If you take lessons from an individual do you pay when you go on vacation?

[blisstwins]

I feel bad b/c we do 2 lessons a week with someone and it is not such a small amount of money and the person is young. We miss a total of 3 weeks during the summer and that seems like a lot. What would you do?

[jenmcadams]

We do...my DD and DH both take piano (different teachers). My DDs teacher actually requires you pay (or reschedule) for missed lessons. She has a long waiting list of students and this is something you're told when you start. My DH takes lessons from someone just building up her private lesson base and while she doesn't require it, my DH pays when he cancels (which he does frequently b/c of work) because it just seems like the right thing to do.

[ett]

DS1 has private OT with an individual (so she's not affiliated with a hospital) and we do not pay as long as we give 24 hour cancellation notice. Less than 24 hour exception would be for sudden illnesses. She only works 2 days a week, so it's not usually possible to reschedule.

[Meatball Mommie]

I would talk to the person and ask. Better to be up-front and arrange something in advance. Not sure what the lessons are for, or if you have a formal contract or arrangement (which we do for our piano lessons), so not sure if it's something you'd schedule a make-up time for or just skip. 2 lessons a week x 3 weeks = a lot to miss and still pay for, imo.

[erosenst]

We have a very casual relationship with a private swim instructor. It's no longer her primary occupation, but she likes to do it occasionally/with a few students. So both of us can (and do) cancel as needed. If possible, we give a week's notice. If not, not a big deal, and I don't pay. (Similarly, she's canceled on us at the last minute a few times, and we're equally fine with it.)

Having said that, if this were someone that was doing this as their primary business, I would not be surprised at all if there were an expectation to pay if you miss. Thinking about it, when I've had to cancel babysitters on short notice, I've paid them too. I figure they're foregoing other opportunities (either other babysitting, social obligations, whatever) by committing to sit for us.

And regardless of requirement, there's also the 'karma' part of it. It's always better to do the 'right' thing. :)

[Mirthful]

We do end up paying when we're on vacation. The way I see it, it's not like she can take on two other students that week to make up the income.

That being said, we pay by the month and pay the same whether we have 4 lessons or 5 lessons that month (depending on how many Tuesdays are in a given month) so I also see those 5-lesson-months as having bonus lessons that kind of cancels out the lessons we miss when we're on vacation.

[suomi777]

I do pay for DS piano lessons when we're gone. I figure she holds the time for him, it's not her fault if we have a conflict. She prefers for us to reschedule, but sometimes we can't and just pay. If she is gone and we don't reschedule, we don't pay. This is all my choice, she has never dictated one way or another.

Brandy

[edurnemk]

I do, I figure this person is already counting on that income, so unless it was agreed from the start, I do pay for the missed lessons. Now if the teacher cancles, then I don't pay.