Giuliana started DANCE class!

Giuliana started a dance class recently and she is really enjoying it. She is starting with “creative dance movement”, in a class with 3 and 4 year olds. She is the tiniest little person out there (just like in her gymnastics class), and seems to enjoy getting dressed up in dance clothes… you know, the tutus and leotards, etc. She took off running into the very first class, not even looking back at me once.

In mid-March, I decided to enroll her in dance because I found her sort of *needing* more than just a gymnastics class to keep her entertained during the week. While I’d like to think the chaos of our house is enough to keep any child (or adult!) permanently entertained (if not overwhelmed), it was just clear to me she needed/wanted more. Another activity that was for HER, rather than sitting on the sidelines watching one of her older siblings in their activities.

Since saying goodbye to our au pair in December, and me being tied to Marco so much throughout the day to nurse and provide the much-needed care that baby’s require…I’ve struggled with the moments I feel like she is bored.

Don’t get me wrong, I know it is very good for a child to experience boredom, as it helps fuel creative play and boosts imagination. And, of all my children, she is and always has been my best little self-entertainer. She frequently sits for an hour at a time flipping through piles of books telling stories, or playing with super heroes or her little pony figures, and she also enjoys spending time building with L.EGOS and playing with the doll houses.

But, in this case, I feel like I often get so caught up in doing laundry, prepping meals, doing homework with the older kids, cleaning up after everyone, etc, just to keep up... that I wasn’t finding/making the time I feel she deserved for her very own fun activities. So, I asked her if she wanted to do dance, and she gave me a very enthusiastic “YEAH!” response.

I am really enjoying watching her in the dance class. They seem to do a lot of the same song/dances, each week… so the kids get familiar with what they are supposed to do. But, the teacher does a great job of also introducing fun props, and a new song/dance each week too. If Giuliana continues to enjoy the class, I’ll enroll her in tap & ballet in the fall.