The Curious 52 Challenge is on. One lesson a week, lots of different topics. Learn something new. Stretch your mind.
Bring it on.
How to Step the 8-Count with Ryan Perez:
Step 1: Got my kids involved. I've learned that doing things with your kids is (often) a lot more fun, (frequently) the only way to get something done, and (pretty much never) easier. It went something like this:
Me: "We're going to take a Curious lesson tonight!"
Them: "Yay!"
Me: "We're going to learn to dance!"
Them: "Ok. Do I get a cupcake if I dance?"
That's how we roll at my house.
Step 2: Set up the laptop on the coffee table and hit play. And that's when they locked in. They counted along with Curious teacher Ryan Perez. 1, 2, 3... 5, 6, 7... They clapped along, getting louder and sillier, crazier and bouncier. Hey! They're having a lot of fun!
And no, I did not promise them a cupcake if they danced.
They had actually already had cupcakes. Might explain a lot.
Step 3: Danced. My 8-year-old was too cool to dance, so he just wanted to count and clap along. My 5-year-old interpreted the "small steps" in the lesson as "giant strides that make you do the splits, then fall on the floor giggling".
At some point between 5 and 8 years old, a child goes from thinking dancing is better when you're giggling uncontrollably on the floor to being too cool to dance with your father. And so they may not remember much of the salsa lesson they took tonight, but they know they had fun. And they know that doing something new, something different, something unexpected, something with their dad can make for a great evening. And I know I can't do anything approaching the splits. That's a lot of learning for just a few minutes.
So, Curious 52 Challenge: Lesson #3 complete.
Ready for Lesson #4.
Bring it on.
Kristen, do I get a cupcake now?
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