Finding Your Rhythm This School Year

Backpacks are packed, lunches are made, alarms are set a little earlier, and even the evenings have a schedule again!

The beginning of a new school year is exciting, but it can also be a big adjustment for the whole family. Kids are getting used to new teachers, new classrooms, earlier mornings, homework, activities, and a lot more structure than the summer (at least it is for mine!).

And yes, they might be tired. We’re talking about the kids here, but honestly, parents are probably feeling it, too!

As we settle into the first few weeks of school and dance at The Pointe, this is my encouragement to parents: give your new routine a little time to settle in.

New routines take practice, and can be fun!

It is so easy, after a long school day and a tired Tuesday afternoon, to wonder if having dance on the schedule is just too much. Especially during these first few weeks, when everyone is adjusting.

But - being tired while adjusting to a new routine doesn't necessarily mean the routine isn't good.

Kids are incredibly adaptable! The first week of school feels different (much harder!) than the fourth week of school. A dance class that feels like one more thing to do today can quickly become the part of the week they look forward to most.

Give them a chance to find their rhythm. Give yourself a little grace as you get back into the swing of things, too.

There is value in learning that we can be a little tired and still show up. We can follow through on something we've committed to. We can get through the transition period and discover that something that initially felt hard has simply become part of our normal routine.

Those are pretty great skills to practice as a kid. True confidence is built by doing something hard and earning success!

For my kids, we often stop for a little treat between preschool pick up and dance class to fill the time. It’s a small weekly tradition that has become one of my favorite parts of the week, and my kids look forward to it so much! Parents, you can build a great tradition around after-school activities to help keep the energy positive and build some quality time into the commute or wait. A favorite sing-along-song in the car, special snack before or after class, a well-loved crock-pot dinner right after they get home - these small but intentional routines can become lifelong memories.

Dance can make busy school weeks better.

Activities like dance aren't just another thing on a child's schedule. When we choose the right activities, they add something important to a child's week.

After spending much of the school day sitting, listening, concentrating, and learning, dancers get to MOVE. They get to use their bodies, listen to music, see friends, be creative and expressive, work toward goals, and learn in an entirely different way. They also get to be in another community of adults and kids who know them, encourage them, and are excited to see them each week.

Dance gives kids opportunities to practice focus, perseverance, teamwork, confidence, and responsibility. They experience the satisfaction of working on something that doesn't happen immediately and then realizing a few weeks or months later, I can do that now.

These benefits don't compete with what they're learning at school. They complement it!

Through every grade, dancers can grow up with the studio as a consistent positive place.

A two-year-old's dance class looks very different from a ten-year-old's. And a ten-year-old's experience looks very different from a high school senior's - but the thread of a dance journey can continue through all of those years.

Little dancers start by learning how to participate in a class, take turns, follow directions, move to music, and be away from their grown-ups with confidence. As they grow, dance grows with them. They develop stronger technique, tackle bigger challenges, form friendships, perform onstage, learn to work as part of a team, and discover what they're capable of.

Right before our eyes, those little dancers become the big kids our younger students look up to.

I love that dance can be a consistent place for kids through so many stages of growing up. Schools change. Teachers change. Friend groups change. Life gets busier. But week after week and year after year, the studio can remain a familiar place where they belong, are challenged, and are known. I know that was a really big deal for me when I was a kid.

So, parents, give it a few weeks. ☺️

If your dancer comes home from school exhausted this week, you're not alone!

If getting everyone fed, dressed, and out the door for evening activities feels a little more complicated than it did during summer, you're definitely not alone.

We're all finding our rhythm again.

Keep showing up. Give your dancer time to adjust. Give your family time to establish the routine. Before long, "We have dance tonight" won't feel like another addition to the schedule. It'll just be Tuesday. And hopefully, it'll be one of their favorite parts of Tuesday.

Here's to a great school year, a great dance year, and all of the growing our kids will do in both. 🩷💜💙

Vanessa