Does anyone else have this problem? I put out newsletters and other papers with important information on and it never never fails I have a parent or parents that say oh I didnt know that, when did that change. Why do I go to the trouble of printing things out, nobody reads a damn thing anyway. Sorry I guess I just needed to vent a little.

No, they don't. People want everything in writing and when it's there in black and white they don't even take a peek at it! It's annoying but true. It's impossible to verbalize everything to everyone but as long as its written and dated it can't be more clear. You have every right to be frustrated-feel better soon.

No. Parents don't read.
And if you tell everybody in person, they say you never told them.
Keep writing. It is evidence that you informed them.
Consider a t-shirt with the text: "You're not going to ask me, what I already wrote down for you, are you?"

No, they do not read. Well, the majority of them do not read. For this reason, I do not PRINT newsletters anymore. I send a mass email with the newsletter in the body and attached. I also post them on our studio website. Most of the people who ask the questions that were addressed in the email either tell me that they didn't receive the email (haha) or deleted it by mistake (again... haha). No matter what their excuse is, I direct them to the website.

This is one of the most frustrating parts of owning a studio. I'm not quite sure what method of communication will ever work, but at least I am saving myself the time and cost of printing everything!

Nope!! I have been announcing picture day for 2 months. Just yesterday I had I parent say, "Oh, when is pictures?" Well, duh, it's only been in the newsletter for 2 months! So, no, they don't read. I get aggravated with it as well!

Definitly not. I've actually had a parent say to me, "You actually wanted me to read that"! I wanted to scream!

I've done away with printing out most information. I was tired of the printing expense, not to mention going back and forth to staples.

Now I utilize my website and e-mail. All newsletters,schedules, etc... get e-mailed to the parents directly. I print one copy to hang in our waiting room and only hand out anything that has a return slip. I find more parents are reading the information this way because it's putting the responsiblity into their hands.

For the first 4 months of the yr, I put hours into creating a beautiful monthly newsletter for my competition teams. But after realizing that hardly anyone was reading it (they'd all ask me the same questions over and over when it's all in the newsletter) I just stopped.

It took me 10 hours on average putting that thing together each month. Time I could certainly use elsewhere. So annoying!!

It really baffles me when parents have no idea whats going on when their child is in an activity like dance. We have our competition fees for the year broken into 3 payments...Jan. 15th, Feb. 15th, March 15th. It was the week of January 15th and my SO hung one last reminder sign up at the front door. One of our baby line mom's was apparently totally shocked by this and asked why we didn't give more notice. Yes, she is new to competition BUT it has been in EVERY single newsletter since August (tryouts) AND we had a meeting for all the new parents where we talked about this. Hello!? You were there lady!

Nope, completely illiterate. The studio I work for sends our e-mails, posts info on every conceivable flat surface (door into/out of studio, viewing windows, lobby area, etc) so they have ample opportunity to see there's new info. They use bright paper for important things. For instance, on all the doors last week (9th-16th): YES! We are holding all classes Monday 16th (President's Day). I work in the office that day and I can't tell you how many calls I fielded asking, "Is there class tonight?" /headdesk

Oh and just today I get asked by a mom, what day is our recital on? I then pointed to the sign that said "For all recital times and schedules, view our website!" with the website listed below. She had been sitting there for the past hour watching her child and gossiping and the sign was there on the viewing window (as it's been for a few weeks now) and how she missed reading it is beyond me. Then she says, "Oh I hope it's not Memorial weekend because if it is, no recital for us." *sigh* Way to catch up to the rest of us, yes, yes it is Memorial weekend and no we can't change the date. You didn't realize this when you ordered a costume and paid the recital fee? Did you miss this on the list of important dates when you signed up and initialed you read everything when you registered in August? Really? Wow. Gold star for you! /sarcasm off

Arg. Stupid parents.

Hah! No way, no how. I actually did a test with my January newsletter. My newsletters are one page long, in bullet format, 12-point font, lots of white space. It takes all of one-minute to read. At the end of the January newsletter I asked anyone who read the newsletter to either come to the front desk, email me or call and say "Picture Day is April 16." 4 weeks later only 50% of families had passed the test. I'm psyched about the 50% but really disappointed in the other 50%. I actually now am dealing with a competition parent who didn't read the newsletter; she schedule a last-minute trip out of town on Picture Day. The company (and their parents) signed contracts stating they would be at Picture Day which I require and now she won't be there. Out of 10+ pictures. Barely an apology. If she would have read any newsletter since September (since the date has had it's own bullet point every month) this probably wouldn't have happened! Makes me crazy!

NO!!!!!

I came to that conclusion in my first month of running a dance studio. They DO NOT READ!!

I made everything that was handed out that was important to be signed and turned in by a deadline. If they did not, they were pulled aside by the receptionist with a new copy and told, "You never turned this in so here is a new one. Please read it now and sign it."

Some would say, "I never got this," and some would just sign it without reading it. They would sign under the line that stated, "By signing here I agree that I read the entire document, understand and agree...."

This way we could shove it in their face but you always got the idiots that said, "No one reads this stuff!" But, they are the same people who complain that you never keep them informed.

Luckily, it really is a small percentage, or at least in my experience, still enough to drive you nuts.

I have also spent hours and days putting out beautifully formatted information for parents to read. Parents don't read stuff because that requires effort on their part. Some parents I think feel bogged down by too much info, so they shut down when you make them read something. Then when their child misses something really important like a dress rehearsal, they get embarrassed and try to blame you. I find the students are much better at reading and absorbing the info I hand out.

It's good to hear that everyone else is sharing the same problems. I have learned that the more important items go at the top of the note, and I make sure I date it and send it out more than once. This way if there is ever a problem I can show them proof of the day the notes went home. I have also learned to put the students name on the note so if they leave it at the studio I will know who it belongs to. I also try to encourage my teachers to utilize e-mail too.

Obviously this is a universal problem for studios everywhere. I LOVE the T-shirt idea someone above mentioned. I've told quite a few of these airheasds, jokingly of course, "Look, you can cuss me out, call me any name you want, but DON'T stand there and say, 'Iiii diiidn't knooow". This is usually recited in a very whiney little southern belle voice (I'm in Mississippi). Frustrating, yes. I'm the queen of getting out info in many different forms, so if you don't know what's going on, you're either deaf, dumb, blind, or just plain stupid. Of course I doan't say this last part to them even though I wish I could.!

This is amazing...I have received all those same comments but I thought it was because I am new at this or my town is full of non readers. These are the same people that are texting 24/7. I text now too. They are running out of excuses!!

I love this thread! Parents don't read anything! Don't you love the ones that get upset about something you informed them about months ago? Our calendar was set before registration. It has been posted in the studio and online since August. Recently I had a mom ask me about an upcoming event. She gave the classic "I didn't know!". Another parent came to me with a concern about future competition date. That schedule was set in September. Each family received a hand out and it was posted online. It's still up. Ahhh!

Speaking of texts-maybe we should start text messaging all of our info. I think half the time they miss what we say or don't read it because their cell phones are attached to their ears and they aren't paying any attention. Ah, who am I kidding. Text, e-mail, website, US postal service, UPS, Fed Ex, word of mouth, bulletin board or a freeway billboard for that fact wouldn't get all of the parents to read important information.

can you believe this one just last night my whole entire sr class came up to me and said they cant attend the one and only competition we do because that is prom weekend!!!!! i have sent notices out for months and months and hung up notices in the waiting area. dont they get a school schedule when the prom is going to be. i worked so hard with them to get thier dances perfected and now they tell me they dont want to go because of prom. i do believe my head completely spun around just like in the movies. i am sooooo pissed. there again does nobody read?

After realizing my parents don't read anything I thought I would do something to get their attention. So instead of having a nicely typed normal print newsletter.

I made the font huge and in all caps, I had three parents that explained that all caps means I am yelling. Now these are the three parents that always forget information, lose newsletters and have the dancers arrive late.

And my reply to the comments, well not you have the point so I making it very clear no questions asked.

Ah, I think that this was only ONE of the many reasons I decided to stop owning a dance school and just teach. I talk to my bosses about this and say, all of the time, "I do not envy you or miss that part of it. I just love the teaching end."

I have had the same type of experience everyone else has had so I too quit printing up any hand outs and made a point to tell every parent that signs up that I only communicate by e mail so when I send an e mail be sure to read it. I also have the parents come in the studio dance room the last 5 minutes of their child's class if there is important information to discuss such as recital, special performance etc. My school is small so I can take these extra steps. I used to print up a brochure but I don't think the parents even read that!

I remember that when we did the Nutcracker in '04, the SO handed out letters to the parents to notify them of a change in the rehearsal schedule. One day, nearly a week after the letters wer handed out, one of the mothers came barreling into the studio and ripped into the girl who was manning the front desk at the time. The mother fired at her, "I was never notified of this change. I cannot keep rearranging my schedule". I could see that the poor girl who was manning the front desk was on the verge of tears, and that she was trying very hard to remain calm and rational when she tried to reason with the the mother. I was thinking, "Helllooo, mother. The SO handed the notification letter out almost a week ago! How can you say you were never notified?".

Nope! LOL! They do not and never will...

I know they never read anything!!!! All my students have folders they put their tuition in at the first of the month and take their newsletters out and that way I see who took their newsletter and who didn't. THis one mom always comes in and says "what is going on? i didn't know costumes were due or when picture day was, i never got a newsletter" and I know good and well she did!!!

If and only if you tack on a late fee to the bill you are mailing them.