Try-outs

Today Jackson had auditions for home school theater week. About 40 kids are hamming it up for a production of "Pinocchio" this Friday. Now, my little one is only in kindergarten, so we're just sticking our toes in the waters of "Pressure for Academic Success," but I had to laugh at the competitive nature we tend to have as parents even when our children are small. Mind you, I think my pumpkins are just as brilliant as you believe yours are, but aren't we starting to peg them as Olympic athletes and Tony Award winners and ground-breaking physicians and academics just a tad too early these days?

"What part do you want him to get?" a mom asked me before the auditions started.

"I'm not that worried about it," I replied.

She looked at me perplexed.

"Our goals for this week are good listening skills, a happy memory, and a little more confidence for him," I explained further. (My same little goofball was falling on the floor with nervous energy later. How could I worry about whether he had a magnificent part or not when I wasn't even sure if he would melt into a puddle of six-year-old weirdness?)

When I finished my thoughts about the coming week, she walked away with only a "Huh!"

I might not be the most competitive mom on the planet, but sometimes, I think we need to work a bit harder to remember our youngsters are only as old as they are. And it's okay to let them be and act that age.