Wow, It Actually Worked!
Ellie started kindergarten this year. Full day kindergarten.
She was ready. I was never really worried about her being ready for a full day of school. But I knew that it would mean tough evenings, at least at the beginning of the year. Last year she was in preschool three mornings from 9-11:30. This year she’s in school from 8am-3pm five days a week. She arrives home emotionally spent, and anything that would normally be a minor mishap instead seems a tragic calamity.
So I didn’t register Ellie for dance class this year.
Ellie is surrounded by Irish dance. I’ve often mused whether she will indeed develop her own passion for Irish dance, or if she only shows interest because she idolizes her big sister and is the sibling-in-tow to so many events.
Ellie is five. Look at these sweet eyes, equally excited and nervous about the first day of kindergarten.
But with a big sister to take her hand, to lead her up the steps, and to sit with her on the bus (OK, yes, at least for the first week of school), her confidence increases.
It begs the question, is Ellie just following where she is led in Irish dance?
Ellie started the “Teelin Tiny Toes” class for preschoolers when she was three. Last spring, at age four and a half, she had outgrown the Tiny Toes level and was ready for a Beginner class. So we tried a class that started in January and continued through June.
She was the youngest in the class, and although capable of the skills, she started to resist. Several times, right before class, her shoes suddenly felt horribly uncomfortable, or her outfit just wasn’t what she wanted to wear that day and how could I possibly ask her to participate in class if she was wearing purple when she wanted to be wearing pink.
Mean Mommy that I am, when my kids are registered for an extra-curricular activity, I expect them to stick it out and to attend the entire session. We always discuss this ahead of time, and I emphasize that they don’t ever have to participate in that class again if they don’t want to after the session is over. But they do need to give it a fair try.
Not every week of class was a struggle for Ellie. She still flitted and fluttered around the house showing off her hop-1-2-3’s and her pointy toes, and she loved dancing in the Spring Performance.
But there were enough questions in my mind, on top of the kindergarten factor, that it seemed best to not register Ellie for dance class for this year. I was NOT going to make it a battle, and make Irish dance become something that Ellie HAD to do.
So I asked Ellie if she would like to take Irish dance again this year. I reminded her that it was her choice, but that if she decided yes, she needed to commit to attending all of the classes without complaining.
She very wisely said, “Maybe I’ll take a break from dance class.”
Yes, I was disappointed. We’re at the dance school at least three days a week anyway for Katie’s classes. Wouldn’t it just be easier to have Ellie in a class one of those days instead of waiting in the lounge?
Evoking the wisdom of other mothers, I did not register Ellie for class. I was hoping that she would miss it and then would ask to return. It had to be her initiative.
Guess what… it only took three weeks!
She was ready. I was never really worried about her being ready for a full day of school. But I knew that it would mean tough evenings, at least at the beginning of the year. Last year she was in preschool three mornings from 9-11:30. This year she’s in school from 8am-3pm five days a week. She arrives home emotionally spent, and anything that would normally be a minor mishap instead seems a tragic calamity.
So I didn’t register Ellie for dance class this year.
Ellie is surrounded by Irish dance. I’ve often mused whether she will indeed develop her own passion for Irish dance, or if she only shows interest because she idolizes her big sister and is the sibling-in-tow to so many events.
Ellie is five. Look at these sweet eyes, equally excited and nervous about the first day of kindergarten.
But with a big sister to take her hand, to lead her up the steps, and to sit with her on the bus (OK, yes, at least for the first week of school), her confidence increases.
It begs the question, is Ellie just following where she is led in Irish dance?
Ellie started the “Teelin Tiny Toes” class for preschoolers when she was three. Last spring, at age four and a half, she had outgrown the Tiny Toes level and was ready for a Beginner class. So we tried a class that started in January and continued through June.
She was the youngest in the class, and although capable of the skills, she started to resist. Several times, right before class, her shoes suddenly felt horribly uncomfortable, or her outfit just wasn’t what she wanted to wear that day and how could I possibly ask her to participate in class if she was wearing purple when she wanted to be wearing pink.
Mean Mommy that I am, when my kids are registered for an extra-curricular activity, I expect them to stick it out and to attend the entire session. We always discuss this ahead of time, and I emphasize that they don’t ever have to participate in that class again if they don’t want to after the session is over. But they do need to give it a fair try.
Not every week of class was a struggle for Ellie. She still flitted and fluttered around the house showing off her hop-1-2-3’s and her pointy toes, and she loved dancing in the Spring Performance.
But there were enough questions in my mind, on top of the kindergarten factor, that it seemed best to not register Ellie for dance class for this year. I was NOT going to make it a battle, and make Irish dance become something that Ellie HAD to do.
So I asked Ellie if she would like to take Irish dance again this year. I reminded her that it was her choice, but that if she decided yes, she needed to commit to attending all of the classes without complaining.
She very wisely said, “Maybe I’ll take a break from dance class.”
Yes, I was disappointed. We’re at the dance school at least three days a week anyway for Katie’s classes. Wouldn’t it just be easier to have Ellie in a class one of those days instead of waiting in the lounge?
Evoking the wisdom of other mothers, I did not register Ellie for class. I was hoping that she would miss it and then would ask to return. It had to be her initiative.
Guess what… it only took three weeks!
Labels: family
posted by Meg | 10:43 AM
5 Comments:
Those first day of school pics are absolutely adorable! :)
Hehehehe:) I'm so glad. And, I do think that you were wise, as was she, to have it be HER choice and give it a few weeks break (or longer, but 3 weeks, hey, that's still a break yes?)
Any child who requests Celtic music to sleep to, has it somewhere in her soul, even if I do agree, it needs to be HERs.
I'm still glad:)
Ooohh, it brings back memories...I cannot believe my youngest is in 2nd grade now. And Ellie's ID experience sounds just like Meave's. Last October Meave herself laid down the law and said she was done with ID. I was sad, but she was so unhappy and needed a break. But she was ready to go when we changed schools and is so happy now.
You and I are a lot alike when it comes to making sure our kids understand the status quo...makes me feel like less of a hard a**!!
And please feel free to comment on my blog any time...so what if you do not sew! You have a yoga background, right? And you are very active in ID. Who better to comment!
Thanks for these fun comments!
Robin, I’m touched that you remembered Ellie’s favorite “lullaby” CD! But I have to admit that her fondness for bagpipes still frightens me a bit…
And Ann, you’re right – blog comments feel like a chance to chat, and an opportunity to connect with friends from everywhere. I’ll try to take advantage of that opportunity more frequently…
(By the way, the knitting needle comment was a feeble attempt to find correlation between my quest to become a better blogger and your mention of the knitting blogs being particularly active. But hey, I’ve posted twice already this month on my own blog… I’m on a roll!)
I agree, the girls are very cute! Are those uniforms I see?
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