Thursday, November 3, 2011

Three things Thursday - Spinning, Halloween, and skating

1. I had my second spin class on Tuesday.  It was harder then my first one.  I arrived home and curled into a fetal position.  (Okay, maybe I only actually collapsed on the bed.)  My husband asked how it went.  I told him: "If I keep doing these classes, I might die...  But, if I don't die, I'll be able to blow away my bike split times from this season."


2. Trick or treating was fun this year.  Thankfully, I was able to convince Sweetpea to wear Spud's costume from last year, rather then the one she wore for preschool dress up.  It meant she went out as a warm lion rather then a cold mermaid.  Spud was a dragon, a nice warm costume.  (Halloween tends to be cold here.)

Sweetpea only went for a bit, but Spud was out as long as he could be.  When we were getting to the end of the trick or treating, he announced "I'm getting so much candy!"  I asked him what he was going to with all his candy and he told me: "Save it for later.  If you eat too much candy, you get a sore tummy."  Seriously.  Can I inherit his lack of sweet tooth?  Guess it doesn't work that way.

3. Today was the kids' second skating lesson.  After the first disastrous one, I exchanged Sweetpea's skates for better fitting ones.  I also got hockey shorts and knee pads for both kids and we practiced falling.  Spud was a SUPERSTAR in the class.  When he fell, he just got back up like we'd talked about, and by the end of the class was upset that it was ending.

Sweetpea had just as rough a time as in the first class.  Truthfully, I'm wondering if she's just too young.  I know the lessons start at three years old, but she's only just three.  The real problem is she just won't try.  She mostly sat on the ice and cried.

I am stuck in trying to figure out where to go.  If I push her, am I setting her up for frustration and failure?  On the other hand, if I let her give up, am I teaching her to quit?  Right now, I don't even know yet how I'm going to approach the next lesson.  I want her to have fun with it, and if she's just going to end up hating it, it's not fair to make her keep doing it.

Ever deal with a kid that hated an activity, but grew to love it?

5 comments:

  1. Awww the kids looks so cute! Glad Sweat Pea decided to wear the warm costume for trick or treating! Yah I am totally jealous of the kids who have self control over treats- not me!

    The spinning will get better!

    Skating- no advice!

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  2. My take on the skating, Deb: if she's old enough to ask for the lessons, she should stick with it. At three, I think I'd just let it go...

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  3. Spinning is soooo hard, I've been going for awhile and I still think I'm going to die!

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  4. I started skating lessons when I was about 5. My dad would take me on Sundays for the 'fun family skate' and help me improve so when I would do the lessons I wasn't so scared.

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  5. I'd give it another week or two to see how she does, and go with your gut feeling on what to do. The gut is usually right! I don't think that you'll be setting her up to be a quitter if you do decide to withdraw from her lessons - she's still pretty little.

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