Our family is going to The Nutcracker this month and mom and dad are excited to share this holiday favorite with our kids. The Pacific Northwest Ballet's production is particularly exciting because the sets are done by Maurice Sendak. I haven't been in years, not since having kids, and I am giddy with excitement to see this Christmas tale again.
Not so much excitement for our boy Turbo. Emphasis on boy.
When we told Turbo we were going to The Nutcracker ballet, I think all he heard was blah-blah-blah ballet, because his only comment was, "Yuck. I don't like girl stuff." And he wrinkled his nose and sneered a little and looked at us like we were nuts.
Then Turbo got invited to a birthday party, which happened to be at the same time as The Nutcracker. When we told Turbo that he couldn't go to his pal's party because we were going to be at the ballet, he reminded us again about his strong dislike for this girl stuff. And he through in some frantic eyebrow maneuvers for good measure.
Last night I took a different approach. I put on my sales and marketing hat and went to work.
Me: "Turbo, we're getting our Christmas tree on Sunday."
Turbo: "Yeah!"
Me: "And then we're going to The Nutcracker in Seattle."
Turbo: "Mom, I already told you. I don't like that girl stuff."
Me: "You might be surprised. Did you know there are bad guys with swords? There is a Rat King who fights some soldiers and maybe some of them even die."
Intrigued eyebrows shot up.
Then Turbo and I watched a YouTube clip of the Rat King fighting with his swords. And Turbo saw what a ballet really was - he pretty much had the wrong idea, whatever that was. I boiled it down to this, "It's people dancing to music with no words and they tell a story. Some of the stories are for girls and some of the stories are something everybody could like."
Sold. Always Be Closing. ABC.
Here is how mom and dad are selling The Nutcracker to our very different children:
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| Selling ballet to a 5 year old boy |
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| Selling ballet to a girl |
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