Last week both of my daughters brought “Star of The Week” certificates home from school. M was first with a certificate for “being able to confidently explain the meaning of words” and she got her certificate in assembly. Later in the week Little came home from nursery with a sports star certificate from PE because she was so good at listening. It’s funny how your children can be so different to each other.

I am careful about not making assumptions or placing limits on my daughters based on their strengths because I know how much this can be a self fulfilling prophecy, but it’s hard not to compare my children and see the differences between them. This isn’t always a bad thing though because it recognises that they will need more support in some areas to develop. 

M has always been very smart. With most things it’s a case that she can do it once she decides to set her mind to it, from potty training to reading there didn’t seem to be a gradual progression it was just a refusal to try and then boom; able to do it. She has a good memory and finds things like reading, spellings and most academic subjects interesting and easy. Controlling her emotions and physical activities have always been much harder for her and required more concentration. While she is progressing well at Karate and she learnt to swim fairly quickly she finds it hard to move her body in a particular way after being given the instruction.

Little loves to learn through experimentation. She will listen and follow instructions, but then she wants to have a go her own way. She is the child who will wait until I am out of the room to explore and experiment. She has always loved music and dancing too so earlier this year she started dance classes. When she is at school she might need a little bit extra help with academic subjects so we might look at tutoring like Tavistock Tutors English tutoring online.

Little’s Stage Debut

At the weekend Little had her first dance concert with her dance school. The “baby” class had 2 songs: tap dancing to Moana’s Your Welcome and a Ballet to Cinderella’s mice. The class looked adorable and the rest of the audience agreed given the “awwww” from most of them as the girls walked on to stage in a line holding hands. The dancing was very sweet, Little remembered some of the moves and we were all impressed.  

M was definitely inspired by the older girls dancing and she asked for dance lessons before we had even left the theatre. She then danced all the way to the car. It’s hard to balance extra-curricular activities when you have multiple children though. Not only is there the cost, but they other children have to go on trips for no benefit to them and wait around during the class. M does Karate because she can go straight there from after school club requiring minimal hassle for us, but Little's dance class is a stress each week to get her to.

Little has started doing mini ninjas as well as her dance class so I would like to give M another chance at dance. She did do it for a few months before she started school, but one day she just refused to go any longer. It took me a long time before I agreed to pay for anything else. Anyway I have found a class she would like and we could make, but it would mean spending Fridays going in and out of the house repeatedly which is no fun for Baby Boy. It also requires M’s Dad to take her every other week. We have to make sacrifices for our children though so obviously I’m going to see what I can do. Next year we might be watching M in the theatre.

***Disclosure: This is a collaborative post***