What if you can't afford private school?

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you really think your kids will forever be left behind based on this past year, you need to work on your own irrational anxiety more than worrying about your kids.


DCUM's gotta DCUM.


You mean provide frank, but useful advice? Does the inanity of OP's post deserve more?


No, actually, I mean, respond by telling the PP or OP that the real problem is their own personal failings.

Private schools being open, while public schools are doing distance learning, is another aspect of the "them that has, gets" inequity that's built into American society. That's just a fact.

“Them that has gets”. Wrong. We’ve prioritized Catholic education for our children their entire life and planned and made sacrifices accordingly. For members of the parish, Catholic education is very reasonable from a tuition standpoint. For parish families experiencing financial difficulties, arrangements can be made to further reduce the cost of tuition.


Wrong, what? If you're Catholic and belong to a parish, the parish will help subsidize your child's tuition at the parochial school? Is that what you're using to say that "them that has, gets" is wrong?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:OP, here is my respectful suggestion based more than a decade of parenting experience and some difficult lessons learned. The best way to be happy is to adjust your mindset away from getting ahead or getting left behind. Child development is no linear and there are different ways to get ahead or to be left behind. Sure, right now it is difficult to focus on the positive and to worry about what they are missing. Despite the advice I'm giving you, I worry constantly that my three teenager who are generally happy and doing well in school are missing out on social interaction that is going to hurt them if the work ever returns to normal.

I also am a person who tends to feel like a victim when I can't control things. For people like me, the pandemic is a nightmare. For your own good and the good of your kids, let go of your anger, let go of what you can't control, and focus on even the small positives of the pandemic. Are your kids happy? Do you do things together as a family? Are they learning how to cook or reading, or even just learning how to cope with boring DL? If they are, don't worry about getting left behind. In truth, things aren't perfect at private schools either. There are advantages with in person learning, but everyone is compromising during this difficult time.

It is so much easier said than done, but ask yourself, "If the pandemic ends tomorrow, what will I miss?" Then try to focus on those things, the small benefits of being home, that won't last forever. Do your best, but try to let the anger go.

Very well said!

OP - you may not be able to afford private school, but can you at least afford supplemental classes like AOPS? Have your child take extra classes in language arts and math.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you really think your kids will forever be left behind based on this past year, you need to work on your own irrational anxiety more than worrying about your kids.


DCUM's gotta DCUM.


You mean provide frank, but useful advice? Does the inanity of OP's post deserve more?


No, actually, I mean, respond by telling the PP or OP that the real problem is their own personal failings.

Private schools being open, while public schools are doing distance learning, is another aspect of the "them that has, gets" inequity that's built into American society. That's just a fact.

“Them that has gets”. Wrong. We’ve prioritized Catholic education for our children their entire life and planned and made sacrifices accordingly. For members of the parish, Catholic education is very reasonable from a tuition standpoint. For parish families experiencing financial difficulties, arrangements can be made to further reduce the cost of tuition.


Wrong, what? If you're Catholic and belong to a parish, the parish will help subsidize your child's tuition at the parochial school? Is that what you're using to say that "them that has, gets" is wrong?



DP, but all of these people are coming out of the woodwork acting like they're entitled to a Catholic school education simply because it's in person. Of course if you're middle income and haven't been planning your life to afford it, it's probably out of reach on short notice. I come from a pretty Catholic, blue collar family and although I did not attend Catholic school growing up, many of my cousins did. My aunts/uncles were middle class (think truck drivers, nurses, secretaries) and often made some pretty big sacrifices to afford tuition, particularly by the time high school rolled around. In at least one case they didn't save for college because that $$ was spent for Catholic school tuition (cousins lived at home and attended the local state college while working).

And lets not forget that if someone in your house gets Covid and needs long term medical care, that will be expensive too. There are no easy answers for the non-wealthy.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you really think your kids will forever be left behind based on this past year, you need to work on your own irrational anxiety more than worrying about your kids.


DCUM's gotta DCUM.


You mean provide frank, but useful advice? Does the inanity of OP's post deserve more?


No, actually, I mean, respond by telling the PP or OP that the real problem is their own personal failings.

Private schools being open, while public schools are doing distance learning, is another aspect of the "them that has, gets" inequity that's built into American society. That's just a fact.

“Them that has gets”. Wrong. We’ve prioritized Catholic education for our children their entire life and planned and made sacrifices accordingly. For members of the parish, Catholic education is very reasonable from a tuition standpoint. For parish families experiencing financial difficulties, arrangements can be made to further reduce the cost of tuition.


so you're saying that OP was short sighted by not converting to catholicism?
Anonymous
Can you afford a tutor?

Even at 50-75/hr, it’s way cheaper than private school.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you really think your kids will forever be left behind based on this past year, you need to work on your own irrational anxiety more than worrying about your kids.


DCUM's gotta DCUM.


You mean provide frank, but useful advice? Does the inanity of OP's post deserve more?


No, actually, I mean, respond by telling the PP or OP that the real problem is their own personal failings.

Private schools being open, while public schools are doing distance learning, is another aspect of the "them that has, gets" inequity that's built into American society. That's just a fact.

“Them that has gets”. Wrong. We’ve prioritized Catholic education for our children their entire life and planned and made sacrifices accordingly. For members of the parish, Catholic education is very reasonable from a tuition standpoint. For parish families experiencing financial difficulties, arrangements can be made to further reduce the cost of tuition.


so you're saying that OP was short sighted by not converting to catholicism?


DP here. It’s worth pointing out that financial assistance is also available to non-Catholics. You don’t need to be a member of the parish to apply for aid.
Anonymous
OP here. Thank you for the responses and advice.

Daughter is 6, almost 7. She hates school so much that I doubt a tutor or supplementing will help more than harm. I can barely get her to engage during school hours. She’s generally not happy but we try to have family fun when we can. I will be sending her to summer camp, so she’ll get some socializing and fun there, hopefully. So that’s something to look forward to? If school doesn’t open in the fall I will look into a local pod or something.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for the responses and advice.

Daughter is 6, almost 7. She hates school so much that I doubt a tutor or supplementing will help more than harm. I can barely get her to engage during school hours. She’s generally not happy but we try to have family fun when we can. I will be sending her to summer camp, so she’ll get some socializing and fun there, hopefully. So that’s something to look forward to? If school doesn’t open in the fall I will look into a local pod or something.


We all know it is hard, OP. I post above, but have you looked at any Outschool classes? My kids are older, but they have found some weekly sessions they enjoy and look forward to. Most aren't that expensive.
Anonymous
My kids went to private on 68% financial aid. Stop complaining you can’t afford.
Anonymous
You do what you do when students are in person. You supplement. Get some workbooks or text books or if MCPS gave you some, you sit down with your kid and work through them. You can also use the free tutor service that started yesterday, get free tutoring from various organizations offering it and use homework hotline.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:My kids went to private on 68% financial aid. Stop complaining you can’t afford.


That's still a lot of money and you are clearly comfortable with multiple kids even with aid.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for the responses and advice.

Daughter is 6, almost 7. She hates school so much that I doubt a tutor or supplementing will help more than harm. I can barely get her to engage during school hours. She’s generally not happy but we try to have family fun when we can. I will be sending her to summer camp, so she’ll get some socializing and fun there, hopefully. So that’s something to look forward to? If school doesn’t open in the fall I will look into a local pod or something.


Then, stop complaining. You will not try to supplement and justified it so she will fall behind.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:My kids went to private on 68% financial aid. Stop complaining you can’t afford.


Seems odd for someone who got substantial aid to tell OP she should stop complaining about not being able to afford private. Even if OP is as or more deserving of aid as you, there is absolutely no guarantee she would get similar aid that would allow her to afford it.

It sounds like you should be exceptionally grateful for getting a private school education you largely didn't pay for rather than lambasting others for being concerned they can't afford what you have been given.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for the responses and advice.

Daughter is 6, almost 7. She hates school so much that I doubt a tutor or supplementing will help more than harm. I can barely get her to engage during school hours. She’s generally not happy but we try to have family fun when we can. I will be sending her to summer camp, so she’ll get some socializing and fun there, hopefully. So that’s something to look forward to? If school doesn’t open in the fall I will look into a local pod or something.


Then, stop complaining. You will not try to supplement and justified it so she will fall behind.


Ignore this nasty PP. OP, you are of course sensible; it's only on DCUM that people pretend this travesty of remote education for young children is anything approaching adequate. I don't understand why people delude themselves into believing their seven-year-olds are learning anything from DL, but they are invested in the fantasy so whatever.

My suggestion with your DD at this age is to homeschool rather than supplement. You will spend the same amount of time and you won't have the hours of wasted time on a video. Your DD won't learn to resent education the same way. She too is being sensible, incidentally, of course this is all wildly developmentally inappropriate. Just walk away from the current mess and homeschool. It is a more rational response.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids went to private on 68% financial aid. Stop complaining you can’t afford.


That's still a lot of money and you are clearly comfortable with multiple kids even with aid.


If you say you can’t afford it you still apply and see what you get. You don’t stomp like a whiny baby. Our schools over 30% get between 10-95% FA.
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