I’ve signed Sam up for ballet.

I hold no deep affinity for ballet, nor do I feel like it’s important for my son to tackle long-held beliefs in defined gender roles.

I signed him up because a friend is really passionate about her son’s love of ballet and wanted other boys to be around him. So this friend formed an all-boys ballet class.

Ideally, I’d like to say here that supporting my friend and her son was why I signed him up.

But it’s not.

The reason he’s currently in boys ballet is this friend offered to pick Sam up from camp and take him there.

As I said to Nat, “I’d sign him up for target practice, as long as someone else takes him.”

And then I almost cried because it was so nice of her to help us.

And we don’t even have to pay her.

Nat and I both work full time; there are no family members near that can help us with the kids. This means the kids get stuck in full-time daycare all day long (I can’t exactly bone out of work early to take my 5-year-old to ballet class). And anyone who helps us do literally anything with the kids, we pay.

So, what does this mean for my kids? It means they don’t take enrichment classes or sports classes or art classes or anything other that what they get in day care. It means we don’t do a lot with other families or friends. (Also, it should be known, daycare does a good job and keeps them active and engaged; and one thing I’ve learned in this parenting journey is that most of these enrichment classes are for SAHP who need to get out of the house, not to give your kid a leg-up on their future tennis or soccer prowess.)

Still, I feel jealous towards people who have family nearby who can help pitch in if a kid is sick and needs to stay home or can help out with the various logistics that come with raising kids. Or can help take them to a class they may want to take.

It’s just us. All the time.

So, if a mom or dad friend sends me an email saying they’ll do the drop off as long as I handle the pick up?

TEARS OF JOY.

And also: Boys ballet.

And, for what it’s worth, Sam likes ballet. The class is ending soon and we asked him if he wanted to sign up for another round.

“I’d rather be at home with you,” he said. (Another reason we don’t do any classes, even on the weekend; since my little kids are in daycare full time, they miss us, and want to stick close to home on the weekends.) But once we explained he’s not missing out on us, but just missing out on daycare, he was game.

Now to see if our friend can continue picking him up….

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