A GRITTY Story

When my girls were little, they were dancers. They loved their ballet and jazz classes and would spend hours making up additional routines in our lounge room, ready to perform and entertain anyone who would sit for long enough on the couch to watch.

I remember my younger daughter asking if she could take on an additional class, as she was fascinated by the Tap Dancers who tapped their way into the class after hers, and of course the noise that the shoes made as they danced around the floor. I remember being surprised by her request, as she was a child who didn’t particularly love noisy environments, and I thought that the tap class might be a bit too much for her sensitive nature. After many chats, and a promise to commit to the class and the end of year concert even with the noise, I signed her up for the following year.

At first, she was full of enthusiasm. She would practice the basic steps that she learned, and was quick to show her older sister how it was done! Our home dance concerts quickly shifted to made up tap routines – in our hallways, stairs, bathroom - anywhere that would allow the resonating sound to travel. The sound of tapping feet filled our home on a regular basis.

It didn’t take long before I started to see her enthusiasm wane – the routines started to get harder, the class was noisy, and my daughter started to pull away, finding excuses as to why she didn’t want to attend.

One day, she came up to me and said, “Mummy, you were right. Tap is giving me a headache, and I don’t want to do it anymore!”.

A big discussion followed, one that was all about GRIT. We talked about commitment, and seeing things through. We talked about giving our best, even when the lessons become hard or we don’t like something anymore. We talked about the teacher, the other students and the concert that they had been rehearsing for and how they would feel if she walked away. We talked about how we need to keep trying and not be quick to give up. We talked about how challenges can help us to become a better person if we have the right mindset.

By the end of our chat, she looked at me and said, “Ok, Mummy…I will see it out and perform at the concert like I promised. Can we talk about next year after that?” We smiled, and hugged. It was a teachable moment for her, and one that I believe has helped to shape her character and approach to life.

It’s fair to say that my daughter never became a world-famous tap dancer. What she did become is GRITTIER and more resilient – even when things were tough and challenging. She’s still learning how to be GRITTY and I am just as proud of her now as I was back then.

Maybe it’s not a Tap Class that you are helping your child navigate through. It might be a friendship bump, learning a new skill - like riding a bicycle, a demanding co-curricular schedule, an issue of self-confidence or a learning challenge. Whatever is before them, we have the privilege of being their champion, their coach and their encouragers. How are you helping your child develop GRIT, learning to rise after they fall.