It’s the Little Things
The boys started a tumbling class recently. We’ve never been able to afford the kid classes before because with two, costs get pretty crazy. But our new neighborhood has a community center across the street from us and a local gymnastics teacher thought to supplement her normal classes by offering classes to our neighborhood (where she also lives). The price was too good to refuse.
The classes are for all ages so I was able to enroll the boys in for 3 weeks of classes, meeting for 30 minutes each, twice a week. I could tell right away that the teacher is good with the kids, always using fun ways to teach them gymnastics skills and tailoring the class around their interests as they change with each moment. I had hoped that we would get to meet some of the other kids in the neighborhood as well but no one else signed up for this class so the boys are getting her entire attention. I’m already excited to sign them up for the next age range and have them try out hour long classes in January or February.
The real point of this post, however, was that as the second class was beginning, she turned to me and told me that I could come back in 30 minutes. I hadn’t left the boys with a stranger in about 2 years. Not since when I tried leaving them at the gym day care, which failed miserably by the way. But this time was very different. The boys didn’t even seem to notice I had gone. They stayed active and had a nice person’s full attention with lots of neat bouncing mats and toys. But that moment cut into my heart just a tiny bit. For that brief second, I had a glimpse of what it’s going to be like when they finally start school.
Oh sure the boys spend every other weekend with Dusty and we have been able to take vacations thanks to wonderful grandparents who babysit. But this was somehow different. She wasn’t family. And I hadn’t expected it. I wasn’t needed and could actually get in the way. They were going to learn from someone else. Someone who is very kind, knows lots of great tricks that I have no clue about, and who knows lots of neat gymnastics stuff. Someone who is not me. Someone who is not family. And they were completely ok with it. Wow.
I was surprised that I felt something when that moment happened. I was taken by complete surprise at the rush of feelings. But isn’t that part of this whole parenting experience? Not only seeing the world through their eyes but seeing ourselves deeper through our own.
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