The Chirstmas Play

When I first saw the script for the X-mas play that my not yet four year old was supposed to act in, I was not at all sure if he would be able to do it. In itself, the lines were not too long- my son, for one, can cheerfully rattle off stories much longer without missing a single work. But the words were new, and a teeny bit complicated, and performing on stage was a new experience.

One evening was all it took to teach my son the lines "An Angel told us a Saviour is born. And I have come to see Baby Jesus." But even after two long rehersals, he hadn't figured out the cues, and was refusing to raise his voice louder than a mumble.

The other Moms were pushing their kids to do enact the lines and to say them with emotion, but that I was reluctant to do. After all, my son was not a puppet who would perform when the right strings were pulled.

Two days before the play, the mothers pushed for one last rehersal. I refused. I was not going to take a day off to ferry my kid to a practice which I knew was not going to have the slightest impact on my son's performance.

On the day of the play, my son lived up to my expectations - he refused to say the lines, and just stood there looking sulky till I took pity on his and wisked him off the stage.

Was I disappointed? Well, I'll be kidding if I say I was not. But I am not as disappointed as I would have been had I expected him to deliver his lines, even if quite hesitantly.

As for the other kids- individually, and collectively, they looked lovely. But I would be exaggerating if I say that any of them performed to their true potential. Exposure is a great thing to have, but is it absolutely necessary to set our kids up for failure?