To Push or not to Push...

[femkes_follies]

This is a current theme for me.

First, there is Anneliese (and to a somewhat lesser extent, Rori). I think I've mentioned (anyone else so overloaded with social media they forget what they have - and haven't - said to whom?) that I'm making another attempt to get Anneliese into Irish Dance classes again. She got resistant for a variety of reasons last year. One was that the "assistant" we hired for her let HER be in charge. Never good. Another was that the teacher changed. From one that was pretty sweet, to another who - while likely an excellent instructor and all around good person.... Well. John has dubbed her "Frau Blucher". She turns the music up quite a bit louder. AND there was construction going on in the studio, which was also loud.

In hindsight, I think it knotted up in her mind as Fear. To much commotion and someone she didn't trust to protect her.

So - do I push her, and make her practice a few steps every night in the kitchen? Try to get her back into a class in a new environment with a different teacher? Add earplugs? Put up with the protests and tantrums, at least in the short term?

Or let her have her way? Which (if she got it) would involve parking her butt in front of either the TV or the PC 24/7 or close to it. Temple Grandin has mentioned that one-on-one attention and NOT allowing them to pull back from the world is important.

It should be noted that I also get the fit-pitching and carrying-on whenever I try to get her to practice her penmanship, or read to me, or anything that isn't her idea or VERY fascinating.

My vacillating on the SCA in general and the Principality issue in particular pales in comparison.