Why extracurricular activities and children don't mix

I have found that as a parent you are expected to, if not required to,
attend your children's extracurricular activities. You sit on the
sidelines or the fringes of an activity sharing conversation quietly
with the parents around you. Sometimes you jump up and cheer wildly.
But I have never just walked into the middle of the activity. Who
would do that? My children.

As I was rehearsing a dance number for the next upcoming musical I am
in, all three of my children independent of each other, walked through
other dancers, running into some, to get to me. To ask me a question
or to complain. "I was in the middle of dancing!" I think to myself.
"What could be so important that you had to walk on stage amongst 30
other people during a dance number?"

Well one of them came to tell me they had to go to the bathroom. Okay.
That was good for safety's sake and I can see the bathrooms so okay he
got to go without me. One came to show me the picture she was drawing.
Not as okay. "Could you wait until we are done with the song, honey?"
I asked. And the toddler came over to tell me she also had to go
potty. Okay. And off stage I went with her. Of the hour I was supposed
to rehearse dancing I maybe danced half of it. The other half I
avoided the pointed stares of my choreographer who was not pleased.

Now normally I wouldn't have taken them with me but my husband is a
teacher and he had parent teacher conferences. And an unfortunate
chain of circumstances has happened causing me to have to undergo foot
surgery next week. I really need all the practices I can get dance
wise since for the next three weeks I will be in a specialized boot.
(note my enthusiasm!)

What I learned is that it is difficult to be on the sidelines. It is
difficult if you are the parent waiting to see if your child catches
the football and makes a play, or hits a home run, or scores a goal.
It can be difficult to watch your child play in their first music
recital praying they aren't too nervous or that they don't forget the
notes. It is just difficult having to just watch. It is difficult for
me and it was difficult for my children. In the end I grabbed the
toddler and danced several numbers with her in my arms. She loved it
and my choreographer commented with a smile "nice partner!"