What do your kids activities cost you?

[sydney02]

I don't have kids but my co-workers were talking about how much they spend on their kid's activities each month/quarter. I was really surprised. I don't know how you parents do it.
My one coworker has 3 girls and she said that she spends at least $300 a month between dance/ballet lessons, costumes plus the cost of the girls' cell phones (two of them have iphones)

My other coworker has a daughter who does English riding to the tune of $100 a week for lessons plus shows, travel costumes. Her son plays high school baseball but she still has to pay for that because of school budget cuts.

Then my other coworker said her 14 year old daughter wanted a Coach bag so bad for her birthday. She could not buy a fake because all the girls at school immediately know how to spot a fake and she said it would be worse for her to get busted with a fake than have nothing. So mom sports a fake Coach but the daughter got a real one.

I had a childless guilty moment for you moms. How do you afford your kid's stuff? I sound like an old bitty but seriously growing up in the late 70s/80s, I don't remember having as much as kids have now. I don't know how parents do it.

[mommyneedswine]

We just started doing dance. It's $50 a month and $120 for 2 costumes. Competition is a lot more, but she's not quite 4, so we aren't going down that route yet.

I'm against cell phones for kids. I believe that once you can drive you can have a prepay phone for emergency purposes, but you must have a job or you're not getting the phone or the car.

Activities are expensive no matter what. I don't mind paying for something she loves to do. I want her to be involved in something and not sitting on my couch.

[Dezi]

We pay $100 per month on dance. Our oldest daughter wants to play soccer which is $190 for the season and our yougest will be in Gymnastics which is $160 for twelve weeks. In the winter they will take swimming lessons which is $30 per month. Compared to others we pay almost nothing. Some of DD friends parents pay upwards of $500 per month.

[jena]

DD takes a dance and tumbling class - $45/mo, plus another $45 for the recital (which is cheap compared to my friend's recital fees, we don't do elaborate costumes). She just turned 5, she's done it for 3 years already.

SS took Tae Kwon Do for a few years - $75/mo plus maybe $40 or $50 for each belt test and similar costs to participate in tournaments (which technically are not mandatory, but you can not take a belt test without going to a tournament at each belt level). He did Little League when he was little. The registration fee wasn't a lot, but I remember being shocked at how much the uniforms and associated crap were. Plus it sucked up massive amounts of time and left us sitting in the bleachers in the scorching sun watching the world's most boring games.

[Deleted]

My kid does track. During season, it can be expensive. The special shoes, track spikes, meets, events. Off season, it's all about training and camps.

I couldn't quite put a price on it because that's MH's and his thing. I kind of stay out of it. I just go to the sporting events.

ETA - I just asked mh, he says close to $1k. I'd like to add that we also pay for a gym membership for him

[mrsjuleshs]

Cheer tuition - $170/month
Cheer balanced billing (competition, choreography fees, etc. - only 9 months) $165/month
Additional tumbling classes (our school district requires 5 hours during the week on 3 diferent days so since 2 practice is on Sunday, I have to have her in 2 additional days for it to count - $80/month
Shoes/uniform were about $400 so around $35/month
Tumbling class at different gym $70/month

So over $500/month
None of this includes travel or gas it costs me to get her there. She was invited to do the Sugar Bowl halftime show this upcoming year but it would cost us $2000 just for her to do it, not including our tickets or anything.

[OHMBLEEGOHHHHH!]

Kristen's Tball was $50, plus a bat, glove, and helmet (the bat and helmet were optional, but no way was she sharing a helmet).
She starts soccer next. That was $30 (after her first year, uniforms are another 30), plus cleats (which she'll use for Tball too), and a practice ball ($10).
Then she has ballet/tap, which is $40 a month, plus ballet shoes and tap shoes, each $10.

We're in a really LCOL area, so I doubt the kids are going to have designer purses. OH GOD I HOPE SO. If she wants something like that, we would work out a deal where she would work for it. She is NOT going to have a cellphone until she drives, and definitely not a smartphone. I don't care what her friends have. It opens the door to too much, and kids aren't careful with them, and it's just not necessary.

[mrsjuleshs]

We got her a small coach shoulder bag as her big Christmas gift last year. It cost me about $70 so not bad. She has had a cell for a few years. Now the debate is on a smartphone because they use them in school on almost a daily basis for projects and looking up info.

[leon]

DD just finished her year of dance it was $43/month, plus $60 for costume and tickets etc so not that bad.
I have not signed her up for anything in the summer becuase she does it all at camp, swimming, archery, dance, soccer etc.

DS swimming is $150 for 8 weeks, and Karate is $127 for 8 weeks.

They will both do soccer in the fall which is $150 per kid for 8 weeks.
We have not gotten into the expensive stuff yet which I believe will come next year when DS can start LAX.

Edit- DD's camp is about $290 per week which includes all activities

[Deleted]

Jun 28, 2012 12:56:59 GMT -5 OHMBLEEGOHHHHH! said:

\ She is NOT going to have a cellphone until she drives, and definitely not a smartphone. I don't care what her friends have. It opens the door to too much, and kids aren't careful with them, and it's just not necessary.

You really say that now, and we thought the same way too, but with SS being in so many extracurricular activites, having a cell phone is a must. It allows us to keep in touch with him and we believe it keeps him safe. When he was younger he only had it during limited times and turned it in. He's almost 16 now, so he has it at all times, but he's very responsible.

I think he's had his cell since 7th grade or so?

[candyapple]

School was 6500 or 6700, something like that for the year, 2 hrs, 5 days per week.
Extended program, 2 weeks, 425.
Camp session 1, 2 weeks- 550, session 2, 1 week - 225, session 3, 2 weeks - 550.

Miss Jenny's summer program, once a week, 2 hrs, for 6 weeks - 519, I think, with twin/second child discount.

[OHMBLEEGOHHHHH!]

Jun 28, 2012 12:59:47 GMT -5 @dovey1122 said:

Jun 28, 2012 12:56:59 GMT -5 OHMBLEEGOHHHHH! said:

\ She is NOT going to have a cellphone until she drives, and definitely not a smartphone. I don't care what her friends have. It opens the door to too much, and kids aren't careful with them, and it's just not necessary.

You really say that now, and we thought the same way too, but with SS being in so many extracurricular activites, having a cell phone is a must. It allows us to keep in touch with him and we believe it keeps him safe. When he was younger he only had it during limited times and turned it in. He's almost 16 now, so he has it at all times, but he's very responsible.

I think he's had his cell since 7th grade or so?

We will make an exception if she is in a lot of sports. But it's not going to be anything fancy, just the basics.

[Deleted]

Jun 28, 2012 13:00:42 GMT -5 OHMBLEEGOHHHHH! said:

Jun 28, 2012 12:59:47 GMT -5 @dovey1122 said:

You really say that now, and we thought the same way too, but with SS being in so many extracurricular activites, having a cell phone is a must. It allows us to keep in touch with him and we believe it keeps him safe. When he was younger he only had it during limited times and turned it in. He's almost 16 now, so he has it at all times, but he's very responsible.

I think he's had his cell since 7th grade or so?

We will make an exception if she is in a lot of sports. But it's not going to be anything fancy, just the basics.

We started with a basic phone. and that's pretty much what he has now. He only needs calling/texting abiliites. We are probably going to get him a "fancy" phone for his birthday in August

[Deleted]

$750/mo for tuition
$44/mo for Tumble Tykes (preschool gymnastics)

[sydney02]

OMG. My parents got off so easy by only having a big backyard for us, lol.
I can't believe how much activities cost especially when you are multiplying it by 2-3 kids. My DH and I agreed though that if we had kids, we'd do the same. I'd want them to be able to do the things they were interested in. So I don't blame parents. I just can't imagine not being a little resentful at the monthly costs of things.

[daisyheadmaizie]

DD is 4. We just signed her up for her first dance class. It was $65 for 6 weeks. I spent another $30-40 on leotards, etc.

We do an art program through the local museum that is $3 a class or you can get discounted multi visit passes. I usually just buy a 10 class pass for $25 and we go whenever it fits into our schedule.

I am planning on signing her up for a Princess camp through her dance studio that is 3 days for $135 or something later this summer.

Other than that, we do a lot of free activities through of library and such.

I am sure that the cost of her activities will increase and she gets older and more involved in stuff. Right now it is pretty easy to pick and choose activities that easily fit into our budget.

[harmony11]

DD: $45/month for dance class. $120/year for recital; $20/week for swim. She wants to take gymnastics, so that will be another $100ish a month.

DS: $20/week for swim class. He wants to do karate, that will be about $100 a month. I am guessing he will switch to gymnastics when he sees DD doing it. He is 3 and wants to do everything she does.

[mrsjuleshs]

Harmony, Westwood is $70/month and the coaches are all super awesome. Dd has been going there since she was 5.

[mrsjuleshs]

Also they have a sibling discount.

[Deleted]

For cub scouts, I pay $12/yr for his membership, $1/wk for dues, then $10 or so for his handbook each year.

For ballet, I pay $70/mo plus about $25 for tights and her leotard. Costumes are around $150. Tap and jazz shoes are $35ish, ballet shoes are $20ish. I'll probably shell out $100 for her core costume (for twirling)

[HiC]

a freakin' ton.

I don't even want to itemize it because I don't really want to know the final number.

[eb777888]

Right now, all I have is preschool and that's $300/month which isn't bad.
But this post is depressing me

[bab]

About $700/month but this is for two children

This is only extracurricular stuff, not camp tuition etc.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

Dance is 50$ a month, costume was 65$ I think, swimming is 40$ every six weeks. Pre-k is going to be $120 a month (apparently owner is a grants receiving machine?).

[adhdfashion]

DD#1 is almost 3, we spend $60 a month on piano lessons.

[housegeek]

Jun 28, 2012 21:22:40 GMT -5 adhdfashion said:

DD#1 is almost 3, we spend $60 a month on piano lessons.

Piano lessons for a 2 year old?

[adhdfashion]

Jun 28, 2012 22:20:10 GMT -5 housegeek said:

Jun 28, 2012 21:22:40 GMT -5 adhdfashion said:

DD#1 is almost 3, we spend $60 a month on piano lessons.

Piano lessons for a 2 year old?

She really loves music she started lessons at 2 1/2. The lessons are 15 minutes long once a week. That's how you raise the next great composer. Don't you know?

[housegeek]

Jun 28, 2012 22:52:02 GMT -5 adhdfashion said:

Jun 28, 2012 22:20:10 GMT -5 housegeek said:

Piano lessons for a 2 year old?

She really loves music she started lessons at 2 1/2. The lessons are 15 minutes long once a week. That's how you raise the next great composer. Don't you know?

That's really sweet.

[textbookcase]

Not a whole lot. Our area is very LCOL and we also do a lot of free activities. The girls are in a local choir, which is $50/mo for the both of them. They also do tball/softball (around $50/season, not including equipment) and soccer (same).

[papie]

The most expensive one is ski, which is 450 for the winter, including the skis (season rental).

We will not do ballet this year, because it is also 450 and she doesn't like it that much.

The other activities (soccer and swimming) are cheap.