My children's school band participated in the annual central Ibaraki band competition today, and...luckily...proceeded to the all-Ibaraki round two consecutive years!!!

We're doing our very best for a better result than last year's.

[Caution] My children's school band plays the same tune, but the performers on the video are different.

子供に「勉強が滞ってばかりだから○○（子供の打ち込んでいる習い事やチーム活動）やめなさい」って言うのは簡単。
やめさすのだって、親が権力行使すればできないことはない。
だけど○○をやめれば、それに使っていた時間をすべて勉強に向けられるとは限らない。
○○をやめて一層無気力さを増す危険だってある。

子供にとって、○○がどのくらい大事なのか・・・
○○が子供にとって大切なものであればこそ、それを守る/続けるために、他の困難なことにも立ち向かわなきゃ。
○○が単なる道楽や気晴らしなのか、心の居場所なのか---それが問題だ。

そして、その○○を、40間近な私自身が、恥ずかしいかな、複数持っています。
複数の○○を続けていくために、家庭内で絶えず実母と闘っています。

子供に示しつかないですね・・・・・・汗

My younger daughter didn' go to school yesterday.
She said that she COULDN'T go because she had lots of unfinished Japanese and math assignments and was reluctant to take Japanese and math tests without preparation.
She repeated
"I know I have to go to school but I can't today, JUST today, ONLY today, I'm going from tomorrow, so please let me..."

The words above was quite the same as my elder daughter said sometimes at the deadlines of her assignments.

I consulted my husband about this matter and he said,
"she is just the same as her elder daughter, she avoids facing her disadvantages in her school life."
I've got so fearful.
The second selfish princess may be coming...
"Today" never ends in one day, it is repeated, she will want another "today" in her coming rough time...because it HAS BEEN repeated in absentees.
In my elder daughter's case, her refusals to go to school were repeated, at first occasionary, but they came to her more often, rather consecutively, and finally she lost her hope in school and has her days mainly at home...

I say to her, "you'll have choose one in your near future, the band and twirling or studying. You should quit the other one if you want better remarks and more time to study."
My husband told me that I didn't have to take the band and twirling away from her, but should teach her how to face her weak points staying in the band and her twirling team.

I don't want to force my younger daughter to leave the band and twirlking team, but I have to be strict for I just need to tell her the importance of studying regularly every day.

英語のタイトルは自作英語です。
水戸市内の小中学校の合唱部と吹奏楽部/金管バンドの発表会・・・というつどいの内容なので、こんな英語にしてみました。
「つどい」はassemblyを使ってみました。

>the meeting together of a group of people who meet together for a particular purpose

This is my younger daughter's second performance at this annual assembly.
Last year she was on percussion, this year she plays the flute.
In my children's school band, newcomers have their first year (actually until their first band competition in summer) as percussionists. From their second year, they are divided into several wind and brass instruments and a few of them stay on percussion.

This must be very hard, but impressive band competition for my younger daughter.
I felt, through their performance, their agressive passion to pass the preliminary round.
I do hope their dream come true.

Music is fantastic anyway!