Things your children have done/said that make you cringe...
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Things your children have done/said that make you cringe...
My daughter's piano teacher (also related to us) has decided to retire with immediate effect due to ill health, which is extremely sad.
Reluctantly, we have been looking for a new piano teacher. Today we went for my daughter to have a trial lesson. She is due to take her grade 2 at Christmas and has been able to play her pieces perfectly for a good few months.
Oh dear.
Remember how Les Dawson used to play? Out of tune in a really clever way? Well, that is how my daughter played today. I have NEVER heard her play so badly. She 'played' with tears rolling down her cheeks and made mistake after mistake after mistake. (In fairness to me, I genuinely thought she just had a runny nose. I had no idea that she was crying).
Then came the sight reading. Then some questions about what sort of music she liked. She completely clammed up. She was completely mute. At this point I would not have been surprised to hear my daughter ask: "What is music?". She certainly hid the fact that she is musical or has indeed ever seen a piano before!!
Then she was asked to sing 'Tomorrow' from the musical Annie, whilst her prospective teacher accompanied her. All I could hear were a series of breaths - no notes at all - at which point the teacher's much younger daughter joined in and wiped the floor with my daughter. (I know, she was nervous...!)
All the time this was going on I had the teacher's youngest child asking me things like "Is your house as big as this. I bet it isn't" as he repetitively shook a maraca in my face.
We both scuttled out of the house desperate to escape!!
Reluctantly, we have been looking for a new piano teacher. Today we went for my daughter to have a trial lesson. She is due to take her grade 2 at Christmas and has been able to play her pieces perfectly for a good few months.
Oh dear.
Remember how Les Dawson used to play? Out of tune in a really clever way? Well, that is how my daughter played today. I have NEVER heard her play so badly. She 'played' with tears rolling down her cheeks and made mistake after mistake after mistake. (In fairness to me, I genuinely thought she just had a runny nose. I had no idea that she was crying).
Then came the sight reading. Then some questions about what sort of music she liked. She completely clammed up. She was completely mute. At this point I would not have been surprised to hear my daughter ask: "What is music?". She certainly hid the fact that she is musical or has indeed ever seen a piano before!!
Then she was asked to sing 'Tomorrow' from the musical Annie, whilst her prospective teacher accompanied her. All I could hear were a series of breaths - no notes at all - at which point the teacher's much younger daughter joined in and wiped the floor with my daughter. (I know, she was nervous...!)
All the time this was going on I had the teacher's youngest child asking me things like "Is your house as big as this. I bet it isn't" as he repetitively shook a maraca in my face.
We both scuttled out of the house desperate to escape!!
Sounds like a "No" then !! Seriously, your DD obviously felt uncomfortable to say the least and I would have thought a prospective teacher would realise this v quickly and not make her play on. Presumably DD has taken and passed Grade 1 so the new teacher should accept that qualification for working to Grade 2. Perhaps if DD was so nervous she was actually not happy with the actual teacher? If so that's a whole different debate.
Also why were the younger children around? If it was a last minute meeting then ok but not a good advert for the teacher to have her own children lurking at lesson times.
Also why were the younger children around? If it was a last minute meeting then ok but not a good advert for the teacher to have her own children lurking at lesson times.
The truth is that my daughter just didn't handle the stress of the situation very well. She says that she liked the teacher.
As for her children, we made the appointment several days ago, she did warn me that they would be there.
Who is going to make me laugh by telling me a story about their delightful offspring?
As for her children, we made the appointment several days ago, she did warn me that they would be there.
Who is going to make me laugh by telling me a story about their delightful offspring?
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T.i.p.s.y
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Looking for help
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What a shame for her.
My son was like that coming out of his last piano exam, absolutely burst into tears having cried his way through one of the pieces. He did manage to pass, but only just, according to the piano teacher he should have got a distinction.
There's no telling what nerves can do to you, I was exactly the same as a child. I cannot perform piano in public even now, have to just enjoy playing to myself
My son was like that coming out of his last piano exam, absolutely burst into tears having cried his way through one of the pieces. He did manage to pass, but only just, according to the piano teacher he should have got a distinction.
There's no telling what nerves can do to you, I was exactly the same as a child. I cannot perform piano in public even now, have to just enjoy playing to myself
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T.i.p.s.y
The stuff my youngest (always the youngest) has come out with is far too crude! 
Although after his first singing lesson the other day (are we all getting lessons in the hols then?) I asked him if he liked his teacher and he said "No!" Probing, he went on to tell me she was too va va voom 
- I'm still trying to work out what that means! 
Thankfully a chocolate bar at the end has been enough to convince him to go back!
Although after his first singing lesson the other day (are we all getting lessons in the hols then?) I asked him if he liked his teacher and he said "No!" Probing, he went on to tell me she was too va va voom - I'm still trying to work out what that means! Thankfully a chocolate bar at the end has been enough to convince him to go back!
Too va va voom? That's funny!
When Ed was just old enough to walk and put sentences together, we were walking through a shopping precinct. As we walked past a group of older people sitting on a bench he announced loudly: "Hey, get up you old lazies".
Yet another time when we scuttled away quickly. I'm exceptionally good at scuttling!
When Ed was just old enough to walk and put sentences together, we were walking through a shopping precinct. As we walked past a group of older people sitting on a bench he announced loudly: "Hey, get up you old lazies".
Yet another time when we scuttled away quickly. I'm exceptionally good at scuttling!
I was in A & E late one night with my DS (then aged 4) who enquired VERY loudly about two drunk men covered in blood sitting next to us -
"Mummy, why are those men SO FAT?"
Sadly I could not scuttle off, but luckily the men didn't seem to notice (obviously deaf as well - everyone else there took a collective sharp intake of breath....)
"Mummy, why are those men SO FAT?"
Sadly I could not scuttle off, but luckily the men didn't seem to notice (obviously deaf as well - everyone else there took a collective sharp intake of breath....)
Some time ago my three children (DD then 6. and DS's 5 and 2) and I were having lunch in a busy restaurant with a close friend, who is asian and her two sons (6 and 5). My friend and I overheard with amusement as their conversation turned to marriage and my DD claimed that she would be marrying my friends older son.
My amusement was short-lived however when my older DS exclaimed at the top of his voice (loud enough to stop all conversation on the premises) "You can't marry him he's BROWN!" 
My amusement was short-lived however when my older DS exclaimed at the top of his voice (loud enough to stop all conversation on the premises) "You can't marry him he's BROWN!"
