Tonight was a completely bummer parenting moment. Nora had the first of many pre-concert practices at the auditorium. Her scene was supposed to rehearse sometime between 5-7, so at around 5:45 I packed the kids up and we went up to wait for Nora's crocodile scene. We waited, and waited and waited for her scene to come on.
There was a lot of choreography that was being done with older kids as the young ones got quite squirmy. The kids did ok until about 7:45 waiting, and then Nora started showing signs of deterioration. She seemed sad. At 8:10 or so, the crocodiles were finally able to go backstage and wait. I sat in the audience, eager to get the scene over with so we could go home. By then we had been there for 2.5 hours.
Right as Nora's group was about to go on stage, I see one of the older dancers carrying Nora out-she is crying. I felt so sad for her inside. I raced up to the stage and carried her off. Her little cry echoed through the auditorium. The waiting had been too much.
Its too much to expect 3 & 4 year olds to wait 2.5 hours to get to their scene. Its all too much. When we got home, Nora was a mess-teary and threw a little tantrum going to bed. After she was in bed, I called up a friend who has a dancer one year older, and she advised skipping some of the rehearsals, which I think we may do. 4 rehearsals this week is too much for my little 4 year old crocodile who goes to bed between 7-8. Lots of the small kids there probably don't go to bed till 9 or 10, so its not a big deal for them, but for little ones that go to bed early, its too much.
As I sat with Nora in the audience and we watched the little crocodiles on the stage, I got teary eyed too. I felt her pain and I could remember how as a kid it is so horrible to get overly tired and to finally reach breakdown moment. She couldn't help it, and I couldn't help her.
When we got home, I made a quick batch of popcorn and the kids sat on the couch curled up under blankets watching a short video before bed. Nora kept saying, "that was too much, mamma. too long. I don't want to do the recital."
This was the part I was dreading the most of Nora doing dance-recital week. We'll figure out a way to make it thought without anyone getting overly burnt out-I hope.
Zoya
Photo was from our first trip to the Chowderhouse this year--taken when the weather was nice. Kids were THRILLED about their first ice cream cone of the season!
3 comments:
I was just talking to Kelly, who complained about the same thing! How can a dance studio be that unorganized that they expect 3 and 4 yr. olds to wait for HOURS?!!! I have trouble getting Abby to wait in line at the store, let alone actually sit and wait. Ha!
I was just talking to Kelly, who complained about the same thing! How can a dance studio be that unorganized that they expect 3 and 4 yr. olds to wait for HOURS?!!! I have trouble getting Abby to wait in line at the store, let alone actually sit and wait. Ha!
Poor Nora! It is too much. I'm sure she was not the only one to fall apart before climbing into bed. There has to be a better way to organize rehearsal.
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