Practice What You Preach

A little late post today, we have been at Dance Convention and during lunch I decided to take the parent class instead of blogging during lunch. Which turned out to be a Musical Theater Hip Hop performing opp for us parents. As we were learning our routine today the instructor said, "here is your chance to have a moment" our kids get these moments all the time when they perform, now it was our turn. "Don't waste it" she said. It made me think, will I be able to practice what I preach and dance it out big, perform, and show up in my face they way I tell The Girl to when she is on stage.

I am always coaching up my kids. For The Girl it is about practicing the way she is going to perform. She doesn't always "perform it" in her rehearsals. She will bring it on stage though. She always steps it up a notch or two when she is in a performance. I always say, imagine what it would be like if you practiced that way, you would be through the roof!!! For The Boy it is telling him to play like he practices. Sometimes during games he holds back. I think it is because he is afraid to mess up. He won't run as fast or go as hard to "avoid" a mistake. I know all to well what that is like. So today when I was thinking of having my moment in this performance I thought "remember what you tell The Girl and do that!"

Well, in the performance I did, mostly. I knew I had to because she would be even more embarrassed and say "mom, why didn't you perform it full out" or maybe it would be a good example of what not to do, that is if she took her embarrassment hands away from her head long enough to watch. In my performance I listened to that voice that I tell The Girl. "Look like you are having fun! Be sharp, you know what you are doing! If you mess up mess up big and own it." Well, I went right instead of left put two moves in the wrong order but I shimmied and shook smiled and even added in some sassy facials to Taylor Swift's shake! It was fun, I really do love performing and being on stage and I hope people, especially The Girl and the kids in our studio, saw that. I hope the dancers from our studio lets it inspire them to smile and enjoy dancing enough to remember that voice in their performances and in turn, increase their scores!

So practice what you preach! Follow through with your own advice. Don't expect your kids to take your advice if you do not! Our kids will emulate us, sometimes out of respect and admiration and sometimes just out of habit and because of genetics. So let's not only be good role models but follow the advice we give to our kids. Let the kids see you try things and fail and see you try and succeed. Be honest about your decisions and let them lift your spirits every now and then if the "performance" wasn't your best or the "judges" didn't like it so much or things don't go you way. That is what we would do for them. We encourage them and love them in their best and worst so do that for yourself as well. Never miss an opportunity to have your "moment" and more than that, don't be afraid to go out and dance BIG! In the words of Lee Ann Womack "If you get a chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance" and better yet, do it on stage! 

#Everyday2015

BTW I need to brag The Girl did a great job this competition, her solo got a first place Platinum award and she won the title for her age group at this convention!  Yay!