Jackie's "Special Class"

This was week three.

Week three of Jackie's "Special Class."

Side Note:  Jackie is a creature of habit, set in her ways, and likes to do the same thing the same way every day.  In order to get her to do something out of the ordinary, we call it "special."  She has "Special Pop" (sparkling water), a "Special Clock" (which lights up and sings her a song at night), and "Special Chocolates" for cleaning up her toys at night.  And since the first week of June...a "Special Class"

We enrolled Jackie in a "Just 3's Gymnastics" class at the local YMCA starting in June.  We go once a week.  We figured this would be a good start.  She has never done anything like this before.

Let me say that again.

Jackie has NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

The closest she comes to structured class is... well... nothing.

During the school year, she goes to a private home daycare that we LOVE.  (She loves it as well.)  She plays with the same group of kids everyday, takes a good solid nap, and enjoys snack time.  I even show up to pick her up at the same time each day. (Give or take 10 minutes or so.)

Because I teach 25 minutes away from daycare and Ethan drive across town to work, there is no way we can send Jackie to preschool and keep her at "Mimi's."  We love "Mimi" and so does she.  Preschool, at this moment, is not a certainty.

What is certain is that Jackie needs to learn structure in a "school-like" setting.  She needs to interact with a group of other kids (without sucking her thumb and raising her shirt up to play with her belly button...that will come later).  She needs to have instructions given by a teacher, learn to wait her turn, and listen to what the teacher says.

Enter "Just 3's Gymnastics."

I think the program description even mentions the above items that kids will experience.

Off we went to the first class, the first week in June.

Jackie wouldn't go in by herself.  I had to sit her down on her little puzzle piece and sit behind her the entire time.  She didn't know any of the little songs or "moves" and ended up trying to figure out ways to escape.  She struggled to figure out that she's not always first and tried, at any time she thought I wasn't paying attention, to run off and play on other equipment.

Also... all of the other kids had done this many times.  Jackie was the wild-child rookie and I was the hovering parent who just couldn't "let go."  I desperately wanted to let-go, but my desire for her to participate outweighed the possible judgement of all the other parents seated outside the glass watching.

She did enjoy it and could do any of the tucks, jumps, and rolls that was asked.  It was the "class" part she struggled with.

Back we went to week two.  An improvement.  I could sit back on a mat and watch, as long as I was in the room.  I tried to sneak out once, and that lasted about 5 minutes before she came running out the door looking for me.

PS...my child is strong and has some kind of fascination with doors. Seriously.  She is like a Velocirapter in Jurassic Park.  She figures out every door she's come across.  We even have child locks on the INSIDE of her door so she can't get out in the middle of the night.

Week three.  I prompted her earlier in the day by telling her that I would be sitting by the door and she would go to the class by herself and listen to her teacher.  If she listened and let me sit all the way by the door, we would pop popcorn as a treat when we got home.

It was a good improvement!  She only ran back to me 3 times, and listened and participated much better than last time.   She still has a looooonng way to go in the regards of being comfortable with me leaving her, but we are trying to work out ways in which she goes to different activities without a parent.  I really don't want to have a 5-year-old clinging to my leg on the first day of Kindergarten.

Last night was an improvement.  A step in the right direction.  Hopefully with more classes like these she will learn those social behaviors that are necessary in a school setting.  The "stuff" (tucks, rolls, jumps, and balancing) are secondary to her participation.

She is my first.  I teach middle school kids.  I have NO IDEA if her actions are typical for 3 or if I'm raising one of "those" kids.  Should I worry about it?  Probably not.  Will she grow up and figure it all out? Yes.  But I do.  And I worry she won't.

I'm hoping that by the end of July I can sit outside the glass and just watch.

:)