To be or not to be

a Drama Queen?

 

Oh, there are so many meanings to that term.  Pretty much anyone with girls will tell you there will be drama.  Any woman remembers the drama of middle school and growing up.  But it seems like the more moms I talk to, the more I hear that girls are full of drama from the moment they are born.  I do think it's true that they are much more emotional and sensitive than boys.  At least, I have definitely found that to be true when looking at my munchkins.  Charlotte was perfectly capable of a tantrum at 10 months old, and did not hesitate with her emotions.  Yorke, as I mentioned earlier, is much more about brute force than emotional manipulation.

 

One thing I find very interesting about Charlotte's personality and sense of drama is that she doesn't particularly enjoy performing in front of large crowds or being in huge groups of people.  She LOVES singing and pretending and imagining.  She even loves "putting on shows" but only for small groups of family.  She will talk to anyone about anything.  (I mean she tried to show my c-section scar to the cable guy for pete's sake.  True story.)  But, she usually pulls into herself like a turtle hiding in it's shell when she gets up to "perform" in a large group.  Sometimes she cries.  It's so sad, really.  Silent, enormous, crocodile tears while the rest of the children sing or smile, etc.

 

I think it's a comfort thing.  For some reason, she is not quite herself in large groups.  I suppose the exception proves the rule because she actually performed like a pro in her Christmas play at school.  Of course, they had practiced for months and so I think she must have felt more comfortable there.  Most of the time, however, she turns into a turtle.  It's hard for me to really "get" this because I was quite the opposite.  I loved nothing more than a stage and an audience.  The bigger the better.

 

I know, as a mother, that all children are different and that she just may not feel comfortable in front of large groups.  That's ok.  That's who she is and I'm not going to push her.  In fact, pushing her makes it worse.   Much worse.  It also seems to be worse when she sees any of us.  Most specifically me.  I know that children are different when their parents are and are not around, but when she sees me in the audience or I help out at school, she gets very emotional, shy, and turtle like.  I can't explain it and I try not to let it bother me.  Her teachers assure me that she is quite the opposite when I'm not there and I'd rather have that than the opposite.  But still.

 

Case in point:  Charlotte's preschool held their annual Easter Parade this week and her class dressed up as flowers and lambs to celebrate new life in springtime.  They were precious.  The children make 2 rounds along the "parade route." (Yes, they actually call it that.  It's very "boom box Jesus" as my friend Ashley told me before the Christmas parade.)  So the first time through, I was pretty certain she didn't realize I was standing there and never saw me.  I'm not sure how she didn't see me or Yorke, but look at her sweet smile:

 

I mean, she was looking right at us, but she stayed smiley and waved and moved on along.  I thought, I bet she didn't see us.  I was right.  Here's the second time around:

 

 

And…. cue the pouting and sad face.   I suppose I'm glad she must've smiled the rest of the way through the parade.  I don't know if I'll ever figure out why the shyness is reserved for mommy.

 

How do your kids do in large groups?