Having a Ball

Gymboree in Trinoma is Bela's favorite place.

She's there at least once a week and enjoys gym play immensely. She crawls and runs around the matted play area, gets on all the ramps and tunnels and interacts with all the other kids whether her age or older.

The people behind Gymboree believe that a child's development is most important during the first three years since this is when the brain is most active, growing to up to 80% of its adult size. That's why they offer all sorts of classes and activities that are designed to help "stretch the child's rapidly developing mind and body."

I'm no rabid follower of thisor any other child development philosophy. If going to Gymboree helps her development, then well and good. What's important now is that Bela is enjoying.

Yesterday, Patty was with Bela for her first formal class: Gymboree Play and Learn 3. In this class parents learn how to understand the way their child interacts with them and the world.

Bela was not too attentive in her first class. She would listen to the teacher for a while and then wander off to her favorite slide or monkey bars. We let her be. No sense forcing her to sit and listen. She might just end up losing interest in what to her now is fun.

She's having a ball right now and we don't want to spoil it.