Advice greatly needed

[PhantomR]

Alright guys, so I was posting this REALLY long post and it all got erased.. seriously it was like 10 paragraphs.

here is a summary.

I sat my mom down (my dad wasn't there and my mom insisted I tell her what I wanted to talk to them about)

Basically, I provided her with information, reasons not to worry, how I am spose to get to Florida, and all that kind of stuff. I gave her a general time line, how it ends about the first-second week of august, Move in is late May, or early June, I will be with the corps 2 and a half months, so on so forth. I just gave her reasons on why not to worry ,and how I am spose to help fund myself.

I am getting a very part time job with my friends dad on ladnscaping, and I have a sponsorship, and a whole bunch of ther stuff.

I gave her Teal Sounds website, showed her a pictureo f the person that wants to sponsor me, the kid that she sponsored this year, and her husband.

Apparently my mom was impressed with everything I gave her. (Itold her I emailed Michael Butler for more information, which I did) she asked for Stephs email, Michael Butlers email, and some other stuff.

she said She is going to talk to my dad about it. She wants to come to a camp with me, to see how it operates.

just a basic summary of what happened this morning.

Okay, so it's not a yes, but it's better than a straight up No. I got to lay down my case, and my mom is ACTUALLY thinking about letting me march.

Thanks everyone, your information couldn't have been better. I will always be grateful for all the support, and information that I got.

:)

~>conner

[Lancerlady]

Woo hoo! So glad to help! Let me know if there is ANYTHING else we can do..be glad too! :)

[kansasDC]

Conner;

My son just finished his first season with Revolution. He was still 12 when he tried out in January, but turned 13 in April. He had a blast, learned a bunch about himself and life, and cannot wait for November tryouts (he's practicing right now). I marched corps for 16 years and my wife marched for nine. We were also the volunteer coordinators for Revo this year, doing all the camps plus 3+ weeks of the tour. If you need someone else to talk to your parents, please have them email me at dborden1@cox.net. We can give them a pretty good idea of what to expect, both the positives and the negatives.

[Lancerlady]

Conner;

My son just finished his first season with Revolution.  He was still 12 when he tried out in January, but turned 13 in April.  He had a blast, learned a bunch about himself and life, and cannot wait for November tryouts (he's practicing right now).  I marched corps for 16 years and my wife marched for nine.  We were also the volunteer coordinators for Revo this year, doing all the camps plus 3+ weeks of the tour.  If you need someone else to talk to your parents, please have them email me at dborden1@cox.net.  We can give them a pretty good idea of what to expect, both the positives and the negatives.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Dave, I saw your folks at finals. Did they tell you? It was good seeing them Your mom remembered me! Just like a drum corps mom would! :)

[ScribeToo]

alright. I need some advice on how to get my parents to let me march for this year.

It's not about money. They dont think I'm ready to be away for such a long time, and I agree. 2 and a half months IS a long time.

But I'm mature enough. I'm going to sound straight up arrogant when I say this, but I just think it's my parents not ready to let me go.

I think they are afraid of it, honestly. I know I am ready. I've been ready forever now. All I can think about when I watch a corps perform is I wish I could be there, or about how ready I am to march.

I really want to march. I am ready for it, I just need some help convincing my parents to budge on it.

advice, please.

~>conner

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Conner,

Honestly, the best way to do this is one little step at a time.

I know you feel like you're mature enough to handle it.. and you probably are.. and maybe you're right about your parent's reasons for being hesitant.. or maybe not.

My best suggestion to you is to approach it a little bit at a time. Ask your parents if you can just go audition. Try it out.. see what it's like at XYZ corps.. invite them with you for that first audition weekend. Heck, if you get past that weekend.. invite them to ALL the camps you go to.. (or a lot of them).. I assure you, they will barely ever see you -- except at mealtimes -- and while you're off doing your audition thing, they'll be able to observe you and those teaching you from a distance.. and also meet the staff who run the corps and the volunteers who will be with the corps and "taking care" of you in their absence.. that's going to help them warm up to the idea..

Just go one step at a time. Tell them this year, you'd like to audition.. to see how good you are and if you could make it. If you get in, cross that bridge when you get to it.. but they need to see the culture of people that surround the corps you choose... and they need to feel confident that their baby is going to be cared for and looked after as if you were the staff's own child.

If you want to be mature about it.. you have to show that you have patience and a level head. Be willing to introduce them to what you already love about drum corps.. and accept that they may not take to all the "COOL STUFF" you already like.. because they've got a different set of criteria that corps has to meet for them to hand over their child for a summer. Show them that this is something you're committed to.. and if they ultimately decide that they want you to wait one more summer.. strike a deal. Tell them okay, yes, you'll wait.. but the next year, you plan to march and you hope they'll choose to support you. They need to see and feel how important this is to you on a much more internal level.

I think, though.. if you bring them to camp.. it won't be so hard to convince them.

Good luck!

Stef

[kansasDC]

Stephanie;

Glad you got to see my folks. Obviously, they had a very good night at Finals, with mom getting the Volunteer of the Year award and Cadets winning. But, we all still had to sleep on the floor of the weight room at New Bedford HS that night! Reality sometimes smells :P

And thanks for your awesome posts about the Div. II/III corps. It is great to see peole supporting these corps for a change.

[DrumCorpsMom]

Great job Conner! If your Mom wants to come down with you, bring her. She will probably have as much fun as you. My kids were just 11 & 13 when then started in a Div 3 corps & my son aged out from Crossmen this year. I enjoyed every minute of them being in a corps & because I was involved I never worried. You will be so busy & it is always great to have someone around who can help out, but you don't see each other enough to make it an imposition.

Good Luck! From your postings, enthusiasm and interest in this activity, I think you will be a great asset to the future of Drum Corps!

Your Mom can email me as well, if she would like to.

:)

[incognito]

alright. I need some advice on how to get my parents to let me march for this year.

It's not about money. They dont think I'm ready to be away for such a long time, and I agree. 2 and a half months IS a long time.

But I'm mature enough. I'm going to sound straight up arrogant when I say this, but I just think it's my parents not ready to let me go.

I think they are afraid of it, honestly. I know I am ready. I've been ready forever now. All I can think about when I watch a corps perform is I wish I could be there, or about how ready I am to march.

I really want to march. I am ready for it, I just need some help convincing my parents to budge on it.

advice, please.

~>conner

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try keeping your room clean, feed the dog and take out the trash, don't ask for an allowance either.