I dont remember if I have written about the stuff that has been going on with the ballet when we came back after christmas. If I did, here is a reminder ;)

 

J has always loved her ballet and was always full of smiles when I dropped her off and picked her up but after christmas something happened. She is not big enough to put words to her feelings and explain why she hasnt wanted to go but I have a feeling why.

 

When we arrived for the first ballet lesson this term J was tired since we came back from Sweden that night but she was happy and excited to go to her ballet lesson. There is a 15 minute break between the "baby ballet" and her class and when the "babies" have finished their class the girls in J´s class that are slightly early always go in and dance (read run) in the studio until all girls are there and its time to start the class. I didnt see exactly what happened this time but J ran to the studio to do her usual stuff but came back quickly saying "Ms. C said its not time yet" meaning she was not allowed in the studio yet. J almost looked scared and she curled up in my lap and I think this is where it went wrong. She probably felt that she was being told off and couldnt understand why when she didnt think she had done anything wrong. I do think that the fact that she was tired played part in it, maybe she took the words worse because of it but I can understand that she couldnt see why something that was ok for a whole term suddenly wasnt. Since then it has been a struggle to get her to go to her class and it might sound terrible to make her go but we have said that if the kids have commited to or said they want to do some activity they have to stick with it for the agreed period of time (normally a term). It is not ok to say you want to do this and you want to do that and then quit after one or two times. In this case I also thought she might start enjoying it again if she felt she could trust her teacher again. This hasnt happened and we have been on countdown to see how many classes left and now its finally over. Its not just this but some small incidents during the term, Ms. C is not a very "good" teacher (at least for kids), she has very obvious favourites in the class and the kids have felt it. The hip hop teacher Ms. V, that both kids adore has a ballet class for J´s year group just before the hip hop so for next term J has 3 choices, she can stop ballet completely, she can do a double class with ballet first and hip hop then or stop the hip hop and do ballet instead.