Speaking of Ninja's - Liam is taking Karate. This is actually the second time he's taken karate - he really likes it and it was his idea to take it again. I really like the class he's in this time - sure they are teaching them karate moves - but they are really stressing that they aren't supposed to use these moves unless someone is attacking them first. They are really focused on self defense - and the appropriate actions to take to prevent needing to use karate (ie. walk away). Love it.
There is just one small problem. We signed up for the class in the summer, before kindergarten started. At the time I didn't know that all day school was going to take a toll on him and that he'd be exhausted at the end of each day. I signed him up for a 6:00 - 7:00 class - back when he went to bed at 8:30, I thought that'd be no problem at all. The thing is - he is usually asking me if he can go to bed by 6:45, and he's sound asleep snoring by 7:00. Kindergarten has been quite the adjustment for him, and he's dead tired by the end of each day. So on the nights that he has karate, he just struggles to get through it. The last 20 min or so he mostly just stands there with a dazed look on his face.
I'm torn about what to do. We could quit the class - but I've never been a quitter, and I don't want to raise my kids to be quitters either. When we commit to something - we finish it, even if it means sucking-it-up for a while, we always finish. But, he's not getting much out of it, the teachers are getting frustrated and are wasting their time, and he's not loving karate the way he used to. I'm afraid that by forcing him to stick through this class, he's going to stop loving karate all together. Is quitting because you're too tired a legitimate reason? I'm not sure - I've been pretty exhausted before, and I don't let myself give up, I just drink some extra coffee and keep going. But - he's 5, and I'm the one that choose the class time, it's not his fault - plus it was a decision we made before school started - circumstances have changed.
I think Liam will take Karate again - for a low-key quiet kid such as himself - it's the perfect sport. It teaches him self defense skills - allows him to work at his own pace - teaches him respect for himself and others. Liam doesn't love group activities - Karate is very much about Liam learning his body, and his surroundings - yes there are other kids there, but he's learning to do the moves his way in his own time. I think maybe we both love it! So, by letting him quit this time around - will I be teaching himself to respect himself enough to know his own limits and not to be pushed into doing things he doesn't want to do? Or will I be teaching him that it's ok to quit?
What would you do?
No comments:
Post a Comment