So A started ballet last week. I was totally against ballet for many years as after having three boys everyone said to me when A was born that I would have to get used to doing things like ballet. Being pigheaded, that made me quietly determined that there would be no ballet and if she wanted to she could do football and the things we brothers did if she so wished.
But the funny thing about trying to avoid gender stereotypes is that your children are these amazing free thinking little creatures who quickly develop minds and wills of their own and no matter how gender neutral you try to keep their toys and activities, they seem to naturally find their own way into the things that are typically ‘boyish’ and ‘girly’. In the same way as I never bought the boys guns or weapons when they were younger, they made them out of sticks and Lego anyway, I never actively encouraged A to dance or to be interested in ballet but she has been obsessed with it for about a year now and can often be found ‘practising’ her ballet moves.
So at the beginning of the summer, I finally gave in and said that I would sort out lessons for her. We then had to wait until September for the new classes to start. Last week, I thought that A might actually combust with excitement. I hadn’t bothered buying her any proper kit (mainly as I was clueless about what to buy) so I just put her in tracksuit bottoms and a top and then felt awful when we arrived to find all of the other girls looking like mini ballerinas, some even with swanky headbands and their hair in buns. I was a little embarrassed as they were all beginners but luckily A was too excited to notice.
A was straight in there and the teacher is amazing. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen. The teacher was constantly being followed by these little pink clad girls who adored her and were pushing in front of each other to try and stand next to the teacher. It was hilarious. But the most important thing was that A had the biggest smile on her face the whole time. She loved it. She came home and danced around the house.
Fortunately one of the other mothers advised me where to look for some ballet shoes and kit and we had more excitement from Little Miss A when it arrived. She insisted on wearing it when she came home from playgroup every night and I had to fuss around her to make sure that she didn’t ruin it before we had got to the next ballet lesson.
This weekend A insisted that Daddy took her and he loved it too. I know that doing ballet will be brilliant for A; it is good for fitness, for posture and concentration and it is sociable but the most important thing is that she enjoys it and as long as she is enjoying it, we will have a very pink ballerina in the house.
Aww bless her!! She looks like a real ballerina!! Too cute x
She looks absolutely beautiful! I will never forget the excitement of my first pair of ballet shoes 🙂
Yay! She looks gorgeous! It’s great to give the kids these opportunities, especially when it’s something they want so much. Didn’t she have to have uniform ballet stuff? Ours all has to fit in with the Royal Ballet curriculum! Like you, I thought my daughter could play football and ballet was too girly for our family, but we got there in the end. I still dislike sitting outside ballet class with all the posh mums, but my daughter loves ballet and she is really good at it.
How lovely. Our house is full of karate kits, football stuff and cricket stuff! Am thinking of getting a female dog, just to up the feminine ante!
What a cutie. xx she looks very pretty in her ballet costume
Awe x she looks amazing 😉 I can’t wait for mine to start ballet! I’m most excited about tutu shopping and hair buns. Yes. I am a stereotype… Lol xx
Aww how sweet. I was surprised to find that my friend’s little girl has to wear blue not pink. Hope she continues to throughly enjoy it.
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