What to Expect

WHAT TO EXPECT THE FIRST DAY-from one parent to another!

Dear Parents,

We are very excited to welcome your little one to our Twinkle Star Dance program. We look forward to seeing all of the beautiful little dancers all dressed in pink! We know that as a parent you have a vision for how you think the first day will go.

I am writing this letter in order to give you some ideas of how it might go, and how it might not. You may take this advice for whatever it is worth to you. All children are different and react differently in situations. Usually a brand new 2 year old will cling to mom as they walk in the studio door, as they are unaware of their environment. Everything to them is new. Please arrive early on the first day in order to get them acclimated to their new teacher and environment.

Separation anxiety is one of the most common issues on the first day, you may overcome this by explaining to your child before they arrive that mommy will watch them through the television monitor during the class and that mommy won’t leave during the duration of the class.

Our Twinkle Star Dance program is designed as a teacher/child class. Our policy is that all parents need to be in the lobby when class is in session. We also need to keep the door to the studio closed during class, in order to avoid any wandering dancers. We will work with you and your child to achieve success in bringing happy dancers into the classroom without mom.

Have you ever noticed that when one 2 year old begins to cry, the others follow suit? We have observed this as well and it is why we need to have any crying child wait with mom outside at the window until they feel confident to come back in. We know this sounds harsh, but we will make every attempt at calming your child and getting them to join the class that we possibly can, before we ask the dancer to exit the room. Sometimes the child is actually upset just being in the room, so you may calm them down more effectively outside. In the past we let the parent of an unsure child remain in the room with the child; however, we found that this practice can distract other dancers, and the inability for Mom to leave the room in subsequent weeks, as the child has learned, “my mommy stays with me”.

Most of the time our little dancers come into the room right away and never look back. Sometimes our little dancers aren’t ready for a teacher/child class. As parents, we won’t know until we try. Please remember that it sometimes takes a few weeks in order for the child to warm up to the idea, even if they LOVE to dance.

Lastly, our goal on the first day is to get every child into the class without mom and without crying. If we have done that we have succeeded. Please don’t be alarmed if your child just stands on her circle spot and stares at the teacher jumping up and down. They are simply observing their environment. They will dance when they are ready!!! We hope you all have a positive experience at our studio. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Sally McDermott Heaney , Director /Owner