I need to remind myself often that Maya is only five. She has always been a few years older in my mind because of her excellent reasoning and analytical skills. One minute she can be just a giggly five-year-old and the next, she can be flooring me with her ability to understand things that only adults should be thinking about.
That's why when we decided to have her be in this show, I figured, no problem! She'll be able to handle herself well and start down the road into trained actor. Uh, what was I thinking? Apparently, asking her to stand still, listen, and pay attention on stage is bringing out the, well, five-year-old in her! She's always been a well-behaved child, rarely throws temper tantrums. Mostly just gives teenage-like attitude. So this rehearsal process has been a bit of a challenge to be both actor and mom at the same time.
The other issue is that Maya is so darn fun and cute, that others will give her her way, or encourage her to keep being silly and funny. Uh, not so much fun for mom who's trying to get her to listen and behave. I've had this issue many times over the past few years. People gravitate towards her and want to give her anything. It can be a challenge to keep her grounded when others are wanting to just spoil her.
So, I promise to remember that she is truly only five years old and not expect adult-like behavior from her. I promise to practice patience and know that this is a new experience for her and try not to get upset when she is reduced to tears because she's tired of running the same scene over again. And I promise to think twice the next time we put her onstage to know if it's best for her or just best for us as parents.
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