Bronxville business owner Jacqueline Majers Lachman was recently faced with a tough financial decision: whether or not to send her 3-year-old daughter to Ballet des Enfants, a Larchmont dance studio for young children.
“As a Westchester mom, I really had to think long and hard if I was going to sign her up for this semester,” Lachman, who owns Topps Bakery with her husband, R. Heath Lachman, said. “My mother-in-law ultimately insisted because we both know how much my daughter loves it. It is a little expensive, but even in a time when people are making hard choices about their finances, their children”™s well-being still seems to be on the top of their list of spends.”
Shannon Bekkerus, owner of Ballet des Enfants, said programs incorporating fairy tales, costumes and props average $25 a class. This year, Bekkerus implemented trimesters instead of semesters for her classes to help parents out.
“The feedback that we”™ve gotten from parents is that it”™s helped a lot,” Bekkerus, who also owns and operates a studio in Stamford, Conn., said. “What I”™m noticing is people are more particular about the programs they are putting their children into. Now, people are really putting their children in things they really love. The competition is stronger because people don”™t have all the discretionary income and they really are choosy about where they”™re spending their money. You really have to put forth the effort to make it special and worth it for parents to bring their children to you.”
At the two studios, which serve children from 2 to 8, there are 675 students: 250 enrolled in Stamford and 375 in Larchmont.Â
“A lot of parents cut back on themselves, but they will provide for their children,” said David Miller, president and CEO of Davler Media Group L.L.C., which owns and operates the magazine Westchester Parent as well as seven other parenting publications in the tri-state area.
Miller recently expanded his business from New York City, Westchester, Fairfield and Rockland into Long Island.
Miller said parents are shopping around more when choosing venues for their kids”™ activities, such as birthday parties. As a result, he has noticed a steady increase of traffic to the magazines”™ Web site and increased inquiries to advertisers about the services that they provide.
In terms of trends, “we seem to be seeing more and more education, learning and tutoring-based types of programs,” he said. “With the increasing pressure of getting into colleges, the parents are looking for help for younger children.”
At Liebman”™s, a store in New Rochelle that sells school uniforms, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts uniforms and communion attire, business has been steady despite the troubled economy.
The store has survived tough times before, including the Great Depression.
“We have things that you can”™t get elsewhere,” said owner Jonathan Newman. “People have to come here, and we service about 20 different schools, so that”™s steady business year round.”
Newman has noticed, however, that parents are starting to cut back on their purchases, maybe purchasing two pairs of school uniform pants instead of three.
“People are still buying, especially for their children,” Newman said. “When times are tough, you still have to get stuff for your kids.”
