Do you have any tips on how to communicate with planners when I sign up for a class, to get an instructor that matches my style? I tried: “I work better with female instructors” (in the ski scenario) and “I tend to work better with fitness coaches closer to my age” (in the gym). But when I say these things, I feel like I’m going too far, in a way. And although I try to be pleasant when I make a request, it is often not well received. I would really appreciate your help! I would love to have a good experience this winter with a solid and productive ski lesson.
Elijah: I imagine your frustration. Private education can be extremely expensive; the idea is that you absorb a lot of instruction in a concentrated amount of time. This encourages you to take the lessons you receive and apply them later, at your own pace. Attentive and competent instructors also offer courses essential to your safety.
Any time an instructor fails to provide instruction or wastes your time and money by delivering unrelated monologues, you should notify management, request a refund and/or a free session with a different trainer and more qualified.
If you’re looking to maximize your experience, the parameters you gave to the scheduler (preferring to work with female or age-compatible instructors) are insufficient. Be very specific in your request: “I will arrive on time and ready to learn, but I need a trainer/instructor who dedicates class time to teaching.” So if you could schedule me with a pragmatic non-speaker, I would appreciate it.
Dear Amy: My wife and I just welcomed our first child and, of course, we are over the moon. Our baby was born healthy, but was born a few weeks early. As parents of a newborn, we are concerned about our baby’s health.
My brother and sister-in-law have a 6 year old son. We love the parents and the child. However, the parents chose not to vaccinate their son and we are very concerned about exposing our nephew to his newborn cousin. Your advice?
New parents: You and your wife should seek advice from your child’s doctor regarding your concerns about exposing your baby to unvaccinated people. From a parenting perspective, this is really your first test of how to create and enforce reasonable limits on physical contact with your child.
In the shorter term, you should limit close contact until you both have your sea legs and your baby is healthy and thriving (perhaps after that one-month check-up). During this exam, review your child’s vaccination schedule and ask about the specific risks to the baby from contact with unvaccinated people before your baby is vaccinated.
Dear Amy: Like the woman who signed her question »In a bad place“, my husband was overreacting and angry, and I felt his stress on a smaller scale.
I insisted he see his doctor and he was evaluated and prescribed antidepressants. My husband says it’s the best thing that ever happened to him. It really brought him back to his more positive personality.
Grateful: I agree that this husband needs a mental health exam and I hope this wife can somehow persuade him to see a doctor.
© 2024 by Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
