Jumping and Having Fun – Thankful Thursday

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Happy Thursday!  Ready to be thankful?

 

Last week I signed my daughter back up for the gymnastics class she took several months ago.  My son said he wanted to try it too, so I signed him up, making sure he understood that there would be other kids and mommies there.  (This has been a problem in the past, you see.)

Let’s just say it didn’t go well.

He clung to me most of class, repeating over and over, “I want to go home; don’t want to be here…”

We had 25 minutes of this, with the coach asking her daughter to roll the big ball to him, hoping he’d roll it back.  (He turned his back to her.)   Other parents stopping by with their own happy child…  Then they got out the parachute.  This got him interested, at least to the point that he held my hand and we walked over to the group.  He refused to touch it, but it was a start.  After all the kids left?  That little boy went and tried out each piece of equipment!  (Which is the only reason I decided we’d try again this week…)

I spent the week calling it gymnastics “fun time” instead of “class”.  (He has had some other “class” activities that didn’t go well, and I didn’t want that connotation here.)  We talked about the parachute and how fun it was.  His response?  “Yes, and I never want to see it again.”  (Said in a very straight, dead serious voice.)

I was ready for a battle this week.

You can imagine my surprise when he went running onto the mats (holding tight to my finger, mind you) and started jumping on the trampoline and climbing on the big cushiony mats before class.  He still didn’t want to sit too close to the others at warm up time, but he raced around the equipment like a pro during class, never once asking to go home.  He even said he was having fun!  (If I wasn’t his mom I’d swear it was a totally different kid.)

So this week, that moment is what I am most thankful for – that whatever fears and insecurities he had were gone, and he was just a boy having fun.

 

Now for my favorite part of Thankful Thursday… Your turn!

Go on, take a moment and think – what are you thankful for this week?

 

 

Comments

  5. I can relate to your experience with your son. You may have many more such experiences over the years getting him started with new activities. But isn’t it great that you are his comfortable, safe base for him to visit and gain courage? Some day he’ll internalize that and take it out with him into life. What am I thankful for today? Some peaceful time by myself to do whatever project I want.

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