This is not a discussion I should be having with a three-year-old.
We've been noticing some problems with the younger child lately. For one thing, he's become rather shy. He used to be very outgoing, or if he did feel shy, he would get over it pretty quick.
Not now. Now he's very clingy. I take this as a good sign since I think a little bit of fear towards strangers is a good thing...and something the older one never really had. (Does that mean the older one is more trusting? I don't know.)
A major problem has developed, though, because he's gotten very anxious about gymnastics. He used to love gymnastics, and he still does...until we get there. When we get to the building, he suddenly grabs on to me and won't let go. Today I sat with him for twenty minutes before giving up and going home. He simply wasn't going to go to class.
On the way home, I asked him what was wrong: "Is it hard? Are you scared of the other kids?"
I did half expect him to parrot back to me that he was scared of the other kids. But that's not what happened.
"Mommy, it's hard. I can't do things!"
Right. My three-year-old is intimidated by the difficulty of gymnastics. (FYI, gymnastics at this age is walking on six-inch high balance beams, summersaults, cartwheels, and swinging from bars.)
I guess I'm thinking we need to take a break from it...and probably not sign him up for soccer this summer, either. (We'll try swimming since he is a hydrophile.) I think he enjoys playing but he's either frustrated with his own limited ability to do things or maybe he doesn't like the structure.
I'm surprised as he actually does very well with following directions and doing what he's supposed to. Maybe we'll try again in the fall. Maybe over the summer, he'll grow into those hard things. I hope so.
It's hard to know when to try to encourage them through something that makes them anxious and when to chalk things up to not being ready. Since he's only three, I think it's pretty plausible that he's not ready. Or at least I'm hoping so because the other issue is much harder to deal with.
Not now. Now he's very clingy. I take this as a good sign since I think a little bit of fear towards strangers is a good thing...and something the older one never really had. (Does that mean the older one is more trusting? I don't know.)
A major problem has developed, though, because he's gotten very anxious about gymnastics. He used to love gymnastics, and he still does...until we get there. When we get to the building, he suddenly grabs on to me and won't let go. Today I sat with him for twenty minutes before giving up and going home. He simply wasn't going to go to class.
On the way home, I asked him what was wrong: "Is it hard? Are you scared of the other kids?"
I did half expect him to parrot back to me that he was scared of the other kids. But that's not what happened.
"Mommy, it's hard. I can't do things!"
Right. My three-year-old is intimidated by the difficulty of gymnastics. (FYI, gymnastics at this age is walking on six-inch high balance beams, summersaults, cartwheels, and swinging from bars.)
I guess I'm thinking we need to take a break from it...and probably not sign him up for soccer this summer, either. (We'll try swimming since he is a hydrophile.) I think he enjoys playing but he's either frustrated with his own limited ability to do things or maybe he doesn't like the structure.
I'm surprised as he actually does very well with following directions and doing what he's supposed to. Maybe we'll try again in the fall. Maybe over the summer, he'll grow into those hard things. I hope so.
It's hard to know when to try to encourage them through something that makes them anxious and when to chalk things up to not being ready. Since he's only three, I think it's pretty plausible that he's not ready. Or at least I'm hoping so because the other issue is much harder to deal with.