I'm posting this here rather than a general parenting forum because you guys understand high commitment activities.
DD 7.5 does dance also among many other activities and only does two days a week in the gym. (She is home schooled and above age grade so she is well rested, sleeps until she wakes up, can nap if needed and has loads of free time most days.) Her teacher expects her three times a week and toward the end of the year, they are working very hard for the big show so she is going 2hoursx3. In addition her teacher has been prepping a solo DD wanted to do with her so for the last few weeks she's been coming about a half-hour early. The solo thing comes and goes but basically about 2x a year she is coming early for private time many days. And in addition sometimes DD chooses to come more hours to help with the baby classes.
OK -- the last couple of months, she has been alternating between asking to quit dance because it is too much work, and being wildly enthusiastic and wanting to go more. She is all about the show, and less about barre work and, frankly, practice, though she is not a natural and like most girls needs to work for her show.
Is this the age, or am I looking at ten more years of this? LOL
Mostly venting here...
I do get a little of this in other activities lately, but mostly dance. I am hoping it is a short lived phase. I do not mind if DD quits anything she truly does not value, but it's tiring as a mom to have her say she wants to quit things she clearly does value, and are good for her, and doesn't really want to quit. I am definitely not the mom who will make her child stick with dance or gym; on the other hand, it's a bit much for a 7 year old to appreciate that we go through rough patches (or rough five minutes) in learning any discipline and that the good stuff is still coming.
Example:
DD -- I want to quit dance. It is too much work. Me: OK, you can quit after the recital (in four weeks). But not before; that's not fair at this point to the others. DD -- OK now take me for my solo rehearsal. Me: You are not going to ask your teacher to prepare you to solo outside her program if you are planning to quit on her after the recital. She is making an investment in you for free and you don't take advantage of that if you are quitting. DD -- OK I won't quit.
DD -- I don't want to do the dance intensive. It's too much work. Me: Oh, that's fine. I prefer you be able to keep up with your studies, and there won't be time for you to do your home schooling those weeks if you are in dance intensive. [Lessons, done properly, take about 90 minutes + 15 minutes of piano. Dance intensive is four hours a day for three weeks.] DD -- Uh ... maybe I do want to do the dance intensive.
DD 7.5 does dance also among many other activities and only does two days a week in the gym. (She is home schooled and above age grade so she is well rested, sleeps until she wakes up, can nap if needed and has loads of free time most days.) Her teacher expects her three times a week and toward the end of the year, they are working very hard for the big show so she is going 2hoursx3. In addition her teacher has been prepping a solo DD wanted to do with her so for the last few weeks she's been coming about a half-hour early. The solo thing comes and goes but basically about 2x a year she is coming early for private time many days. And in addition sometimes DD chooses to come more hours to help with the baby classes.
OK -- the last couple of months, she has been alternating between asking to quit dance because it is too much work, and being wildly enthusiastic and wanting to go more. She is all about the show, and less about barre work and, frankly, practice, though she is not a natural and like most girls needs to work for her show.
Is this the age, or am I looking at ten more years of this? LOL
Mostly venting here...
I do get a little of this in other activities lately, but mostly dance. I am hoping it is a short lived phase. I do not mind if DD quits anything she truly does not value, but it's tiring as a mom to have her say she wants to quit things she clearly does value, and are good for her, and doesn't really want to quit. I am definitely not the mom who will make her child stick with dance or gym; on the other hand, it's a bit much for a 7 year old to appreciate that we go through rough patches (or rough five minutes) in learning any discipline and that the good stuff is still coming.
Example:
DD -- I want to quit dance. It is too much work. Me: OK, you can quit after the recital (in four weeks). But not before; that's not fair at this point to the others. DD -- OK now take me for my solo rehearsal. Me: You are not going to ask your teacher to prepare you to solo outside her program if you are planning to quit on her after the recital. She is making an investment in you for free and you don't take advantage of that if you are quitting. DD -- OK I won't quit.
DD -- I don't want to do the dance intensive. It's too much work. Me: Oh, that's fine. I prefer you be able to keep up with your studies, and there won't be time for you to do your home schooling those weeks if you are in dance intensive. [Lessons, done properly, take about 90 minutes + 15 minutes of piano. Dance intensive is four hours a day for three weeks.] DD -- Uh ... maybe I do want to do the dance intensive.