It can be expensive for a child to participate in every sport or hobby that they want to do. As a parent, your concern is often your budget, and so you’ll have to help them choose their activities based off of what you can afford. However, that doesn’t mean that they have to go completely without. Here are some genius methods for you to get exactly what you need for their hobbies:
Dance Classes
Some dance schools have scholarships for talented children and, if you think that your son or daughter qualifies, you should look into those! Other schools may also have the ability to lower the costs if you have a financial hardship going on, but you will have to talk to individual instructors privately about that. There’s more to dance than the classes, though. You need to be able to afford the shoes, costumes and other accessories for the classes themselves as well as the recitals. If you can sew, then making the costumes yourself will be very valuable. As for special shoes that may be required, you should check out second-hand stores to help you save on money. If you go to one near a richer neighborhood, then you are more likely to end up with a better quality or newer pair.
Cheerleading
This is normally an after school activity that doesn’t cost a lot of money for your child to participate. You could find second-hand clothing or batons at a local thrift store. As this is a commons activity, especially among girls, you may even be able to ask your own friends to see if they may have any old cheerleading things to lend your child.
Soccer
This is an activity that can cost a ton in equipment if your child gets serious about it. When they’re small, they might not need as much since they don’t normally need cleats if they’re under a certain age. There are social media groups online where you might be able to ask someone for their old gear like cleats or shin guards, and so you should definitely look into those.
Ice Hockey
Hockey is another activity that can cost some money. Your child will need pads, helmets, gloves, a stick and skates. If possible, you should try to purchase used equipment while you see if your child sticks with the sport. You’ll still have to pay rink and league fees, though. However, different leagues may have different costs, and so just make sure that your son or daughter goes into a cheaper one while starting out.
Music
A child who expresses an interest in a musical instrument should be encouraged, but the instrument can be incredibly expensive. For a creative child, you’ll definitely want to make sure that they have the resources available to them. An option to save money on the instrument is to get a loan through a pawn shop like Sol’s Jewelry & Loan. This will let you be able to afford a guitar or clarinet for your child that you might not otherwise be able to get.
You never want to discourage your child from an activity or a hobby just because you can’t afford it. Start out small with used equipment to see if they have the aptitude or desire to keep going with the activity. This will help you to be able to save up money so that you can afford it if the activity gets more expensive as you son or daughter’s passion for it continues to thrive.
