Playing on the Old Banjo, or the start of My Daughter’s Banjo Obsession

I want to know why the heck is my child fixated on learning to play the Banjo?!

As part of our we’ll try anything to get her to stop using diapers program, one of the bribes I offered Grace was the opportunity to take a class. They have all sorts of cool cheap classes available through Parks & Rec in her age bracket, but all of them have that bold print addendum “Must Be Toilet Trained”. So I talked to Gracie about it, and told her if she could stay dry all day for three days in a row, we would look for a class to take. I explained to her that there were art classes, dancing classes, music classes, etc.  She immediately decided it must be a music class.

Now here we are, she is finally out of diapers but still constantly having accidents.  I know the day when I’m going to have to come through with this promise of a class is drawing near. I’ve been looking into Kindermusic, and it’s expensive but looks awesome. Or there are the dance and play classes offered through the local Parks and Rec for way reasonable rates.

In the meantime, Grace has worked up some Very Specific expectations. She says that she is going to take music classes, and “All of the children will dance and sing. All of the grownups will watch us and they will clap. And I will play the Banjo!!” This isn’t a one time thing. She keeps repeating it with very specific details.

The other day she was on the phone with my dad and she says “Pip, will you come to my class?  I’m going to play the banjo, and you can watch and clap. All the other children will dance and sing. Will you come?”

She has been working her way through inviting every grown up she knows. She has even started to add her younger sister into it, saying that Gigi will dance with the other children. The other day she insisted that my parent’s DOGS would come and watch her play the Banjo.

Okay, first off, other then the song I’ve Been Working On The Railroad which ends with “someone’s in the kitchen… playing on the old banjo”, I have no clue how my daughter would even know what a banjo is. Secondly, where the heck am I going to find banjo lessons for a three year old? Or, for that matter, where does one find banjo lessons period?

I have tried to explain to her that her music class might not have banjos and that she’s probably not going to be playing an instrument while everyone else dances and watches. She refuses to believe me.

My husband jokes that we need to get her into a class and then slip the teacher a $50. I can just see it now….  “Say, look, could you let my kid play music and make all the other kids dance and sing while my family watches and claps? Oh, and do you let dogs in here?” Sigh. So not going to happen.

What about you folks? Have your kids ever dreamt up unreasonable expectations for something they’re looking forward to?