“Mom, I NEED to take gymnastics,” stated my daughter, 8. She was out in the backyard doing cartwheels.
“You already took gymnastics,” I replied casually.
“Mom, no, everyone I know is taking gymnastics. I want to do gymnastics so bad.”
“You already took gymnastics,” I repeated. “Once, when you were in preschool. And then just a couple years ago in kindergarten you took it for 2 sessions. Something like 4 months.”
“But how am I going to be a famous gymnast if I don’t take lessons? Mom, everyone is taking gymnastics. PLEASE.”
I looked at my husband. Seriously, our daughter had already scratched this itch when she was 4- and then 6-years-old. How do I squelch this sudden, Thursday afternoon desire to enroll in gymnastics again?
“You already took gymnastics,” I reiterated. “Plus, you’re too tall to make it in gymnastics.” There. I said it. The cold hard truth. My husband tossed in a “Yup”. I mean, it’s not like I’m lying. She comes from tall lineage. I’m 5’11” and my husband’s 6’2″. We don’t grow them short in our house. So, I needed her to realize that she wasn’t exactly genetically gifted towards a career as a gymnast, plus she already took plenty of gymnastics and “retired” both times.
She stormed off.
That night I found the following photo on my bed. At the top of the picture there is a girl upside down on the balance beam with the caption, “Me in future hopefully.”
Then there is what else the note said. Here’s the adult translation:
Dream On
My NEW Dream is to become a famous gymnast.
Until my parents said I was too tall for gymnastics.
I STILL DREAM ON!
Yes. That’s me, folks. The Dream Crusher! She also put 20 bucks on my pillow, I guess to help pay for the lessons that would launch her career.
I’m going to add Dream Crusher to my resume, right after Poop Sandwich maker. I’m acing this motherhood thing, dear readers!
What are some of your stellar accomplishments or role titles as a mom? Please share your best ones so I can feel better and hopefully laugh.
I’m doing cartwheels here over that drawing! Man she’s good. She knows just how to jab in that knife and slowly twist it. Oh Katy, you simply have to keep this. Maybe frame it to bring out later. Take heart, kiddo. You’re NOT alone in the Horrid Mommy department. I told my son he couldn’t take piano lessons until he was old enough to pay for them himself. This decision was made after he tootled on his recorder for about a month and blared on his trombone for oh, maybe six weeks. He drew up a list of people who offered piano lessons in the neighborhood and swore he’d sign up with his first paycheque. Hmmmm… maybe your daughter could loan him a $20?
Kelly L Mckenzie recently posted…Top Ten Driving Lesson Survival Tips
“She knows just how to jab in that knife and slowly twist it.” – AND she’s only 8, Kelly! I’m done for. I’m in for it. I’m in trouble. If only your son could cheer me up with some piano playing. 🙂
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…Experienced Bad Mom, Dream Crusher
Haha! Was the picture left on your pillow… That would have been a smooth move and something akin to what my kids would have done. Although, they probably would have also taken the picture to Grandma and she would have signed them up for Gymnastics herself!
Jen recently posted…The One Mistake Parents Make Every Summer And How To Avoid It
It WAS on my pillow! Your kids and their grandma — smooth move AND smart. Neither of our grandmas live in town so I guess that saves me.
But, wait. Woe to me the day she starts texting or face timing grandma!
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…Experienced Bad Mom, Dream Crusher
I tend to be the same way with my kids. The only thing I might have done differently is I would have asked leading questions like “Which gymnast is your favorite?” “Do all of the famous gymnast have anything in common?” ” Are they all very tall” I just wonder because I am a really tall person and so is your daddy, so we were never able to be competitive in gymnastics. Then walk away and listen to the gears grind. 🙂
All very good and reasonable questions to pose. Now, who’s going to help me be that thoughtful and quick on my feet in the heat of the moment NEXT time? And on probably a different topic? Do lawyers offer parenting classes? 🙂
She is definitely clever! Some of those lessons are so expensive you kind of have to steer them away.
Melissa recently posted…How to Get your Kids to Read More this Summer (and Actually Enjoy It)
I agree! That was in the back of my mind the whole time because we had already paid for classes twice before. Thanks for visiting.
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…Experienced Bad Mom, Dream Crusher
Ouch that hurt didn’t it? I used to leave my parents notes too except I would slide it under the closed door of their bedroom. My son goes through phases of this and that. He wants to play the drums. My brother bought him a snare drum for Christmas. My husband bought him a music book and a video to help him learn how to read music. Now he wants lessons. I told him that he hadn’t tried to learn anything other just “marching to his own beat” and if he wanted lessons he needed to pay for them. He’s ten. I think that’s reasonable. Of course if he learns something and we see the talent we would invest further but all these extra curricular activities add up.
Kenya G. Johnson recently posted…Belgian Waffles & South Carolina Moonshine
They do add up, for sure. Two years ago she enjoyed some excellent gymnastics instruction over 16 weeks (2 sessions) and then decided it wasn’t for her. That’s definitely something I’m taking into consideration now that she suddenly wants to do it again. She likes hockey and has tried many, many other activities so I know she’s not hurting for experiences.
I am a dream crusher too. My oldest (9) son believes he is making the NHL. I keep trying to tell him he is good but getting into the NHL is like winning the lottery.
There’s that fine line, isn’t there? I want them to believe they can succeed but I also want them to realize there has to be hard work (and luck) that goes into it. BTW, my son believes he’ll make the NHL, too. So maybe our boys will be teammates one day!
Haha, she’s smart! And a good illustrator. Would she settle for art classes?
Jessica @ Absurd, She Wrote recently posted…The Best Thing I Ever Ate
Well, let’s see. So far we have exposed her to ballet, baton twirling (I’m serious), gymnastics, soccer, tennis, swimming and ice hockey. Nope, we haven’t done art classes yet. Maybe that’s her calling. 🙂
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…Experienced Bad Mom, Dream Crusher
Take that $20 dollars and get a manicure. What’s that saying? In for a penny, in for a pound? Sometimes dreams just have to be squelched before some dumb ass coach tells her that stork legs are few and far between in competitive gymnastics. You’re a good mom. You’re my kind of mom. I’ve just spent the evening accusing my 17 year old of being a drug dealer and not a very good one at that…maybe I was being too rough on him?
SANDRA recently posted…The Concept of Blogging for Good and Evil
Just yesterday at Michael’s I picked up some gum because I was all out. My youngest through a hissy fit because I said I would share it with him. Apparently he thought I should buy him his own. Then he got mad because I didn’t give him the sunglasses he told me not to buy because they were too big. Didja follow that? Me neither, but I did buy the sunglasses because I knew he’d ask about them later!
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