Anonymous
Post 03/01/2019 06:39     Subject: Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD is an equestrian. I'm about to spend $50,000 on a new horse that "might" last her 2 years before she's at the next level. Then there is the $6K saddles, etc. And, of course, the board and maintenance of said horse. It's ludicrous.

I didn't fully appreciate the cost when she started and had no idea she would ever be serious. We are lucky we can do that for her. She struggles in school, so it is her therapy (although pay for therapy, too).

I'll be honest. I kind of resent it, but lately, she has started to understand what it all costs and has been very grateful, so that helps.


If you have income to spend upwards of 50k a year on a kid’s hobby, you don’t get what most people are talking about.


Why not? If you have to be poor enough to reply, then this topic will be dead.
Maybe they are living in a tiny house and driving an old car to be able to afford it? You have no idea.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2019 05:41     Subject: Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD is an equestrian. I'm about to spend $50,000 on a new horse that "might" last her 2 years before she's at the next level. Then there is the $6K saddles, etc. And, of course, the board and maintenance of said horse. It's ludicrous.

I didn't fully appreciate the cost when she started and had no idea she would ever be serious. We are lucky we can do that for her. She struggles in school, so it is her therapy (although pay for therapy, too).

I'll be honest. I kind of resent it, but lately, she has started to understand what it all costs and has been very grateful, so that helps.


If you have income to spend upwards of 50k a year on a kid’s hobby, you don’t get what most people are talking about.



PP, why is PPP’s point of view any less valid? That poster’s tipping point is spending more than $56,000 on her child’s activity, but others’ tipping point (like ours) is $8000 for a year of high-level dance/summer intensives/dancewear.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2019 02:42     Subject: Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:My DD is an equestrian. I'm about to spend $50,000 on a new horse that "might" last her 2 years before she's at the next level. Then there is the $6K saddles, etc. And, of course, the board and maintenance of said horse. It's ludicrous.

I didn't fully appreciate the cost when she started and had no idea she would ever be serious. We are lucky we can do that for her. She struggles in school, so it is her therapy (although pay for therapy, too).

I'll be honest. I kind of resent it, but lately, she has started to understand what it all costs and has been very grateful, so that helps.


If you have income to spend upwards of 50k a year on a kid’s hobby, you don’t get what most people are talking about.

Anonymous
Post 03/01/2019 01:59     Subject: Re:Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:There are times I think what the heck? And not just the money, there's also my time. Spending an entire weekend at the activity isn't my idea of fun. But then I keep on paying and keep on going to events b/c I'm happy that my kids each have a sport they're so passionate about. I never felt anything like that growing up or had a real passion. We're in the here and now, not thinking how it'll pay off in the future.

But that said, I'm 50 now and realized how I'm growing tired of it all. I am looking forward to the day it ends. I see how other (younger and/or SAHM) moms get excited to travel and make mini-vacations out of it, where I'm just get me home.


This is why I’m glad my kids don’t do an expensive sport. They do inexpensive ones that they like for the moment. I’m counting the days for the season to be over! Things like gymnastic, dance, ice skating, they seem to be almost year round! It’s a financial sacrifice but also a huge sacrifice of your free time and your own personal interests/hobbies. I know when kids are GOOD, it feels impossible to deny them but...just makes me glad my kids aren’t great athletes!
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 23:26     Subject: Expensive Sport
My DD is an equestrian. I'm about to spend $50,000 on a new horse that "might" last her 2 years before she's at the next level. Then there is the $6K saddles, etc. And, of course, the board and maintenance of said horse. It's ludicrous.

I didn't fully appreciate the cost when she started and had no idea she would ever be serious. We are lucky we can do that for her. She struggles in school, so it is her therapy (although pay for therapy, too).

I'll be honest. I kind of resent it, but lately, she has started to understand what it all costs and has been very grateful, so that helps.
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 22:48     Subject: Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hate to say it, but think about the expense *before* you decide to let your kid start an expensive sport.



Not all sports are expensive at first stupid

Not that poster, but certain sports you know are expensive - like figure skating, horseback - think about it before you start.
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 22:41     Subject: Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:Hate to say it, but think about the expense *before* you decide to let your kid start an expensive sport.



NP. The problem is that with my daughters sport, it started out expensive but few kids ever advance to the point of ridiculous costs. I never imagined that my daughter would be one of those kids who advanced to that point. And it happened at a really young age. She was in fourth grade. So we now potentially have like 8 years of a ridiculously expensive sport.

OTOH, she has no time to get into trouble and there is value in that in addition to the value she gets from her sport.
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 22:29     Subject: Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:Agree that ideally you either shut it down from the start, or go all in until the end. But to be honest, I still somewhat resent my parents, who had the means but decided it wasn't the lifestyle they wanted for our family, for not even letting me try. If I ever need to make a similar decision for my kids, I'll do everything I can to make it work.


On the flip side, i kind of resent that my parents spent a beachfront house in the Hamptons on horses and ponies when i was a kid and now there’s nothing to show for it but photos and one horse that lives on (and costs on) even though i haven’t ridden in over 20 years.

So maybe some moderation makes sense?
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 21:55     Subject: Re:Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's far better situation than having one playing video games and using e-cigs which will likely lead to heroin and a life living on the streets. So we see it as a positive way to keep him on the right track!


Wow, this PP really went from video games to e-cigs to heroin to life on the streets.


Yeah, quite the jump there. One day the kid is vaping and playing fortnite and the next he's strung out on heroin and passed out in the streets.


All because his parents let him do a cheap sport!
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 21:22     Subject: Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:Hate to say it, but think about the expense *before* you decide to let your kid start an expensive sport.



Not all sports are expensive at first stupid
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 19:24     Subject: Re:Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's far better situation than having one playing video games and using e-cigs which will likely lead to heroin and a life living on the streets. So we see it as a positive way to keep him on the right track!


Wow, this PP really went from video games to e-cigs to heroin to life on the streets.


Yeah, quite the jump there. One day the kid is vaping and playing fortnite and the next he's strung out on heroin and passed out in the streets.


And the ironic thing about this poster is that a large number of youth heroin use is due to a kid with a sports injury or overuse pain getting hooked on pain meds and transferring to heroin when the meds for their sports injury run out.

Gamers get their high from gaming addictions, not drug use.


NP. I think you PPs missed the fact the post you're responding to is being sarcastic when it leaps from gaming to heroin.
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 18:21     Subject: Re:Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There are times I think what the heck? And not just the money, there's also my time. Spending an entire weekend at the activity isn't my idea of fun. But then I keep on paying and keep on going to events b/c I'm happy that my kids each have a sport they're so passionate about. I never felt anything like that growing up or had a real passion. We're in the here and now, not thinking how it'll pay off in the future.

But that said, I'm 50 now and realized how I'm growing tired of it all. I am looking forward to the day it ends. I see how other (younger and/or SAHM) moms get excited to travel and make mini-vacations out of it, where I'm just get me home.


49 year old here—yes!! The bloom is off the rose. I’m nostalgic for when they were too young to be in all this crap and we took spontaneous vacations and had free weekends—-and evenings!! Currently sitting in my car at a sports practice for the 4th time this week. Carpools not an option since nobody lives anywhere remotely close to us.



My DH is sitting in the car next to you haha!
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 18:18     Subject: Re:Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:There are times I think what the heck? And not just the money, there's also my time. Spending an entire weekend at the activity isn't my idea of fun. But then I keep on paying and keep on going to events b/c I'm happy that my kids each have a sport they're so passionate about. I never felt anything like that growing up or had a real passion. We're in the here and now, not thinking how it'll pay off in the future.

But that said, I'm 50 now and realized how I'm growing tired of it all. I am looking forward to the day it ends. I see how other (younger and/or SAHM) moms get excited to travel and make mini-vacations out of it, where I'm just get me home.


49 year old here—yes!! The bloom is off the rose. I’m nostalgic for when they were too young to be in all this crap and we took spontaneous vacations and had free weekends—-and evenings!! Currently sitting in my car at a sports practice for the 4th time this week. Carpools not an option since nobody lives anywhere remotely close to us.

Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 17:17     Subject: Re:Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:There are times I think what the heck? And not just the money, there's also my time. Spending an entire weekend at the activity isn't my idea of fun. But then I keep on paying and keep on going to events b/c I'm happy that my kids each have a sport they're so passionate about. I never felt anything like that growing up or had a real passion. We're in the here and now, not thinking how it'll pay off in the future.

But that said, I'm 50 now and realized how I'm growing tired of it all. I am looking forward to the day it ends. I see how other (younger and/or SAHM) moms get excited to travel and make mini-vacations out of it, where I'm just get me home.


Lol,I feel you! Not to mention the super excited “booster” parents that try to rope you in to volunteer for stuff!
Anonymous
Post 02/28/2019 17:02     Subject: Re:Expensive Sport
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's far better situation than having one playing video games and using e-cigs which will likely lead to heroin and a life living on the streets. So we see it as a positive way to keep him on the right track!


Wow, this PP really went from video games to e-cigs to heroin to life on the streets.


I think we found an interview candidate for the producer looking for helicopter, lawn-mower parents!