Gymnastics

Molly has been taking a class at a place called the Little Gym this summer. It's kind of a gymnastics class but mostly the kids just play games. Sometimes they play with a big parachute, sometimes an inflated mat that's like the floor of a bounce house. They break up into small groups and do stations that involve the balance beam, uneven bars, parallel bars, etc. but also lots of foam blocks and things to climb and jump on. Today the theme was sirens and flashing lights (or something) and they played firefighter and police games.

Molly absolutely LOVES it. It's a big deal for us because it's the first activity she's done where moms don't participate. They've got a big waiting room with a wall of windows and a lot of the moms stay through the whole class and watch. You don't have to, though, and Molly has been bugging me since the first class to drop her off and pick her up at the end. Today I finally did that ... sort of. The class is in a plaza with lots of useful stores. The past couple weeks I've left the waiting room just for 10 minutes or so in the middle of the class to grab groceries and run right back. Today I lingered over shopping. Molly was fine. I'm still completely unsettled by the idea that she's singing songs and doing things at home that I only guess come from the class. This is good practice for preschool ... for me!!

I was reluctant to sign her up for any sort of lessons this young, and the stuff I hear in the waiting room is exactly why. Holy overscheduled kids!!! The moms go on about the swim lessons, lots of daily swim lessons, and how they're running from one activity to the next and not seeing any friends but that it's all OK because it's "educational." And they go on about how one kid or another just won't get focused on learning and just wants to play around in the pool or whatever and would get so much more out of it if he just tried. Poor kid. This morning a mom couldn't get her daughter to join the gymnastics class and there was quite a scene: "I drove all the way here, you're going in there," etc. It's painful to watch. They're such little kids.  Of course, I also met not one but two moms who use cloth diapers. They're the first people I have seen around here using cloth in all three years of mommy and me activities and story times with Molly. Anyway, I'm trying to make sure Molly doesn't feel any pressure to go to this class, ever. Really it's just encouraging her to climb on the furniture at home. Would I be sad if she lost interest? Not one bit.