Too much activity - part II

Today I had a talk with my son's gymnastics coach again. My son passed his evaluations and now he is officially invited to the team. Great! Except now he has to attend gym 1.5 hrs 2 times a week. And that's only for a start. Eventually, it will be more. To the coach's surprise, my face did not show any happiness.

When we discussed my "Too much activity" blog, one of the moms told me that too much is just a temporary issue, but if I want my child to succeed in one particular activity, I will have to eventually choose one and quit all the others. I knew she was right, but I wasn't planning on that. I was always the kind of mom to give my kids a taste of "a little bit of everything", but I've never considered that my kids will actually have a talent to excel in one, and that one would become a part of their life. I was never ready to sacrifice a huge part of my child's life for a sport. Did I underestimate the coaches!

"I am not pressuring you in any way" - said the coach and gave me a look that made me feel like an ant being squished - "but the choice is between a little dancing and a potential scholarship to Stanford." Did I mention that if we go for the team, we have to quit dancing, and I will have endure another squishing conversation with our dance teacher? I am so looking forward to that. I love it when the coaches make you feel as your child's worst enemies, no matter what decision you make. "Your child has a special talent, and you are ruining it" - they will say to you - "but I am not pushing you. It's your decision." Thank you. You've made it really easy.

As I said before, I always give my children choices for activities they want to take. I wish I can do that now. I wish I could say to my 5-year-old: "Would you like to be a member of a gymnastics team, which means that eventually all the time besides school will have to be devoted to gymnastics?" What do you think he would say? "Are you kidding me - my friends will be playing outside, riding their bikes and pursuing their hobbies and I will be working in the gym? No, thank you." But he does not understand the up side. First, there is potential scholarship to Stanford. And second and even more important, he will be doing what nobody else does, achieving his potential, and maybe even loving it. I wish my 5-year-old could make that decision. But now it's on me, and I can't make it any better then he can.