Another great season for the Geckos and the Badgers! And another rejoicing mother over the fact that we have our Saturdays to ourselves again...until Baseball season that is.
The kids are funny though, despite the fact that they both love soccer and are quite good at it, (Walker turned it up a notch especially this year, and Aubrey loved to circle around the other players and carried an average of 5 goals per game), every year when I ask them if they'd like to play again, they both hesitate or tell me 'no'. I sign them up anyway, and after the first practice they are once again raving about how much they love the sport and can't wait to play.
It merely comes down to "comfort zones" which apparently run in the family as they often guard themselves from extracurricular sports and activities, but I make them try them anyway. They always love the activity after they start, they just don't like the initial unknowns...
I keep explaining to them that I won't make them play until professional status or anything I just want them to try a lot of sports and extracurriculars out so they can see what they gravitate towards...my mom did the same with me.
When I was a little girl my mom once placed me in a ballet class (lasted one day as I couldn't stand all the stretching), jazz dance (I didn't like the cheesy movements, that lasted 2 weeks), gymnastics (didn't like the butterfly stretch and had a major fear of the balance beam) and then my mom hesitantly signed me up for co-ed basketball. Bingo. I ended up gravitating towards athletics and was an insatiable tomboy probably to the chagrin of my mother, as well as loving the Arts and learning a few instruments (my mom thought it was very important to be involved in at least one extracurricular AND learn at least one instrument.)
But because she made me try everything out, despite my kicking and fighting, it broke me out of my shell as I was an extremely shy kid. I learned to love trying new things and learned to love meeting new and diverse people. I think her efforts in this aspect truly shaped me into the person I am today as I'll definitely never be called a recluse. I appreciate my mother's tactics and hope to pass this "have no fear in trying new things" attitude on to my kids as well.
To make a long story short, sorry kids, you'll have to break out of your comfort zone, even if I have to force you out. Trust me, it'll be good for you. Eventually you may even appreciate it.
3 comments:
I can't imagine you ever being shy--I'll just have to take your word for it. :)
I thinks that's a great attribute to have. It's important for our childredn to love what they do. Letting them try several different things give them a better chance of finding it.
So how many more days left on the countdown? How are you feeling? (I know this is irrelevant to the post, but I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you...)
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