Author | Allen Moore
Over the last few years, I’ve been sending my son to the Gulfport Recreation Center so he can get out of the house, spend time with other children, participate in activities, and just enjoy being a kid. But as a parent, I have to say that I’ve become extremely disappointed with what I’m seeing.
I’ve actually been searching online trying to find other parents who are having meaningful discussions about this, because I know I cannot be the only parent wondering: What exactly are we paying for?
When parents are paying fees for their children to attend a recreational program and be part of a community, I expect there to be something meaningful behind that program. I want to see activities. I want to see events. I want to see the kids actually doing things, learning things, going places, and having experiences that make them excited to come back.
Instead, from my perspective, it feels like we are paying money just for our children to run around a gym for a couple of hours. And that really bothers me. Where is the money going when it comes to funding these programs for our children? What are these fees actually providing? Because as a parent paying for the program, I want to be able to SEE the value.
What really upsets me is having my child come home hungry and feeling unfulfilled after being there. Where are the different activities? Where are the events? Where are the trips and opportunities that make being part of a recreation center exciting for these kids? I’m not expecting some luxury experience. I’m simply expecting a recreation program to feel like a recreation program.
At this point, it honestly feels like I’m paying for nothing more than somewhere for my child to be for a few hours. And maybe some people are okay with that, but I’m not. Our children deserve programs that are engaging, organized, fun, and worth the money families are paying.
I really want to hear from other parents who have children attending the Gulfport Recreation Center. Do you feel like your child is getting enough out of the program? Do you feel like the fees you’re paying match what your child is actually receiving? Because I cannot be the only parent asking these questions.
