Can you tell she likes to pose? Look @ the girl in her class watching her, funny huh?Her hula group performs all throughout the year. But besides the annual Luau, the rest are all small, no big deal ones, and mostly just for the experience. People/groups will hire the dance group to perform for a special event or something and then her teacher just emails us the info. and if you can make it great, if not no biggie. They usually have a good turn out though.
Just some of my thinking-it may bore you, so don't feel you need to read it. As a parent I am always concerned about what my kids are doing and how they are spending their time. I want them to be well rounded and have a variety of things to do, but not strung out to tight. Kaipo is still too young to be involved in anything really, at least until he turns 3. But Ame-hhhmmm, I want her to be musical and also have an interest in sports, not just dance. She really chose to drop out of tumbling and be in ballet instead, and WE really want her to stay in Hula. So how much is too much? I guess as she gets older and into school and has outside influences from friends, she will decide a lot of what she wants to do on her own. I guess it just feels like there is so much outside influence for kids to BE INVOLVED. I just have to tell myself she is ONLY 5 (almost) and don't push too many things, too fast.
Any food for thought from anyone maybe in a similar situation (if you have even made it to the end of my babbling)???
6 comments:
Of COURSE there are many who totally get what you're saying...myself included. I think of this all the time. I tend to say "once they stop liking it [tap, piano, sports] then I won't push it". Because so far, they have LOVED the things they are in adn I don't have to convince them to go, etc. However, I'm not so sure that's true. I picture if all of the sudden they wanted to stop dance, I would prob try to convince them to keep going. It would be hard for me to "let go" of what I want for them.
So I think there is a line between setting goals and teaching them to follow through with those goals (like "we started Hula so we're going to finish it, etc")....and letting them choose for themselves.
My ultimate goal for my kids....regardless of how many things they are involved in (and it keeps getting harder when more and more children are involved...like this year I have 2 in piano, 2 in dance and 2 in school (one's pre-k) ahhhhhh!)....anyway, my ultimate goal is for them to find their passion in life. I think that is such an important part of a persons confidence and identity. Whether that be soccer, dance, art, whatever. Just something that defines THEM.
Now, if you've read it to the end of MY babbling. Whew, long comment!!!
I meant to simply say...I know what you mean.
Love ya, Jamie
not like i have any experience -- Kaiya pretty much is only interested in pooping and eating and sleeping at this point -- but i think parents' job is to expose them to lots of different things and then naturally the kids decide what they like. it's hard not to have any expectations of what they WILL like, but i think it's so important to let them find what it is that makes them happy. but what the heck do i know?!
i agree with jamie and karli, just expose them to different things and they will soon decide what they love.
well I think Ame is a natural dancer and has some real talent there-especially hula. I think she's a bit young to get stressed yet but in a couple of years sports will present the next challenge--which I think is equally important for girls as for boys. Look how well rounded you turned out to be!!!
It is hard to know when to quit pushing, but when I had to physically carry Becca to the car (at age 9) and throw her in the back seat for piano lessons, I decided the battle was not worth it. She promised when she started that she would take for two years and that she really WANTED to take the lessions. Oh well . . . I would rather get along with her, and she found her passion in her guitar playing. Katie and Julie both regret quitting piano lessons - but that is water under the bridge. The best you can do is offer it for them, and then hope they will grasp the opportunities and develope their interests. You are an amazing mom!
I am not an expert yet myself but being the youngest in my family I've watched what my older siblings did and I've seen two approaches. My sister's kids were always busy doing a thousand things-dance, basketball, soccer, piano, art, softball, voice, etc., etc. My sister has money so cost was never an issue so they did it all!! By the time they got to be teenagers they were so burnt out that they refused to do anything else but watch TV and play video games.
On the other hand, my brother's kids were allowed to do one physical and one musical/art of their choice at a time. They've done lots of different things but by only doing two things at a time they've not been too strung out about it. They have really found their "things" and they still like to do them!!! My nephews are amazing piano players and they actually love it.
So, I am taking my brother's approach. Skylar has taken swimming, tumbling, dance, and tennis(Ben needs someone to play with not that Quinn's so far away!) Skylar is going to be moving in to her dance's competition group which will be more intense. She is also interested in gymnastics but I've told her we can go to this open gym on occasion because I don't want her to be too stressed. She used to want to take piano lessons (that's why we got a piano!) but she's hesitant right now so we're holding off until she's ready. We've asked Nick if he would like to do anything right now and all he wants to do is Joy School so until he's ready we're just chilling on the whole lesson thing.
Anyway, I think that the most important thing is to make sure your kids are happy. If they want to be involved in a bunch of things that's good but I would suggest maybe doing one to two things at a time and letting them take things at different times depending on their interests. Eventually they'll learn what they love and learn a lot in the process! Sorry this was so long but I hope it helps!!
P.S. I think you should keep Ame in hula for the plain fact that she looks so darn cute!!!!!!
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