Keys of Acceptance

In what was a somewhat surprising announcement, we discovered that after auditioning a month ago, Smallsteps was accepted into a music school. And while she is nervous of the change (which will happen after summer), she has decided that no matter what, she wants to accept the offer and give it a go. As a girl who is a bit shy in nature, she has also become far braver over the last year, putting her hand up for things she wouldn't have earlier, and attempting things she wouldn't have tried earlier also.

I think she has started to recognise where her strengths lay.

Her going to the new school changes quite a lot for our logistics and makes organisation a lot harder for a little while at least, as currently she can walk to school. Later, it is buses and trams, and still a long walk to get there. But, as she is also getting older, it will get easier and easier and the routines will set in.

Personally, I am glad that she was accepted and wants to go, because while it might not make too much difference in primary school, later, she will get automatic admission into a secondary school in the city, which has a very good music program also. There are no real "music" schools here, but there are a few around that have more focus put on specifics. There are also some that focus on math also, but the kids that go to that school are well, - built to be good at math.

I wish I was built to be good at something.

Since I am not, I have to try and be good at something and perhaps that will be parenting. I don't think I am a natural parent like my wife though, so I think I have to work a bit harder at it. What I am trying to do though is be a decent support for what she might be good at, even though she might not realise what she might be good at herself yet. Music is something I saw in her since she was a baby and when she sat for 45 minutes as a three year old on the piano at her auntie's place, gently testing all the sounds, I knew she had it in her. She has been playing piano officially for a year now, and she is doing very well so far.

But more than the musical skill support skill, I think that there is a benefit to be around kids who are similarly interested in school itself, as she is. She is good at math, good at writing, good at reading and good at all kinds of things where she needs to focus to learn and improve. She likes school, not because of what she learns, but because of being able to learn itself. The kids at her new school are more likely to be similar to her, which means less class disruptions, and more time for teachers to be able to spend on development. In her current class, there is a broad range of children and learning desires, from a few like her, to those who are not interested at all - but take the majority of the teacher's time.

I think she will excel.

And have a bit more "competition" where people are interested in improvement also. This is something that has worried me a bit at her current school, because she doesn't have to really stretch herself to excel there, and things are a bit too easy. I was similar at her age, but never got the support to improve, so when things did get harder, I was left behind, because I didn't have the habits in place.

And I still suffer my childhood learning.
Or lack thereof.

But for now, I don't need to worry about any of that and instead we are going to go into the city to have a burger (Smallsteps' choice) to celebrate her admission. This is a big thing, but I want to get myself better at marking occasions of note with her, because I think it makes a difference to her life now, and maybe to her memories later.

I might be living a little vicariously, but today I don't care.

Taraz
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