Not Julie's Finest Hour

Deacon has been going to Gym and Swim at the YMCA since last January. He has been in the 3 and 4 year old class and has loved every minute of it. The 3 and 4 year olds swim first and then have gym in the Spirit, Mind and Body room. (I had to add the name of the room in...I sometimes wonder if the people who routinely use the room for Yoga complain that the 3 and 4 year olds mess up the chi of the room)

Last Tuesday we arrived for his new session and were met with the "exciting" news that since there were only 2 3&4 year olds signed up they wanted to move Deke and the other kid up to the 5 & 6 year old class. I did not think that it would be a problem.

Deacon did.

He absolutely lost it. "I am not 5 yet!" he wailed. "I want to swim first!" "They will never let me swim at all", "I want to go home!"

See, the 5 &6 year olds gym first and then swim.

Not cool.

I try to follow through on consequences.

I didn't though. I told him that if he didn't go in there and play I would take him home. He said, "take me home." And I didn't. I knew that if I could just get him in there he would have a great time and it would all be good. He loves activities and he doesn't like to just be home.

What he doesn't like is surprises.

If they had called me an hour before so I could have prepped him, he probably would have been ok. But the kid can't handle loss of control. And surprises. They kind of go hand in hand, don't they?

So I threw all of the parenting techniques, natural consequences out the window. I pleaded with him to try it, I offered bribes. I offered threats. I tried to act cheerful and like this was so exciting. I tried to act annoyed. That didn't require much acting.

And he was just beside himself. Which isn't like him.

Except when he has no control.

Finally, I told him this: "Deacon, if you don't go in there I am going to go check you into kids stuff with Lincoln (the childcare area) and take Roman out and have him come here to have class in your place. "

He said, "You can't do that."

And I said, "oh, yes I can."

And he went in.

And he had a great time.

And he finished up gym with a smiling face and went into the locker room to get ready for swim.

And I discovered that I forgot his wetsuit.

And his swimming trunks.

And I felt like crying. After all of that, he wasn't even going to be able to swim?!

But the front desk had a loaner pair (yeah YMCA!).

And he had fun.

And yesterday when I dropped him off, he said, "You can go now, Mom."

So I went upstairs to run.

And when he came up to run his 2 laps he caught up with me (yes, I did slow down. he can't beat me yet!) and slipped his little hand into mine.

And we ran together.