Double Standards
I mentioned briefly in my last blog post that Miss 5 was enrolled in the Crossfit Kids program during these school holidays.
Issy is used to the notion of “going to the gym” because her Dad and I do it daily so when I asked her if she wanted to go to the gym during her school holidays she jumped up and down and squeeled “yes yes yes – that’s exactly what I want to do on my holidays”
James and I were both surprised that she was so adamant about going because something like this is well outside of her comfort zone, she’s not great with big groups and to top it off she wouldn’t know anyone or have us there for support. So when I asked her “will you be ok if you don’t know anyone” my protective Mum worries were put to rest by her “of course I will be, I’m a big girl now” response.
So for the past (nearly) 2 weeks each day when I get home she excitedly explains what they did and then literally drags me into our gym so she can demonstrate.
First of all I’m stoked she’s having fun, learning new things and getting more confident as the days go by but I still worry about her especially after we had the following conversation;
Issy – Today we had to skip for a minute.
Me – Cool was that fun?
Issy – No, you know I can’t skip properly and I definitely can’t do 1 minute.
Me – But you could just do the skipping Mummy taught you.
Issy – *shrugs shoulders* That’s not proper skipping.
And then the one that really struck a cord with me went along these lines;
Issy – I did jumping up to the bar pull-ups, I ran on the inside grass and I did ball push-ups oh and the other one you walked up and down and held the round things with the holes above your head.
Me – The weight plates?
Issy – Yes! But mine was too heavy, I had to use that really really little one.
Me – But you carried it above your head and walked?
Issy – Yes.
Me – That’s awesome baby!
Issy – But you heard I only did the little one right?
Me – Yes baby, but you walked and held it above your head just like they asked – high five!
Obviously I’m her Mum and whatever she does is awesome from my point of view and she’s only 5 so she obviously hasn’t even heard about the concept of scaling yet but it saddens me that she forgets all the awesome stuff she can do to remember the 1 thing she couldn’t.
So imagine my horror when this week as I posted my score on the board I literally stopped myself in my tracks because I found myself wanting to say “But I only did the intermediate weights” when Coach said “Well done Julz”
I stood there and thought of Issy and how proud I was of her no matter what level she was working at and then asked myself why I couldn’t be as proud of my own accomplishments as I was of hers.
I agonized all day as to whether I had somehow imparted my “issues” onto her but I’m pretty sure I never complain about how much stuff I can’t do around the house. I mean James already knows I suck at just about everything in crossfit and Issy doesn’t know Mummy has a blog so I doubt she read it online.
Maybe its genetic or maybe just maybe it’s human nature, I’m hoping it’s a case of Nature not Nuture because I’d hate to find out that I had anything to do with her being so caught up in being “perfect” at everything.
Either way this week I’ve been conscious of not dumbing down my life and I’ve made a conscious effort to relish in any progress I make small or big, after all I’m a relative crossfit newbie so I get PR’s just about everyday!
This week I “manned up” and handstand walked the squares on the main floor (as opposed to my nice safe astro turf) and I got PR’s on my power clean and deadlifts, this weeks 3rm is 5kgs up on my previous 1rm! (*Aaron I know you are wondering lol so 3rm = the heaviest amount I can lift for 3 reps)
Sure I know there are things that I suck at but that’s what keeps us going forward, if we had nothing to aim for we’d be stuck on earth instead of reaching for the stars.
Till next time
