By Contributing Author Heather Schweich of 2SleepingBabies blog
Aedyn starts ballet today.
He’s 3 and a half, and is beyond thrilled with his black ballet shoes, cause “boys wear black ones.”
He also has no idea that this is something that could define him to his peers, both now and in a few years.
Dance is a part of our family. My husband and I met in a ballet studio as partners. It’s something that we can’t get away from.
Our families accept and support it and we have yet to run across someone who doesn’t. I’m sure that it helps that it is slightly more common knowledge that football and soccer players take ballet to improve balance now, than it was 20 years ago.
I’m not naive though. I know that there is a possibility that he will get made fun of, at the very least, as he gets older; if he keeps dancing. But I don’t want to address it now.
A friend mentioned the book “The Only Boy In Ballet Class” and I was very excited to check it out. However, after reading a couple reviews and a synopsis I decided that it was not something I wanted to share with Aedyn at this time.
He doesn’t yet know that there is anything questionable about boys taking ballet. He doesn’t know that he “needs” an excuse like helping his football skills to excuse his love for dance. I feel that the book wouldn’t encourage him to dance, but introduce him to everyone else’s reasons why he shouldn’t.
Aedyn knows that he is going to ballet; he is going to be a prince and dance with his princesses. And for now, that’s all he needs to know.
What do you think? Should I prepare him more for the possible bullying from the start? Or is treating this like it’s something universally accepted putting him at risk now or later? What would you do?
About the Author: Heather Schweich is the mom of 2 precocious little boys, Aedyn (almost 3) and Jaron (just turned 1). She loves chasing them all over the place and walking the line between letting them be boys and keeping them from killing themselves. In between their adventures (read: when they’re asleep) you can find her blogging and maybe reacquainting herself with a too long neglected sewing machine or crochet hooks. Check out her blog 2SleepingBabies.
Photo of boy doing ballet by Boys and Ballet, found on Flickr
