I fought with Dr.B at work today. Granted, it's not unusual for us to have little fire-ups; we both have totally different ideas about everything, and are opposites in many ways. Usually, we just laugh it off, as he huffs and puffs about my bossiness and i whinge about his messiness. Still, today, i felt twisted and unhappy after we fought.
We were revising the payment plan for Kids Club (for the third time this year - the parents are going to love us). Then we got to talking about the inevitable discounts that people ask for, and the extensions on the early bird dates. Dr.B tends to err on the side of compassion, and gives discounts to anyone who asks for them. I, on the other hand, don't give discounts until the people have given me a real reason.
On the one hand, i understand that it's important to help the people who need it. Some people can't afford to come, or have difficult home situations. I wouldn't refuse them a discount. However, i do have a problem with the fact that Dr.B doesn't like to draw a firm line when it comes to discounts. I take more of a hard line on things; i'd prefer to give discounts where they're really needed. But, we're offering a service that already is extremely reasonably priced. I'm not out to make huge profits, but i'm worried about making a loss and i'd prefer to save money and give it to a charity if we had extra money, rather than give discounts out left, right and centre.
I sound like a bitch. I'd rather take the road that makes better business sense, than the one that's emotional, mushy and charitable. It's not that i don't want to help people. What i really have a problem with is the fairness. People who can afford to pay for holiday care shouldn't have to pay more to cover the discounts that we're giving to people who ask for them. It's less the people who are struggling through hard times, but the people that give reasons such as 'i thought my husband had sent the form in', or 'we were on holiday and just missed the cut-off date'. It's not fair on the parents who try hard to pay on time, or who are too proud to ask for discounts.
Maybe this has something to do with something else that's been bothering me lately. A few comments have been made to me that are throwing me off balance. We've been buying our uni textbooks, and the prices are insane. My books cost over $500 this semester alone. I complain about the costs like everyone else. However, my parents still pay for my texts. They offer to, and i let them, because although i work really hard at two jobs, i barely earn any money and it's not practical to struggle to pay for them. I don't mooch of my parents, but i do accept their monetary help when i need it. That said, some of my uni friends raise their eyebrows at me when we complain about textbook prices, because 'my parents have money'. Then, at work, i get the comments about being a 'private school kid' who's been spoiled. Or comments about the fact that my dad belongs to the Adelaide Club, which apparently means we're snobby.
I hate being treated like a spoilt, rich kid. We're not poor, my parents have some money. But my brother and i aren't spoilt or snobby. I don't ask my parents for excessive handouts. I don't think that anything is below my 'place in life'. My mother may have snobbish qualities, but i can't stand them. My dad is kind and generous, and isn't a snob just because he belongs to the Adelaide Club. People shouldn't pass judgement on the amount of money that we have, because it has nothing to do with them and doesn't define me as a person. It's not fair.
I don't want to discriminate against people at Kids Club based on their money, because that's waht i so desparately want to stop happening to me. I don't want the kids knowing that money plays such a role in their life. I don't want to leave anyone out - but i don't want people to be judged on their money.
I know that i'll give the discounts. I know that i'll help the people that need it. But it unsettles me. Which is why i argued with Dr.B, no doubt causing him to think that i'm a snob too. I'm not, i'm a good person. I just feel uncomfortable distinguishing between people based on their monetary status... I hate arguing with Dr.B, and i know i'll do things his way and 'err on the side of compassion'. I'll just feel strange about doing it.
We were revising the payment plan for Kids Club (for the third time this year - the parents are going to love us). Then we got to talking about the inevitable discounts that people ask for, and the extensions on the early bird dates. Dr.B tends to err on the side of compassion, and gives discounts to anyone who asks for them. I, on the other hand, don't give discounts until the people have given me a real reason.
On the one hand, i understand that it's important to help the people who need it. Some people can't afford to come, or have difficult home situations. I wouldn't refuse them a discount. However, i do have a problem with the fact that Dr.B doesn't like to draw a firm line when it comes to discounts. I take more of a hard line on things; i'd prefer to give discounts where they're really needed. But, we're offering a service that already is extremely reasonably priced. I'm not out to make huge profits, but i'm worried about making a loss and i'd prefer to save money and give it to a charity if we had extra money, rather than give discounts out left, right and centre.
I sound like a bitch. I'd rather take the road that makes better business sense, than the one that's emotional, mushy and charitable. It's not that i don't want to help people. What i really have a problem with is the fairness. People who can afford to pay for holiday care shouldn't have to pay more to cover the discounts that we're giving to people who ask for them. It's less the people who are struggling through hard times, but the people that give reasons such as 'i thought my husband had sent the form in', or 'we were on holiday and just missed the cut-off date'. It's not fair on the parents who try hard to pay on time, or who are too proud to ask for discounts.
Maybe this has something to do with something else that's been bothering me lately. A few comments have been made to me that are throwing me off balance. We've been buying our uni textbooks, and the prices are insane. My books cost over $500 this semester alone. I complain about the costs like everyone else. However, my parents still pay for my texts. They offer to, and i let them, because although i work really hard at two jobs, i barely earn any money and it's not practical to struggle to pay for them. I don't mooch of my parents, but i do accept their monetary help when i need it. That said, some of my uni friends raise their eyebrows at me when we complain about textbook prices, because 'my parents have money'. Then, at work, i get the comments about being a 'private school kid' who's been spoiled. Or comments about the fact that my dad belongs to the Adelaide Club, which apparently means we're snobby.
I hate being treated like a spoilt, rich kid. We're not poor, my parents have some money. But my brother and i aren't spoilt or snobby. I don't ask my parents for excessive handouts. I don't think that anything is below my 'place in life'. My mother may have snobbish qualities, but i can't stand them. My dad is kind and generous, and isn't a snob just because he belongs to the Adelaide Club. People shouldn't pass judgement on the amount of money that we have, because it has nothing to do with them and doesn't define me as a person. It's not fair.
I don't want to discriminate against people at Kids Club based on their money, because that's waht i so desparately want to stop happening to me. I don't want the kids knowing that money plays such a role in their life. I don't want to leave anyone out - but i don't want people to be judged on their money.
I know that i'll give the discounts. I know that i'll help the people that need it. But it unsettles me. Which is why i argued with Dr.B, no doubt causing him to think that i'm a snob too. I'm not, i'm a good person. I just feel uncomfortable distinguishing between people based on their monetary status... I hate arguing with Dr.B, and i know i'll do things his way and 'err on the side of compassion'. I'll just feel strange about doing it.
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