Kid's activities. Oh my.
So here's my overall thoughts on them in our life right now- they are fun, they really are. However, at my kids little ages, sometimes it can be too much. So we try to keep it simple, especially since we don't want to fill every weekend with activity after activity (especially since most are parent/tot and we have to run around and participate), but at the same time, it's nice to see them in a new element, learning and interacting with other adults and kids and having to take directions from another adult (and see how they listen...or don't).
Charlie has gotten to participate in the majority of activities at this point (he did soccer last Spring and t-ball last Summer), but I wanted to do something that Maddie cakes could do too. We have gone to a few fun birthday parties at a local gymnastics place - so this fall I was on the hunt for a reasonable gymnastics class for both of them. We found what I thought was a great class with AMAZING teachers nearby for both of the kiddos.
What was funny about the whole thing - was that I am already learning the cold hard facts that sometimes it's easier to separate the family then for everyone to go together. Yes, that is the advice that I've gotten from so many wiser, more experienced mamas...the more kids, the less parents and the more you need to split up. I thought it was the perfect schedule with Maddie from 9-9:40 and Charlie from 10-10:50; we could all go at 9, Charlie would hang out and then we could run to Quik Trip as a family...then come back and all watch Charlie's class. HA. Joke's on me right? Oh yeah. The first week, Charlie literally whined the WHOLE time during Maddie's class how he wanted it to be his turn - then when it finally was, the cried and didn't want to go out there. Maddie was ok for like 5 minutes and then was a mess, so Jimmy took her out to the car. Yeah - we separated from then on.
Lesson learned I guess!?!?
Anyways - Maddie was a stretch because the youngest you could be in the class is 18 months old and Maddie turned 18 months 3 days before the class started. However, she didn't look like it, so when her immaturity (for the class, not her age) started to show when she didn't want to wait in line and follow parent or teacher directions...it was amusing because everyone was looking at her like "come on!" and I wanted to scream "she's still a baby". Oh man, parenting is hard.
But really - after 6 weeks, I was super super proud of her because she did awesome and made such great progress. She did get so much better at listening and following directions in the class and doing all the activities. And best of all - I know she had SO much fun and felt like a big girl that she didn't just have to watch big brother do it.
Her favorite? Like most of the kids - was running on the trampoline and "jumping" in the ball pit!!
Charlie has gotten to participate in the majority of activities at this point (he did soccer last Spring and t-ball last Summer), but I wanted to do something that Maddie cakes could do too. We have gone to a few fun birthday parties at a local gymnastics place - so this fall I was on the hunt for a reasonable gymnastics class for both of them. We found what I thought was a great class with AMAZING teachers nearby for both of the kiddos.
What was funny about the whole thing - was that I am already learning the cold hard facts that sometimes it's easier to separate the family then for everyone to go together. Yes, that is the advice that I've gotten from so many wiser, more experienced mamas...the more kids, the less parents and the more you need to split up. I thought it was the perfect schedule with Maddie from 9-9:40 and Charlie from 10-10:50; we could all go at 9, Charlie would hang out and then we could run to Quik Trip as a family...then come back and all watch Charlie's class. HA. Joke's on me right? Oh yeah. The first week, Charlie literally whined the WHOLE time during Maddie's class how he wanted it to be his turn - then when it finally was, the cried and didn't want to go out there. Maddie was ok for like 5 minutes and then was a mess, so Jimmy took her out to the car. Yeah - we separated from then on.
Lesson learned I guess!?!?
Anyways - Maddie was a stretch because the youngest you could be in the class is 18 months old and Maddie turned 18 months 3 days before the class started. However, she didn't look like it, so when her immaturity (for the class, not her age) started to show when she didn't want to wait in line and follow parent or teacher directions...it was amusing because everyone was looking at her like "come on!" and I wanted to scream "she's still a baby". Oh man, parenting is hard.
But really - after 6 weeks, I was super super proud of her because she did awesome and made such great progress. She did get so much better at listening and following directions in the class and doing all the activities. And best of all - I know she had SO much fun and felt like a big girl that she didn't just have to watch big brother do it.
Her favorite? Like most of the kids - was running on the trampoline and "jumping" in the ball pit!!
Oh - and the stamps every week after class.
#itsthelittlethings
As for Charlie. Oh jeez, this kid. Every time I think I know how he's going to react to something - he totally catches me of guard. I was convinced he was just going to LOVE gymnastics. We had built him up a ton and he acted so excited.
Enter the first class and I literally was soooooo frustrated with him. Given, this was the first activity in which we were there but not participating with him (he does all kinds of sports and activities at school during the week with a coach, but we are not there), he refused to go out there by himself. Not sure if it was because he was scared or just because he had sat through the last hour watching me participate with Maddie - but I literally had to threaten him to get out there (oh those parenting moments that we are not so proud of). But once he did and one of the teachers was just amazing with him and he got to stick with her, he was just fine.
It was fun each week to see him become more and more confident getting out there with the group and teachers each week. He literally RAN out there the last few weeks so excited to do "nastics". Of course he loved the trampoline too!!! And LOVED jumping!
And he was so awesome at following directions (towards the latter classes), that it was fun to see him and all his new moves. Beware this video is long, but it's mainly because we all have to wait patiently for other kids :)
Check him out on that balance beam!
So will we do gymnastics again? YES!
Not right away because Charlie is going to do soccer again this spring, but I do think that they both really liked it and it for sure got lots of energy out on cold winter mornings too!
Any activities that you have tried with your kiddos that have been wins or fails!?!?
Is that Mill Creek Activity Center?? We should have done gymnastics this year! It's actually the first year in three we haven't!
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