I am dousing Aidan's enthusiasm for new things. This is certainly not my intention, but it's the result of every time I encourage him or get involved in an activity in which he has expressed an interest or shown ability.
All the times before now, I've been able to just shrug it off in annoyance or resignation.
I happily added to his collection of Brio trains when he was 3 and 4, then figured out it was time to stop when, with every new train, he would almost instantly pore over the included catalog of still.more.trains.
I purchased every book in the Warriors series, only to be forced to accept that he won't be reading the books without me. So I guess I'm in it for the long haul. I need to make much more time for read-aloud sessions.
When I saw him effortlessly throw a Frisbee straight and far, and ask family members to play along with him, I was excited to surprise him with Frisbee varieties (LED-lit for night play, oversized, soft ...). At least I was smart enough to back off when I saw the signs. Six weeks later, he voluntarily brought the old Frisbees to the park to play with his friends.
But his enjoyment of Shakespearean theatre is possibly the thing I regret destroying the most. I didn't see it coming. After Aidan pronounced last summer, as we departed Bard on the Beach on the night of his Young Shakespeareans performance of The Tempest, that it had been the best day of his "whole, entire life," I committed to helping him keep Shakespeare a part of his daily life. He really had shone in his performance of "Caliban." He seems to have a natural talent for theatre.
I invited Aidan to co-host a Shakespeare Club at his school. In September, he was keen. By January, he was losing interest. In March, he told me he really doesn't feel like doing Shakespeare Club anymore, and he only goes because his mom is leading it.
Tonight, when Caitlin asked if he would be signing up for the Young Shakespeareans again this summer, he said, "No." Caitlin was understandably surprised, and Aidan explained that what he liked most about Bard on the Beach, was that it was something different and new. Now that he has spent a whole year doing Shakespeare Club every week, there's nothing new and interesting about it.
My response was, "If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have spent 3 hours a week volunteering to run the Club." (and write minutes, adapt the script, research materials, etc.)
Honestly, I guess running the Club was something I did for me more than I did it for him. I loved working with those kids who are so bright and creative! But boy is it a solid blow to the stomach to realize that all my efforts have actually killed any enthusiasm he once had for Shakespearean theatre.
I feel like I can't inspire him and I can't imagine how to teach him when we need to homeschool again soon.
