The way goggles make kids look it makes me giggle.
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5 months ago
12 comments:
I understand your rant...really I do. There should be a multi-kid discount. BUT, in all honesty, complaining about the fee waiver that lets poor kids like mine participate...just seems a little spoiled. Sorry. I still love you. :)
The goggle face is too funny! My kids just finished up lessons last week. Seeing them in their goggle was hilarious, especially Brindley because her goggles were way too small!
I agree with you, I think if you have more than one child in it you should at least have a little discount. I love the goggles on the kids too! You are such a good mom to do the mommy and me classes, I can never bring myself to do it. Cute pictures!!
I totally agree with you Sandra and do NOT blame you one bit! I am all for state and fedral funded programs for those in need but truth be told swimming lessons are not a need they are a want! Sometimes it really feels like people are punished for making a good living and it makes no sense to me at all! And besides we all know the you, of all people, are NOT spoiled! You are a very kind and compassionate person who would be willing to help anyone that needed it!
Sandra,
I've agonized over that comment all day....I didn't mean that I thought you are spoiled, I just meant that the way you said it made you sound spoiled. So many of us around you utilize those programs, and I didn't want you to offend others by saying that around them too. I know that I prefer when my friends tell me when I'm stepping over the line, so that I can limit the amount of people I offend. I was just trying to do that for you.
I should have said something directly to you, but I was too chicken to call. I admit that that wasn't the best judgement on my part. Please accept my apology for hurting your feelings. I only called it to your attention because I know that you aren't spoiled at all, so I didn't want you misrepresenting yourself.
Lisa,
I am grateful that truly charitable people reach out to those less fortunate than themselves. I know that Sandra isn't spoiled, and I didn't want her coming across as so.
Concerning your comment:
The fee waiver is a scholarship program. It is set up by those who are better off financially for the express purpose of giving poor kids a chance to participate in sports. These people understand that kids deserve more than just life-sustaining activities, and find it important to support that.
Do kids whose parents can afford to pay for college DESERVE to go more than kids who go on financial aid or scholarship? Are the poor kids punishing the more financially stable kids by qualifying for aid? No, the poor kids are in that situation through no fault of their own, and sometimes by no fault of their parents either.
The very fact that you would say that you feel that you are being punished for making a good living makes me think that you have no understanding of how some people come to need financial help. My husband and I were on the path of financial well-being when I became disabled at 25 years of age through an accident during the birth of our son. Despite medical insurance, our out-of-pocket expenses were (and continue to be) more than any middle class 20-something couple could handle alone. Should I exclude my children from scholarship programs or government aid because I'm too prideful to ask for help when I truly need it? No, and when others assume that we are poor because of poor financial decisions I can only laugh and hope that they are never affected by a devastating medical emergency so early in life.
Here are my shoes, walk a mile in them.
Mother of the wild boys,
Actually I understand your situation much better than you know. I have four beautiful sons, one of which is Autistic. Because of his disability our insurance will not cover so much as a Dr. visit for him. Unfortunatly he has had to have multiple surgeries for various reasons, all of which combined, have left us with medical bills that we will never in our life time be able to repay. Also as soon as our life insurance company got word of his diagnosis, they could not drop him quickly enough, so we are also faced with the reality that we have to set aside money monthly for a funeral that may or may not happen. (You are welcome to walk in my shoes as well!) We do not qualify for any programs or financial help despite all of these factors. I think state and fedral programs are wonderful, and I do not resent the fact that I do not qualify. Nor do I think that less fortunate children should suffer or that they do not deserve to participate in these things because of their financial situation and I did not even come close to eluding to that. I think you greatly misjudged and short changed Sandra by publicly saying such hurtful things about her. And even if, as you said, you did not mean them, they were infact very hurtful and untrue.
Wow. Sorry for all the controversy. My sis-in-law left a well meaning comment on my blog last night that had me up "stewing" 'til 3:00 AM. I'm having every test known to man during my pregnancy, and she is planning to deliver at home with as little medical intervention as possible. I guess our differences make things intersesting.
Our pool in Wayne County has a discount for multiple kids ($5 off for the additional kids) but I couldn't affort the $80 for my three this year, so mine aren't getting lessons for the second year in a row. I'm a little stressed about it, but Todd keeps reminding me it's more of a want than a need. I just hate sending them to swimming birthday parties 'cause I know they can't swim, and I'm not there to keep an eye on them. Sometimes I feel guilty for not being able to provide swimming lessons for my kids, because I had that opportunity, but I just hope we'll be blessed for trying to stay out of debt. Maybe my boys will learn at scout camp someday.
I do agree that there should be a discount for multiple kids, and I don't blame you for being frustrated. If we lived here, I doubt we'd qualify for assistance with Todd's income, and yet I still wouldn't be able to afford those prices for lessons, so my kids would be left out for sure.
I understand both sides of the issue. I have special needs children, and my husband makes a very good living. We live in a state that has very good support for children with disabilities, that is not income-based.
That being said, I grew up with nothing -and any program we got to participate in, wether it was a want or a need, greatly shaped who we were,and made a HUGE difference in our lives. I also grew up with Sandra. I know her, and she did in no way mean anything mean by her comment. Now that we have money, I am seeing that those programs have very little to do with income, but about improving quality of life.
Basically. I love Sandra,and her family deserves a discount. and poor kids deserve to go to the pool for free with being judged. There you go.
I agree wholeheartedly that there should be discounts for multiple children... and without intent to offend, I'll admit that I've struggled from time to time with government funded programs and freebies. Just because we don't qualify for assistance doesn't mean that we sometimes don't have to forgo extra-curricular activities because of the cost. And the more kids involved the harder it gets to pay the fees to let them participate.
Once again, Sandra is not spoiled...she's one of the most giving people I've ever known. And I have been known to be less than tactful...not something I'm proud of. But I do live by the creedo:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -Martin Luther King Jr.
If I don't stand up for my poor children, who will?
P.S. Lisa- I have an autistic son too. Seems you and I are already walking in each other's shoes.
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