it's always nice to get a response from you.

Always a pleasure @mikeville :)

I really enjoy doing these classes and most of the kids do as well, even the ones whose parents don't take much interest in what they are doing - these are the ones I classify as using the "free babysitting."

Yeah I would say that has a whole lot more to do with the adults than anything else. Sadly, I think that this is more and more common these days. Parents often don't take much interest in their kids lives at all - some of it being because of financial burden and obligation and the other because they are simply self-involved... sadly.

most schools have had much of their art funding cut or drastically reduced so for many of the kids this is the only exposure that they get to this sort of thing.

This is truly very sad :( Art is such a wonderfully healing practice and we are in a time when the people of the world need it more than ever if you ask me.

It's like society is driving them to all just get stuck into smartphones so it is nice to give them some other outlet.

I am glad you are doing this for them. They do need more of it.

Hope you have had a wonderful start to you week Mike :)