Both of my older daughters have been in co-ops for the past year/year and a half. They aren't super formal co-ops. There are about 5 families in each co-op and the mom's rotate hosting & teaching. 2dd6's co-op met twice a month for 2 1/2 hours, used the Five in a Row curriculum and did lapbooking. The girls enjoyed packing their lunches and eating together in addition to the learning time and play time. 3dd5's co-op met only once a month for 2 hours and didn't use a formal curriculum. The topics were mostly seasonal (Thanksgiving, Easter,) and sometimes topical (The Zoo, Flowers, Birds). Both of these co-ops have been minimal stress for our family and very edifying. The kids have benefitted from other mom's instruction and have developed wonderful friendships with other Christian girls!
Well, 4dd3 has for some time wanted a co-op of her own. In fact for months, she insitsted upon praying for her girls' co-op EVERY TIME WE PRAYED. If someone else were to pray and not mention her (non-existant) girs' co-op, she was a MESS and we would have to pray again, thanking God for her girls' co-op. Every night, without fail, she would say, "Dear God, Thank you for my girls' co-op..." She's been doing this for 6 months (although not so obsessively the past couple). Well, the situation escalated beyond simple prayers to tears when 3dd5 went to her April co-op, so I PROMISED that in May, she would have her own co-op. (I rarely promise anything!) Then, our life is turned upside down with dh's new job and the pending move and yesterday, I remember the promise and realize that today is co-op day again. Well, I had to keep my word!
With not much time to plan and NO ideas, I hopped over to grandmommy's blog where she had recently posted about a wonderful storybook Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets. (Thank you Grandmommy!!!) So this morning we scrambled to clean the house, make a batch of buterscotch brownies, run to the grocery, and then the library to pick up the book, dropped off 3dd5 at her co-op and invited the younger sister of one of her friends to come over for girls' co-op at our house (the older sister is also a friend of 2dd6, so they had a grand time playing and making up their own crafts all afternoon). I didn't have a craft planned, but managed to figure one out with help from my friend (we made bunny rabbits out of yogurt containers--very cute) and the girls had snack and listened to the story and we sang the song Over in the Meadow...it turned out very well EXCEPT...
After all the anticipation, my dear sweet daughter was too overwhelmed to enjoy it. She cried initially, played shy the entire time, refused to play with her friend, clung to me, didn't want to have her picture taken...sigh!
Well, at least I kept my promise and she was excited to tell Daddy about it on the phone, and she did like the "bunny cup" craft and has asked me to re-read the story many times, and of course she enjoyed the brownies and the Zoo Pals frog plate, so it was a special day, she's just a little bit immature yet for her own co-op, which I knew. I am relieved that I didn't have more time to plan and invite more girls, because I don't think she really would have enjoyed it and I might be more frustrated if I'd actually spent more than a minute planning it.
Kids are funny! They think they know what they want and on the rare occasion they get it, they realize they didn't really want it in the first place. I guess we never really outgrow that! |
