Jo Cool Mama

Sammy’s been in a tumbling class for a little over two years and he loves going! Although, we have had issues with how often the class gets a new instructor. We started out with a lady who was by all means awesome! She was forced to quit because she was holding down two jobs and had five kids at home – very understandable why she needed to stop this tumbling position and be home with her family. The next teacher was not as awesome but she was totally willing to work with the kids and make it a nice experence for them. She was forced to quit because she got some freaky kind of laryngitis and the doctors pretty much said if she didn’t stop this job where her voice was being stressed, she would lose her voice forever! Not good, and totally understandable why she had to go. Then we got another lady who was pretty good with the kids, but her time with the class was cut short when she suffered a violent death in her family! Another perfectly good reason to quit and totally understandable! That’s where the problems really started… The company was trying to fill the position with a sub until the one lady with a death in the family felt like returning to work. They were sticking teenage girls with a bunch of toddlers and wanting them to teach them! Sam was acting out one night (not bad, just goofing around) and the little teen in charge of the class decided to punish him and hold him out of the castle (the last really fun thing all the kids look forward to) for five minutes! He was four and five minutes was a lifetime to him! I stood up and told the little teenaged girl that I was not okay with that and the fact that he’s only four-years-old with a five minute time out being forced to watch the other kids play on the castle was not fair! I used the word “torture” to express how strongly I felt. The girl’s eyes grew with fear like a deer in the headlights as I went off. I told her to bring him to me and we were going to leave! I did go back because Sammy begged to go and we never saw teenage girl again… happily. After teenage girl the company found a mother who was willing to teach the class. All the parents were relieved at this and ready for someone to come in and get these kids back on improving their skill. The lady was nice and after awhile got better, but in the beginning she wanted me to go out and help with Sam. The kids were not listening – and can you blame them? They have a different instructor every week! I did not want to go out and help – really, I am tired and I don’t want to pay for a class I have to go help out with. I had done it in the past and I was just done with it. So, I switched classes to a morning class because Sam’s very first teacher was teaching a morning class during the summer – and we went back to her amazing skill with the kids. Then school started and we needed to switch back to an evening class and back to the mom instructor. Although, she had improved during our summer months away from her and we started to really like her… Then she was forced to quit! Come on! Again, it was totally understandable because they weren’t paying her enough to live. Once again it was a different instructor every week and again Sam and other kids were acting out. They hired a young lady who clearly was annoyed with the young children right off. Our first class with new girl and Sam cuts in line – who cares, he’s five (I even asked his teacher what she thought and she said the same thing – he’s five, it’s not important) – the boy starts crying as if Sam had punched him in the face! New girl marches over to Sam, grabs him by the arm, marches him back to crying boy and proceeds to explain why you don’t cut in line. Meanwhile Sam is having a fit because new girl won’t let go of his arm. Sammy hates being held – but what kid likes being held by the arm in an angry way? Annoyed, new girl sat Sam out because he wasn’t listening. I shot up, rushed out, picked up Sam, took him into the bathroom and said, “Let’s go! Mommy is very upset at your new teacher.” Sammy was crying and he kept saying, “No Mommy, don’t be mad at her! I am sorry for cutting in line!” I allowed him to return to class and watched new girl carefully – because one more grab and we are done! She had no right to grab him in that fashion! The next week went okay, but the following week we arrived late and when I took Sam out to his class new girl rolled her eyes at the sight of Sam! Sam was having a good time and she wasn’t touching him – so I continued to allow Sam to go if he wanted to. Then a couple of weeks ago new girl pushed me over the edge! Sammy was acting out (still cannot blame him and he wasn’t the only one) and the crybaby from the line cut had bonked heads with another kid and was crying (surprise). While the instructor was looking at his head a bunch of kids started playing and goofing around – pretty normal if you ask me. Sam was hiding under a half moon mat and freaked new girl out so much that when she found him she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out to me! I got up and bit my tongue because what I wanted to say was not good in the company of the small children or their parents. My adrenaline was pumping and I simply shook my head and motioned for her to give him to me. She was trying to explain why and offer her meaningless, “I am really sorry, but…” True sorry is not followed with “but.” I finally said, “Just give him to me!” Poor little Sammy was upset and freaking out as we went up to the front desk to tell them that we are not coming back and that we are done. I kept telling Sammy that I was not mad or upset with him, but I think it was hard for the poor little fella to understand that. I complained to the front desk lady and then the owner overheard me and I complained to her as well. I know a few other parents who are not happy with the new girl either, and I hope that they say something, because when people are working with your children they need to be right for the job. New girl is not warm and loving, nor is she happy and bubbly – it is loud and clear she hates her job with the little guys and she needs to be either fired or removed from the job of working with the small children. The front desk lady asked if I could do her class on Saturday mornings and I told her we would try it out… We went on Saturday morning and the front desk lady redeemed our faith in good teaching at tumbling. She was patient, kind, smiley and energitic. Not once did she yell at Sam or grab him and when Sam and other children strayed a little she gently brought them back. That’s the way it should be done – you should never go and have to be on mama bear alert when your child is involved in an activity.