We’ve been attending Music 
Together classes for about two years now. It’s a terrific program, and I definitely recommend it for the under-5 set. After two years, though, Poppy has gotten so much more … oh, let’s call it outgoing.* She’s gotten much more outgoing than the other kids, so we’ve decided that she’s ready for a new activity.
We’ve talked at length about dance classes — because I’d like her to be far more coordinated than her mother — and she’s expressed an interest in trying gymnastics again. She’s also said she wants to do tae kwon do. (That one stems from taking a music class in a tae kwon do studio.) I’d like to just say, “Let’s try them all! Then we’ll see which one she likes best.” But then I’d have to pay for them all, and that’s not an option (particularly since Petey is still going to be doing Music Together). Oh, and I’d have to leave the house more than once a week. And then there’s also the possibility that she’d love all of them and I’d have to crush her spirit. Which we’d rather avoid.
So we need to pick one, is what I’m saying.
Did you take any outside-of-school lessons growing up? Did you love them? Should I try to make my girl a ballerina or a fighting machine?**
*She starts the songs, hands out the instruments and basically takes over. She’s also a good year older than most of the kids there, because the kids her age are now in preschool and thus aren’t going to music classes during the day.
**I know tae kwon do isn’t all about fighting. (I think.) But “fighting machine” is just kind of fun, isn’t it?
I didn’t get to do anything except for a year of girl scouts and a short-lived stint in a dance class (broke my shoulder). I still resent my parents for it to this day 😉
If she enjoys music so much, why not start her on an instrument? Or piano/keyboard? OR… I know this person that has a spare flute she never uses…
BUT, if thats not an option… I did gynnastics for a few years when I was her age… it was fun for awhile, and then I grew out of it when I realized I didnt have the arm stregth to to half the stuff they wanted me to do.
I think tae kwon do sounds fun. =)
Hannah wanted to do dance lessons earlier this year, I downloaded a beginning ballet booklet from Currclick.com It has all the basic steps plus warm ups and exercise session. You don’t need to buy any special equipment or clothing. I also like that we can do it together, on our schedule, and it was cheap!
I started dance class when I was 3, and I absolutely loved it. I stayed in it through fifth grade. However, I think my parents had to spend quite a bit of money on costumes for recitals.
They never signed me up for any sports when I was little though, and I’ve always wished they would have. When I was in junior high I wanted to play softball, but I felt like I would have been behind the other kids since I had never played on a team (almost everyone else played in the city league).
So that’s my two cents’ worth. 🙂
glad to hear the recommendations for music together, I wondered about that I took dance and gymnastics starting in preschool. I loved them both and stopped gymnastics in middle school and moved on to ice skating.
Tae kwon do. I’m sure dance is great, but I would think most kids that take dance stop after some short number of years and really don’t carry anything with them for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, I hear Tae Kwon Do does a pretty good job at building self respect, discipline, etc. in addition to the things she would get from dance (coordination, flexibility, etc.) Plus, I’d like to know my niece can take care of her own.
/Perry Mason/ (I wanted an alias too!)
Knowing self defense is always a good thing. But dance is nice too. I like Carrie’s instrument idea too (playing clarinet is fun!)
We are planning to have both kids take piano lessons, but I don’t think Poppy’s sitting-down attention span is quite ready for that yet. She’ll be meeting with the tae kwon do instructor on Thursday!
I think my vote goes to tae kwon do. As long as she doesn’t start practicing on little bro.