Revisit

So i was teaching class the other day and I'm watching this boy Joshua play with the other kids. It brought me back to the days of when he was first starting at My Gym and he was only about 2-2.5 years of age. He was an obnoxious kid who never listened and always thought something was funny. Really fun to be around and very happy go lucky but he would push others, hit them, kick them and do whatever the hell he pleased. I remember on many occasions that I just wanted to throw him as far as I could (which would've been pretty far since he weighed so little!) Columbia is a highly structured program. Frederick is more laid back and maybe that's been our problem. I've been in many a gym and seen all different ways of running class. Things to remember, it works in one location and it doesn't work in others. These are the issues I'm trying to address to corporate. Another story, another time.

Columbia has a very structured program and it's followed down to the letter. It's really great being a teacher there because it occupies your entire hour long class and makes it go that much faster! Then there are those children that are not very good with the structure and will try and resist it. It happens. We deal with it. Back in those days he just was a pain in my ass and ruined the structured of class so much that I didn't even want him in there. Mom was never a help either. I don't know if it was a language barrier or using My Gym as a means to get him to learn about structure, but she put all of this responsibility on us. She made sure that she got what she was paying for! I would walk up to her and say that she needed to help her son, he can't run around like that, he can't do this and he can't do that. She would always nod her head and say in broken English, "okay, I will" and then turn back to her book across the room. A little annoying. There was a time when he went to the bathroom and I guess his family doesn't do diapers or underwear (i don't know if it's an Elimination Communication kinda thing or just never thought it was necessary for children) but he ran out of the bathroom without his pants. And he ran all around the gym completely exposed from the waist down. Actually pretty hilarious. I wished I had a video camera of that and could give her a copy to embarrass him when he was 16!

Point is, he was just a really crazy child back then and it was 2 years ago and now he's 4.5 years of age. He listens better but still a very wild child. He was in class the other night with 2-3 year olds and granted he's about their height, but still very rough. Again, told mom that he couldn't be in here, again, got the nod and okay and again, went back to her book. Actually, this time it wasn't her book. It was her second child! Her second child has now reached the age that Joshua used to be when he first started class. And he is exactly like him! Doesn't follow direction, doesn't listen, pushes, hits and kicks. Absolutely crazy that there are two of them!


My thoughts: wait until your child is about 5 before you think about having a second one. Because that woman probably hasn't slept in 6 years. I realize that he's not quite 5 yet but I'm sure that boy was giving her hell in her uterus! Your baby is just an absolute joy to you when they're 0-1 year, funny and difficult in a fun way when they're 2 and excited and interesting when they're 3. But when they start hitting 4 and 5 you really start seeing what your mom was talking about when she said, "i hope you have children that act just like you!" Scary.

Not to say that I'm waiting that long but it does give you something to think about. let's hope Sam isn't like that at all. Oh, and Joshua's brother's name is Sam so the whole night I was saying, "Sammy share! Sammy don't push! Sammy leave Hailey's hair alone!"

Foreshadowing?