Chores can Wait

This is a true David moment--he's got the broom between his knees while he plunks out a few keys on the piano. That piano seems to always be calling to our boy.

On another note, this boy was the best singer I had in primary each Sunday. (Primary is the class for children 12 and under at church) He would sing with his whole heart. Then it came time to practice the primary program (a performance in sacrament meeting by the children for the entire congregation). At the Saturday practice, David was singing with his whole heart. His shoulders were moving up and down with the enthusiasm of his voice. I am the primary chorister, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching David's light shine on that front row. He was not being obnoxious--just your typical 4-year old that isn't yet aware of social norms, and is freely uninhibited because of his innocence. 

Then a 10-year old girl from the back row sharply called his name in the middle of one of the songs. David turned around, a bit startled, and was met with "SHHHHHH!!! You're too loud!" That was on October 19, and David didn't sing the rest of the day. And he didn't sing for the sacrament meeting program the next day. In fact, since then, David hasn't sung in primary at all. He loves all of the songs, and knows the words better than most of the other children that I lead. But he won't sing in primary. He just looks around, and acts bored. He sings all of the songs at home, we sing them at bedtime, naptime, at family night and around the piano. Music makes this little boy tick, but I need to find a way to rekindle whatever we lost that day.

I don't think he knows what turned him off to singing around other children. If I hadn't witnessed it, I wouldn't know either. When I ask him, he just shrugs and says he doesn't like singing. But that's not true! I've seen how he loves to sing! How do I help him regain the confidence to sing when he's around other children?