lessons last til 7 in the evening. Football only *starts* at about 7 in the evening. It seems like everyone has to adjustments to make. I feel a bit overwhelmed right now and like I'm second guessing myself a bit.
Someone posted this on another board for when tribulations happen (as they so often do!) -
'Some Will, Some Won't, So What, Next!' - abbreviated to SW, SW, SW, N!