What did your parents waste money on for you?

1. 89

   Rochelle Frankposted 12 years ago

   Was it a gift you never cared about, or an activity that never took hold of you? I guess I could have asked this in questions/ answers-- but thought it might be more fun here.
   
   For me it was dance lessons.

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   1. 66

      A Thousand Wordsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Where do I start? Ballet, karate, the flute, tap dancing, the recorder, she bought me this math program, shoes that I hated wearing (and eventually stopped), TONS of wasted money on a former religious interest, hm... that's all I can think of, currently, LoL

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      1. 66

         A Thousand Wordsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thing is, she didn't keep me in them because she "thought" that I didn't like them. I never told her I didn't like them. I loved playing the flute.

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2. 59

   Jonathan Jancoposted 12 years ago

   For me it was just about anything they tried to push me into. If I indulged them I would end up proving to them they were wasting their money. Catholic school may have been the most prominent however.

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   1. 89

      Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You are right Jonathan-- it always works best if the kid shows some inclination to the activity, first.

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3. 95

   wildernessposted 12 years ago

   Well, I would have said piano lessons, but 40 years later I bought an old Wurlitzer organ and really enjoyed re-learning to play.
   
   You never know...

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   1. 75

      Shanna11posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe that'll happen to me one day, but when I look back, I would definitely say piano lessons. I hated practicing, had a terrible fear of playing in front of others and wasted a ridiculous amount of money. If I could go back I'd tell my mom that I wanted to quit.

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4. 89

   Rochelle Frankposted 12 years ago

   As far as dancing-- it just isn't in my genes. I learned to follow a boy dancer, somewhat, but he had to be a good leader. I once danced briefly with Bobby Burgess (of the Lawrence Welk show) and he actually made me feel like I could dance-- but that was a fleeting experience when he visited our dance school group.
   As for your piano lessons, wilderness, sometimes the time and inclination needs to be right.

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   1. 95

      wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It sure does, Rochelle.  Without the inclination and desire it will very seldom happen, whether dance, music, art, whatever.  You might learn the mechanics but will never go beyond without that desire.
      
      My music was interesting.  I never learned to play well at all when young, but could read music a little and developed some aptitude with the piano keys.  40 years later I remembered how to read sheet music and found some of the old, old muscle memory still there when playing chords.  I was even able to pick out which key was which from the memory of what it should sound like.

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5. 61

   logic,commonsenseposted 12 years ago

   For me it was the hose that my dad used to beat me with!

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   1. 89

      Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Ouch-- but at least the hose couldn't have cost that much

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6. 0

   The Writers Dogposted 12 years ago

   My first brother

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   1. 89

      Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The bought him?Well, i guess the care and feeding cost something.

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7. 84

   tsmogposted 12 years ago

   That is a good question. Looking back I would say they didn't. I was the experiment. They invested in the siblings that came later.

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   1. 89

      Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      So they needed you to find out if kids were worth investing in?

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      1. 84

         tsmogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         That is a great question. I am the 2nd oldest. Oldest Male. My older sister is 1yr older. Great Hub Idea, but for adding too. I am military brat. Dad was Marine. Kids came in four year spurts. In other words re-enlistment came every four years. Kids came every four years in 2 year spurts.
         1953 - older sister
         1954 - me
         1957 - younger sister
         1958 - younger brother
         1961 - miscarriage
         1962 - younger brother
         
         He was enlisted. She stay at  home mom. Money tight. Several things occur. Reenlistment bonus, promotion  = +++$, increase in dependent pay. So, from this you and knowing the cost of kids, you could say, with all respect to my parents and all the love in the world, I became a maintenance expense 3 years after birth. No longer an 'investment' per se.
         
         The investments were the following 3 siblings. So, the conclusion, from a short sided view, is I was a great investment. Since, it lead to further investments. The question is 'what' from the overall big picture view is the investment, when does it become a maintenance or an expense. I am sure future investments were made in each child's desires or aptitudes becoming evident. It is what is invested that I question now writing this little diddy - money, time, love, etc.
         
         Rochelle, I am publicly sharing a questioning of 'self' through a vehicle - your question. That is all it is. It is not judging my parents in any way shape or form. It is observational trying to be objective while realizing what a daunting task the parent has, which is an experience I haven't.
         
         I'm all mixed up, eh? Another question to your question is were my younger siblings really an investment in my sister and myself, sort to speak. The expense vs. the investment is what I guess I am questioning. On the big picture view it is an investment in the future no matter how you count the eggs in the basket.

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8. 0

   writeronlineposted 12 years ago

   Birth control. I turned up anyway.

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   1. 66

      A Thousand Wordsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      LOL. My ex's sister got pregnant with one of his nephews when her husband wore a condom AND she was on birth control.

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