Yesterday I had a phonecall at 3am, seriously no kidding! from a dad saying it was his son's birthday that day and he couldn't come to his lesson. Luckily the ansaphone took the message, but had i picked up i would have had some not very polite words to say! Can anyone beat that for inconsiderate parents??? Other examples I've experienced are an entire family who came with their son and proceeded to lay out and noisily consume a picnic tea throughout the lesson while their 4 year old ran up and down the stairs and into the bedrooms, (thank god they have now stopped coming), and a couple of instances of parents answering mobiles in the lesson and not even having the courtesy to leave the room. Needless to say, ALL these children have made little progress at the piano - with parents like that, what hope have they???

O dear! That's a good point! How do you deal with things like that without sounding too rude? (ironic I know seeing as how they are rude themselves)

Thats unbelievable! I remember being annoyed by a parent phoning at 10am on a Sunday morning about lessons. Do you let parents and half the family come to lessons with their children? I insist on them waiting in he car - apart from anything else, its too distracting for the child who is trying to learn.

I once had a parent ask if they could sit in-I didn't mind on this occasion, but we were about half way through and he went to sleep! I only hope the student found my teaching a bit more interesting! As for phonecalls, usually if they're after about 9.30 I let the ansaphone pick it up-and I've found having a caller display phone the best thing I've bought in ages.

QUOTE (Madge Woollard @ May 9 2005, 06:52 PM)

an entire family who came with their son and proceeded to lay out and noisily consume a picnic tea throughout the lesson while their 4 year old ran up and down the stairs and into the bedrooms

I've never heard anything like it!

This is a nice story - one pupil had just finished his first book and I asked him to chose his favourite three tunes from the book to play a 'recital' for me at the next lesson. I was quite taken aback when his whole family turned up at the next lesson to listen to his 'recital'! It was really sweet but I found it really hard not to giggle.

As I said in the other thread, I only have a mobile, and no landline, and yes, caller display is a wonderful thing.

To the comment about phonec alls on sundays - I'm never bothered when I get calls except on sunday mornings: they're the one time in the week that I get some real sleep, and generally I'm busy 7 days a week apart from that time.

Right then... beat this.

On a recent visit to a family with 4 kids, the eldest (9) was having his flute lesson, and doing well too. Then mum came in to see what all the laughter was about. She had the 9 month old baby with her and when the doorbell went, she thrust it at the eldest causing him to drop his flute. Then slapped him, called him something unsavoury, kicked the flute under the coffee table, proclaiming it to be £300 worth of S*^&. Then left me with a sobbing 9 yr old lad and a screaming 9 month old baby who proceeded to vomit all over both of us!

The person at the door had long gone by this time and she proceeded to inform me that I had made her miss her Avon lady............. thanks very much, so I could not expect to be paid because of this and the fact that her precious little lad had not had his allotted 30 minutes!

We don't speak now and the lad's lessons are done at my house where he is brought by his dad!

I ask you!!

QUOTE (sillysaxist @ May 16 2005, 09:16 PM)

The person at the door had long gone by this time and she proceeded to inform me that I had made her miss her Avon lady............. thanks very much, so I could not expect to be paid because of this and the fact that her precious little lad had not had his allotted 30 minutes!

Thats unbelievable. I hope you told her you charge double for babysitting!! The Avon lady had a lucky escape...

QUOTE (sillysaxist @ May 16 2005, 09:16 PM)

Right then... beat this. On a recent visit to a family with 4 kids, the eldest (9) was having his flute lesson, and doing well too. Then mum came in to see what all the laughter was about. She had the 9 month old baby with her and when the doorbell went, she thrust it at the eldest causing him to drop his flute. Then slapped him, called him something unsavoury, kicked the flute under the coffee table, proclaiming it to be £300 worth of S*^&. Then left me with a sobbing 9 yr old lad and a screaming 9 month old baby who proceeded to vomit all over both of us! The person at the door had long gone by this time and she proceeded to inform me that I had made her miss her Avon lady............. thanks very much, so I could not expect to be paid because of this and the fact that her precious little lad had not had his allotted 30 minutes! We don't speak now and the lad's lessons are done at my house where he is brought by his dad! I ask you!!

I defy anybody to top that.

Now, there's a challenge

[QUOTE=noodle,May 16 2005, 09:39 PM]
[/QUOTE]
Thats unbelievable. I hope you told her you charge double for babysitting!! The Avon lady had a lucky escape... [/QUOTE]


Oh I made sure I got my money!! It was all I could do not to cancel all future lessons.

The trouble is that the lad is a really good student and ever so keen. In fact it was his saving grace.