Ivie Family: Gymnastics: Take One

Ry Pie has been talking a lot about gymnastics. She has been doing a lot of yoga with me, trying on her leotard, pretending to do turns and flips and really showing an interest. I decided to give it a go! I signed her up for a trial lesson and was ready to write the big check to get her in weekly lessons if it went well. I made the bad decision to do the trial lesson while Chris was in Arkansas camping. I am not sure why I made this fatal mistake, but I will not make it again. The next time I am taking Ryan out of her comfort zone I need all my attention and both hands available to deal with her. Here is what happened.

The days leading up to her lesson we talked about it and she seemed very excited. On the day of her lesson she was so excited that when I reminded her that today was the day she decided she didn't want to go to school and just wanted to go straight to her lesson. I thought this was a good sign that the lesson would go well. After her school day she took a good 3 hour nap so I was also pleased that she would be well rested for her gymnastics debut! When it was time to get ready to go I met my first speed bump. Ryan decided she did not want to wear her leotard. Although I wanted her to wear it and was surprised that she didn't want to since she had been trying it on in preparation I did not fight this battle. The teacher had already told me that she could wear whatever she wanted as long as it was loose and comfortable. Leotards were not required, but many kids liked to wear them. I threw her leotard in my purse just in case and we headed to the gym. She was still very excited when we got there and she ran into the building and up the stairs. When we got to the gym she admired another little girls pink leotard and decided that she wanted to wear her pink leotard. I reminded her that her leotard was black but that I had known she would change her mind and I had brought it for her. (Mom saves the day!) I wrangled Ryan and Emma into the bathroom and we did the wardrobe change. We still had ten minutes to kill, which I thought would be good for Ryan to get comfortable with her surroundings and meet her teacher. This is where I was wrong. Ryan started to get anxious. I watched her slowly fall apart over the next ten minutes. It was not pretty. When it was time to enter the actual gym area Ryan was throwing herself on the floor, covering her face and crying. At the same time Emma thought she could take the lesson and was trying to claw her way into the gym. She didn't understand why I was standing in her way. I finally convinced Ryan to walk into the gym (because she thought Emma and I were coming too, this also pleased Emma), but when the door shut and I wasn't there she really lost it (as did Emma when I didn't go all the way in). She came busting out and Emma was trying to bust in. It was a mess and I was a mess! All the other kids (who were not there for the first time) were having a great time and all of their mothers were sitting in their seats calmly watching their little Mary Lou Rettons while glancing at me with looks of disgust. I felt embarrassed, exhausted and defeated. I attempted to get Ryan to sit and watch the other kids with me, but she (and mostly Emma) were being too disruptive and I felt so uncomfortable in the midst of the other moms. Sadly, only one mother said a kind and empathetic comment to me. We ended up leaving after fifteen minutes and I cried the whole way home. I did learn one valuable lesson that I am pretty sure I already knew, but this experience heightened my awareness. If I ever see a mother dealing with a difficult child I will smile a genuine and empathetic smile and offer to help or let her know that I have been in her shoes. This first take at gymnastics was a bad one for all involved, but it could have been a little better with a little more motherly support. And another set of hands.