what activity for Charlie?

[moogie]

I'm trying to decide what activity to start Charlie on.  She has boundless energy and loves to perform but i'm struggling with what comes with performing.  Most dance schools here dress little girls up to be older and put masses of make up on their faces.  Then the dancing is hmmmm questionable.  So i'm thinking straight forward ballet might be good for her because it is disciplined and not gender driven.  The other thing is acting.  Can you do acting with 4 yr olds?  I think Charlie would love that.  Then theres sport.  She was interested in martial arts but i'm not sure about that as the basis of it is violence.  Even if it is defence.  So i'm after ideas.  I tghink Charlie needs to express herself which is why i was thinking dance or acting.  I guess there are positives and negatives to all of these. 

So what are you thinking of geting your kids into?  Charlie is interested in drums too.  she also tries to do hip hop but it seems to learn hip hop you have to do jazz first.

Jocelyn does ballet right?  how is that going?

[ShannonandDel]

Gymnastics?
I agree about the dance, but we are looking into Martial arts for Delaney.I have had a lot of friends that do MA and none of tham were at all aggresive people. A friend who is an instructor says that it she never be taught in that way, but more as a discipline. 

[kokonutmama]

My experience with taking K to classes has been that whatever it is, who the instructor is and the structure of the school have a lot to do with how much they get out of it.  I took him to the free trial class of karate and the instructor was awe-some.  They were very clear about when "practicing" is appropriate (only at the dojo and at home with your parents permission) but, I'm with you that violence is violence, plus right after the class we went to the mall and there was a kid totally bullying him and he whipped out the one punch he'd just learned at karate.    Despite that, I would have kept him in the class if it hadn't been so insanely expensive. 

Gymnastics I was disappointed with, he spent most of the time waiting in line, and the instructors didn't give my instruction, correction or feedback, so it was at most an exercise in taking turns and sitting quietly while someone else plays. Plus, again, way too expensive.  I'm sure there are gyms where they actually teach gymnastics, and K would love those, but I'm so not into driving all over creation to take him to classes... actually, maybe I'll look back into it.

It's so funny that you mention acting.  Last night I was planning on looking up if there were any acting classes for 4yo around here (I'm sure there are in the city, but we're too far out, I think) but I just could not remember what it was I sat down to google.  You totally stole the idea right out of my head.
ETA: I googled just now and my suspicions were exactly correct; there are acting classes for 3-4 year olds, but they're all closer in to the city, and too far away to drive (like an hour each way for a 45 minute class) Such a bummer.

My experience with dance classes as a kid including myself, my cousin who was serious about dance as a possible career, and my friends who took different types of dance is that ballet is the best place to start.  My impression is the same as yours that in the "jazz" and tap classes the focus is more on the costumes and less on the dance.  Better to get a solid foundation in technique and discipline first.

Good luck!

[moogie]

I thought about gymnastics briefly but not sure it'd be Charlies thing.  I talked to her about ballet and she wants to do it.  she has become a pink freak.  loves all things pink and ballerinas and unicorns etc.  just goes to show that the MIL suppressing the girly things has had the opposite effect.  Lets just say she wanted fairy and girl stuff for her bday and she is getting it.

[ShannonandDel]

  Lets just say she wanted fairy and girl stuff for her bday and she is getting it.

 

Megs, me and a friend are going to be starting a Roots and Shoots group For our 4 year olds. I think it is something else you might be interested in.

http://www.rootsandshoots.org/

You will have to post a picture of her in a tutu.

I just wanted to say that we have never pushed gender specific ideas to our kids but they don't care. Delaney loves girl stuff and Fin loves boy stuff.

[skeettafic]

Jocelyn is still doing ballet but I think her interest in it may be waning a bit.  We tried to take her to a 'real' ballet school over the summer but she was in the midst of some serious separation issues with Jared arriving and it didn't go well.  We are still doing the classes through the township but she's not as interested in them.

I'm actually thinking about signing her up for horseback riding lessons in the spring.