See Jack run

Like most schools in the district, Jack's has a running club where kids basically run laps around the school yard.  Their distances are recorded, and they receive a prize when they reach certain milestones.  I wasn't at the first morning assembly when they announced the running club, but it was clear to me that Jack was really interested.

The problem, however, is that running club starts at 7:00 in the morning.  Aside from the fact that I personally find that completely uncivilized, that caused a logistical problem for Jack.  I didn't particularly want him eating breakfast before he ran a bunch of laps.  Running club only lasts 15 minutes, but his morning assembly starts at 7:30.  There are 15 minutes that are perfect for eating breakfast, but Jack was feeling shy about eating at school.  He correctly assumed that most of the kids there would be eating food from the cafeteria, so he didn't want to bring his own breakfast.  But he was also feeling too timid to go to the cafeteria on his own.

For five days, Jack waffled back and forth whether he wanted to go, and he ended up opting not to at the last minute every time.  This was pretty annoying, since we would wake up early to get there in time only to not end up going.  But aside from this, I just felt so bad that Jack was letting his fear hold him back from doing something that I knew he really wanted to do.

I've learned that, in times like this, nothing works better than bribery.  I told him that if he went today I would give him a Star Wars minifigure.  That was all the motivation he needed.  He and Tom went this morning, and then Tom went with him to get and eat his breakfast in the cafeteria.

When I picked Jack up today, he was so excited to tell me that he had run two big laps.  All day he's been asking when he can do running club again.  He's bummed that they only do it Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so he has to wait five whole days until the next one.

Tom thinks that primary appeal of running club is that Jack gets to fill out the card that he's holding in the picture with the number of laps he's run.  Whatever.  If his love of numbers translates into a love of running, I am not going to complain.

At bedtime, I told Jack how proud and happy I was that he found something that he really liked doing.  I stopped myself from telling him, "I knew you would like it!"  But I told him that I was glad that he was able to push through his nervousness and try it.

"Yeah," he said, putting on his professor voice, "sometimes you're scared, but then you're so happy you've done something.  Like in the art class, and then kindergarten, and now the running club."

Oh, so he noticed.  Brave, sweet boy.