• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Mommy's Pen

A writer's notes on family

  • Podcast
  • About
  • My Book
  • Hire Me
  • Subscribe!
You are here: Home / Archives for emotional intelligence

emotional intelligence

Tiny Dancer?

July 21, 2011 by sue campbell

When I was a kid, I wanted to take gymnastics.

My mom signed me up for a class that covered ballet, tap and gymnastics.  She even drove me downtown for it.

I wanted nothing to do with the tap and ballet portions (though I did like the shoes involved), I just wanted to tumble around and launch myself off the end of a balance beam.  I’m quite sure I remember complaining to my mother.  And that was the end of classes of any sort.

Nora is starting to show an interest in dance classes.

Here are the reasons I would sign her up:

  • She wants to do it
  • Builds strength and coordination
  • Helps her understand the importance of practice when developing a skill
  • Tires her out

 Here are the things that worry me:

  • The class will be too serious and strict
  • Being in the class with other tiny dancers will cause body image issues to arise that she doesn’t currently have

These are big concerns for me.  Right now, the cons are outweighing the pros.  

I want Nora to have a childhood.  Yes, it’s fantastic to develop a skill when you’re young. And the only way to make a career of something like dance, music or sports is to start early.  But does it mean becoming a tiny adult?

This week, the Oregon Ballet Theater is having rehearsals in a downtown park, so the public can watch.  Yesterday, we sat at a table and watched some beautiful, impossibly thin dancers twirl about.  Nora stayed and watched with her wonderful nanny, Gemela.  Shortly after I left, one of the ballerinas fell and twisted her ankle.  Gemela reports that the first thing the dancer did was apologize.

This is worrisome.  It’s not the sort of emotional intelligence I wish for Nora. I never want her to feel the need to apologize for accidentally injuring herself!

It seems that children wrapped up in the world of sports and dance run the risk of sacrificing emotional intelligence to the competitive spirit.  And I’m just not down with that.

Of course, I am probably overdramatizing and overthinking again.  I have no experience in the world of dance or sports. 

I just keep picturing the Emilio Estevez character from the Breakfast Club and how screwed up he was from the pressure of the wrestling world.  There are countless examples from Hollywood.  I know, because I spent my childhood watching movies and television instead of in dance class or on the soccer field. 

Help me out on this one, folks.  Do your kids take dance or gymnastics? How is it going?

Filed Under: Society & Culture Tagged With: balance, ballet, dance class, emotional intelligence, gymnastics

Primary Sidebar

Listen to the podcast.

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter

What kind of blog is this?

This is a blog for PARENTS. True, the writer, Sue Campbell, writes books for kids. But this blog is for grown-ups. It has some swearing and would be super boring for kids. Except for the swearing.

The PODCAST is for KIDS and PARENTS. In fact, my twelve-year-old daughter is my co-host.

If your kids like Sue's books, send them over to suecampbellbooks.com where there's some kid-friendly content. EVEN BETTER, join the mailing list. You get stuff for grown-ups and printable stuff for kids. And sometimes there will be super ill-advised giveaways or coloring contests for free books.

MORE ABOUT SUE: She makes an ACTUAL LIVING from writing words and marketing books and lives with her husband, two daughters, six chickens and one messy house rabbit in Portland, Oregon. And yes, Portland IS that weird. She really couldn't be any luckier.

Search

Archives

  • ►2020
    • ►March
    • ►February
  • ►2019
    • ►November
    • ►October
    • ►September
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►May
    • ►April
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2018
    • ►December
    • ►November
    • ►October
    • ►September
    • ►August
    • ►July
  • ►2017
    • ►June
    • ►April
    • ►January
  • ►2016
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►May
    • ►January
  • ►2015
    • ►December
    • ►November
    • ►September
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►April
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2014
    • ►December
    • ►March
  • ►2013
    • ►November
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2012
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2011
    • ►December
    • ►November
    • ►October
    • ►September
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►May
    • ►April
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2010
    • ►December
    • ►November
    • ►October
    • ►September
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►May
    • ►April
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2009
    • ►December

Like Mommy’s Pen

As seen at:

Scary Mommy
I'm Published by Mamalode!

Footer

View our privacy policy.

Copyright © 2021 · Author Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

I use cookies to ensure that I give you the best experience on my website. If you continue to use this site I will assume that you are happy with it.Ok