I think most of you know that my son and I haven't been very well last week and I am still feeling pretty tired.

Well, today my son has his flute lesson, I was looking all round the place for it and I eventually found it almost down the back of the sofa in the dining room. I have managed to get it out and just hope that it is going to be ok and that it hasn't damaged any pads.

I hate this as it means I am going to have to say something to him the minute he gets in from school, and I always try to avoid having a go when I haven't seen him all day. Problem is that he has his flute lesson at 4.30pm and I just hope to goodness he has a flute to play with.

He doesn't get in until just after 4pm so that doesn't give us much time to play. I know for a fact once he finds out what he has done he is going to be really upset, particularly if it is broken!!

Fingers crossed it is ok, I can't try it out myself as I haven't a clue what you do with it. Part of me blames him and the other part of me blames myself, had I not felt so rough I would have spotted it and made him put it in a safe place, like I usually do. At the same time, this is quite unlike him to have just left it. He hasn't played it as he hadn't felt up to playing it with this cough cold thing that he had.

ET

It's definitely not your fault - kids do silly things sometimes. Once, my ten-year old brother - who was about eight at the time - saw that his clarinet was dirty and so he filled the sink with soapy water and in went the clarinet! Luckily it was fine.

The flute will probably be okay and, even if it isn't, he can bring it to his flute teacher at half four and perhaps get it checked out? I'm sure a teacher would fix it for free..!

And I hope you get better soon!

Does it look okay? Are there any obvious bends or dents that shouldn't be there? Are the keys and rods still straight and do the keys still close? If it looks okay then it probably is - you may find a couple of springs need to be put back in place even if it all looks fine (you won't be able to spot these if you don't know what you're looking for), but this is very easy to do.

Thanks Steph and Flossie

Well son has come home and just tried out the flute, phew it seems to be playing ok. Teacher will be here in about 5 minutes and my son is really grumpy!! He hates these lessons straight after school before he has had time to chill, but then we have to fit in with what our teacher can do for us, or no lesson at all.

ET

That's a relief, then! And he's better off having a lesson not long after school while he's still in the learning mindset. I know I always was!

I hate evening lessons becuase I never seem to get much out of them.

With weekend lessons I learn loads, every time.