Matilda's first ballet class last week propelled me into the realisation that my babygirl is growing at a pace much faster than I care for. Considering she'd never been before to a ballet class, knew no one there and the other girls were all much older, she ran straight into the class, didn't even look back to check on me. A pang of sadness hit me, my little girl is clearly independent and fearless without me. She couldn't care less about her Mummy.
My nerves got the better of me as I realised she was the teeniest girl in the class. Would she understand the instruction? Would the big girls ignore her? Would she be the odd one out? Would she hold her own? I was glued to the door peering through the glass. I really needn't have worried she got stuck in watched what everyone else was doing and copied. The only hairy moment was when the teacher asked the girls to help themselves to ribbons and she obviously didn't understand as she stood there looking slightly lost. But as the dancing started she carried on without them. I was doing everything to resist the urge to go in and hand her the ribbons as the teacher finally realised (it seemed like an age before she did), went over and gave them to her. I breathed a sigh of relief! Interestingly this week she went immediately to the ribbon box without any hesitation, she clearly remembered.
I'm a great believer in being yourself, not conforming to expectations or to what society dictates but at that age I do feel that it's difficult to be the odd one out. It's crucial young children feel a part of something and not isolated. At her first class last week, she was the only one without a ballet costume, though this week that has been remedied with a Turquoise (the husband wouldn't buy pink) Royal Academy leotard and skirt. It didn't seem to bother her at all, it was more my own insecurity on her behalf that she would feel different from the others. But this week she looked as cute as button swirling her skirt around the room having a ball.
She came out saying 'Mummy I had fun, did jumping, dancing, ballet and naughty toe' She beamed all the way home on her scooter singing along the street. A warm feeling crept over me, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing your child happy and content. And this little girl was certainly that as you can in the photo below.
My nerves got the better of me as I realised she was the teeniest girl in the class. Would she understand the instruction? Would the big girls ignore her? Would she be the odd one out? Would she hold her own? I was glued to the door peering through the glass. I really needn't have worried she got stuck in watched what everyone else was doing and copied. The only hairy moment was when the teacher asked the girls to help themselves to ribbons and she obviously didn't understand as she stood there looking slightly lost. But as the dancing started she carried on without them. I was doing everything to resist the urge to go in and hand her the ribbons as the teacher finally realised (it seemed like an age before she did), went over and gave them to her. I breathed a sigh of relief! Interestingly this week she went immediately to the ribbon box without any hesitation, she clearly remembered.
I'm a great believer in being yourself, not conforming to expectations or to what society dictates but at that age I do feel that it's difficult to be the odd one out. It's crucial young children feel a part of something and not isolated. At her first class last week, she was the only one without a ballet costume, though this week that has been remedied with a Turquoise (the husband wouldn't buy pink) Royal Academy leotard and skirt. It didn't seem to bother her at all, it was more my own insecurity on her behalf that she would feel different from the others. But this week she looked as cute as button swirling her skirt around the room having a ball.
She came out saying 'Mummy I had fun, did jumping, dancing, ballet and naughty toe' She beamed all the way home on her scooter singing along the street. A warm feeling crept over me, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing your child happy and content. And this little girl was certainly that as you can in the photo below.
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