Summer is approaching and we all know it will be here faster than we know it. You may be thinking that you want to take a break from activities this summer. As a busy mom, I completely understand! As tempting as it may be, I will not be pushing the pause button on my kids' activities. As a teacher and a mom, here's why...
The Growth
Summer is a unique time in that kids do not have school all day before coming to class. The students we get in summer have lots of energy and are extra eager to learn. This is a teacher's dream! At Jibe, when we see those happy, well-rested, energetic kids walking through our door, we know that we have the opportunity to make great progress in a short amount of time. We are always amazed by how much our students' progress in summer. I love seeing this in all of "my" kids as a teacher. I definitely don't want to miss the opportunity to see this in the children I birthed! 😉
Fun and Friendships
Since we have the ability to work harder, we also get the opportunity to play harder. This is important for a few different reasons. The students are having so much fun, they often forget how hard they are working, Their success increases excitement, which also increases the positive energy and the fun!
Another important reason for the extra fun is it helps increase connection and build/deepen friendships. Recital gives a unique opportunity to start to form connections through teamwork and shared excitement. Summer session picks up where Recital left off and strengthens those connections. So many friendships are formed in summer. My kids have made friends at Jibe and other activities all year long, but I don't want them to miss out on the extra fun environment and stronger connection that summer classes can bring.
The Schedule
The break... is there ever really one? 😜 I just saw a funny meme the other day that said, "Parents don't go on vacation... they just take care of their kids in a different city." All kidding aside, you will still get a break. We have a month off from classes before our Summer session starts. Also, when you sign up for the session, we have set up our pricing to include two "free classes." If you decide you're having so much fun at the beach and decide to stay longer, no worries!
I have also found I actually plan more summer fun when I have somewhat of a schedule. When the schedule is wide open, it is easy to push off that fun summer outing to the tomorrow that sometimes never comes. Having some activities allows me to be more intentional with my time and plan lazy days and adventure days. It is good to find the right balance of fun and rest and having some commitments helps me to do that.
Back-to-back classes are a great way to maximize your summer fun. Classes back to back allow for twice the Jibe fun with only committing to one day. They also give you a little extra time, which makes it possible to go run an errand or two if you'd like.
For those of you that would enjoy a couple of hours to do...whatever you'd like, or those that have kids that can't go a month without dancing, we have some summer camps during the break.
Add Something New
Summer is a fabulous time to add something new! Without school or a show in the mix, summer is a great time to add an extra dance style. Jibe offers a variety of classes because the proven benefits of training in multiple styles are many! Each style adds additional skills and tools that transfer over to other styles. For example, you need rhythm in all styles, but adding tap increases that rhythm more quickly than taking another style alone. You will get technique in jazz, but adding ballet will greatly improve your posture and body positioning. If your child is loving dance, we highly recommend adding an additional style.
Moving up?
Some of you may have noticed that your child was recommended into the next level for summer. If this is the case, we definitely recommend taking classes this summer. The level recommendation is for the summer session, so if you wait until Fall, you will need to check back to see if that class is still a good fit. It is not uncommon for the class to progress so much in summer that the students that attempt to join in Fall are too far behind and no longer successful with that group. Just another reason why I continue activities over the summer with my own children.
We are already preparing for summer and are so excited to see all the growth and fun that summer brings! We hope to see you this summer. The commitment will be worth it!