gryphea

My sons soccer is:
$120 for spring summer season (1 practice two games per week)
$40 for actual summer until sept (1 practice 1 game per week)
1hr a week play and train form late sept till march at soccer dome with professional coaches $150

My daughter does the winter and her summer season was $65 but then I ws assistant coach (twice a week)


Don't think this is stupid amounts of money.

iaink

Want to do a house swap? Sounds too good to be true. Whose actually paying for it then?

ann m

I have two girls that dance. It is expensive. Here are some numbers for info.

Eldest girl (13) is at a stage where she wants (and is capable) of doing all the competitive classes now - we have increased classes over four years to this level so initially we were not spending nearly so much - competitive dance has a cap of $1800 for the year (9 months, 6 classes a week - it works out to about $8/$9 a class which I think is actually OK). Add about $70 for each costume for the competitions - that's another $300-350 depending on what she opts for.

Daughter Number Two does not do as much - it probably costs about $800 for her, plus costumes.

Add in some competition fees and misc petrol and/or hotel fees, the need for new mascara, eyelashes, tights, shoes for each style of dance (tap shoes, jazz shoes, ballet shoes) - and you can see where I am going with all this.

Yes, I might be slightly soft in the head.

We are also doing flute and clarinet lessons now through school which involves the hire (or purchase, but I'm not going there yet) of a musical instrument plus some misc fees along the way.

I could just say no.

I've also paid out $1750 this summer for camps totalling 7 weeks of entertainment between the two of them.

We've tried ice-skating, gymnastics and soccer. Dance seems to fit them best.

Friends here pay hundreds of dollars for a (in my opinion) ridiculously short soccer season, or $800 for a ten week volleyball season. I think the requirement to head 3 hours north or south to provincial tournaments is par for the course for all sports, with the required hotel costs for the privilege.

My own, and friends anectodal evidence is that "activities" can be very pricey. But you don't have to sign up for them.

How many of the adults on this forum are studying or paying for offspring to study? College and university fees can be eye-watering too.

We didn't move here for the kids - I think we're staying for them though

cheeky_monkey

i want someone to start 'we're moving back for the children' thread in the going home forum..but i think people are too honest about their reasons on there.

JonboyE

One view is to accuse people who claim to emigrate for better opportunities for their children of lying, because what they really want is a big house and lots of gas powered toys.

Another view is that people who make those accusations do so because they value a big house and lots of gas powered toys more than their children (if they have any, of course) and are unable to understand that other people may be different to them.

christmasoompa

The council contribute some, and the rest is from the Parents Association fundraising I believe. Not sure you'd want to do a house swap at the mo, unless you fancy living in a caravan!

magnumpi

We pay almost 2,000 for my 16 yr old lads soccer fee. Thats summer and winter league.

We moved for my job, and like Anne, a by product of that move is my lad is having a great time here. Still playin futty and out and about on his bmx at the park.

Is it better than the UK? Well at his age i was working, not playing about like a kid. Lucky sod. Lol

dbd33

I did that. Small beer compared to the bills one of the neighbours paid for a competitive figure skater. Every weekend they'd try and hit two tournaments, not two local tournaments, North Bay, Chicago, Boston, Winnipeg, all over the place. And, on top of the airfares and hotels, she needed skates!

gryphea

Like I keep saying to them, my kids have a lovely life (and they would in UK)

gryphea

Of course, I didn't mention the ski racing which definately is stupid money..........

gryphea

At least you should get your tax back on this though...............

Alan2005

Lying is a bit strong. I suspect there is a bit of self delusion and denial though. A misplaced feeling of hopelessness/helplessness about peoples situation in the UK that will somehow magically disappear on relocation to Canada.

And what's so wrong with wanting a bigger house?

JonboyE

Well, the post I was quote used the word "honest."

There may be a bit of this, but a fresh start can be just that.

Nothing that I can think of.

el_richo

I think that's the key for many. Seeing people imply they do much more post move than they did pre shows the positive impact being reinvigorated / reinvented has.

I also believe people do actually move away from family and their support network to Canada for the kids, but the reasons are mainly unfounded in my view. Mainly because of the parents mindset or disillusionment in their current situation and not, in reality, to do with their kids.

So in short, kids may be better off mainly due to the change in the mentality of the parent/s. Canada may just be a trigger and nothing more.

JonboyE

It is not whether or not there are more/better opportunities for kids in Canada that really matters though. If people believe there are then they emigrate for good reason - even if these opportunities only turn out to be different. I was just narked that someone who has told us they are only in Canada for the money complaining of others' hypocrisy. I don't think there is anything wrong in coming to Canada for the money. It is just that someone who is motivated by money and material things should not assume that everyone else is. And having made that assumption, accusing anyone who expresses a different motivation of being less than honest.

I can imagine circumstances where a family lives in a run down area of a British city, where their children are constantly exposed to street life and street culture. For them a move to a middle class area in Canada with decent schools could seem like a great improvement in their offspring's prospects.

Otherwise I think there is quite a bit of truth in what you say.