Lessons for children of friends/acquaintances Options

[Impressionist]

I've just dipped my toe back into the waters of instrumental teaching after many years of doing other things. I have around a dozen students, most of whom attend regularly, pay up on time and are keen.

But... I have a couple of children I've taken on as I know the parents and, to be honest, they're a pain in the backside. They frequently cancel at the last minute (or don't turn up at all), want to rearrange time slots each term depending on the other activities the kids do, pay late and seem to regard my teaching as a "hobby" rather than a job.

Does anyone else teach anyone with whom you have a personal connection or do you keep business and personal life separate? I'd always thought that you'd treat those you're friendly with the same respect you'd give anyone else but it doesn't seem to be the case here.

[busylizzie]

I agree with treating friends and their offspring like any other "clients". I teach the children of several friends and find that being professional is the best way. All my parents agree to and sign my Terms and Conditions and are good about paying on time, punctuality etc, because they know it's a business arrangement, not a favour.

However, I've learnt my lessons over the past few years and have really had to toughened up! I've had parents string me along, trying to work out how to get their children to lessons (waiting for me to offer to bring them here!!) or expecting me to have facilities to entertain a wiating sibling/sleeping parent (yes, one dad used to regularly fall asleep in my family room while his daughter was having her lesson in the music room!)
I also had a family who would often ask me to keep hold of their children after the lessons, until they could be collected. When I was about to introduce my contracts (following valuable advice from the forum!) they decided to move the children to a different teacher and I never heard from them again! A shame, because the children were lovely and hard-working and I also felt that we'd lost a good friendship, but it did make me realise how one-sided the relationship obviously was!

So my advice; be firm and have the same rules for everyone.....we're music teachers, not babysitters, taxi drivers or charities!!