About a month ago, we enrolled Sam(22 months) in Kindermusik
(http://www.kindermusik.com/). For those of you who don't know what Kindermusik is, it is a program offered to children of all ages to accelerate learning through music and movement. We immediately knew this was something we wanted to try, mainly because Sam has always been enamored with music from birth, but also we really felt it necessary to get him involved in some structured social time with other children his age. Since I stay at home and haven't put him into any Mom's Morning Out programs, he wasn't getting any time to be social. We have also been in limbo with play groups since we moved, so it was time!! It is a Fantastic program, with super teachers who are ready and willing to show children the beauty of music!! Sam is in the class for 18months-3 year olds. We go on Monday evenings at 5:45, so that Rob can be home to hang with Kate while we are gone. They have their own little guitar lessons during this time, but that is an entirely different blog. Anyhow, our first night didn't really go as planned or I should say as I had envisioned. We got to the classroom and there were children all sitting in the floor with shoes off tucked away in their little cubbies and they were playing with blocks. Well, we took off our shoes and then Sam ran for the tupperware box of blocks, picked it up and dumped every last one out onto the floor. I felt like saying, "it's our first time, he usually doesn't do this." But in actuality, he does do this at home all the time. There is not one bin, box or basket that hasn't been completely ransacked at home. It is just what he does. He isn't being malicious, he just wants to get it all out there to check it out. After the "pre-class" activity, the teacher got everyone in a circle on the floor and instructed the children to sit in their mommy's or daddy's lap and we were going to sing the "hello" song. Let's just say that sitting in my lap wasn't on Sam's agenda. He would rather have openend up the teachers cabinets, bang on the storage containers, pull the blocks off the shelf, try to open the door and rip off his socks. I attempted to put him in my lap, but his curiosity was for sure taking precedence. At this point, I am thinking to myself " I am the mother of THAT child, the one that misbehaves and doesn't listen. This can't be happening, ohhh but it was. The rest of the 45 minutes was truly spent chasing him down trying to channel his energy and to keep him from disrupting. The real kicker was when the teacher wanted to do "slow" movements and my child was running from wall to wall with excitement. I was so rattled by the end of the class that I wasn't sure whether or not to cry or scream. On the way out I apologized to the teacher and she assured me that he would figure it all out in a few classes and not to worry. Well, worry is what I do best, so of course I was worried that somehow in the course of tyring to "train him in the way he should go" I had somehow failed. I knew that my little man could behave and listen, but somehow this behavior had vanished. I got home and cried a little to Rob and then we both hit our knees in prayer, that we would be enlightened in how to help Sam. Well, over the next week, Sam and I worked on listening, moving slow and fast and also a few other things that I won't go into detail about. In the car on the way to the 2nd class, Sam and I prayed that God would give me patience and give him open ears to hear the teacher and a happy heart to play with the other children. After some deep breathing on my part, we headed into class. There they all were with shoes off and playing with some animals this time. Sam went straight to take off his shoes and then slowly went over the the kids and joined in without dumping all the animals out into the floor. He was listening and doing the movements slow and fast (fast was definitely better for him), but nonetheless did them when the rest of the children were doing them. I was so proud of him! Here was the child I knew participating like a big boy and really having fun!! At one point he looked back at me as if to say "hey mom, look at me, I am doing great." At that moment, I felt blessed to have such a sweet and vivacious little boy to raise and enjoy! Having Faith in our little ones is important and having Faith in God to be our guide is the most precious gift!
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
