{"id":11797,"date":"2018-12-17T22:15:19","date_gmt":"2018-12-17T22:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.potentialplusuk.org\/?p=11797"},"modified":"2020-02-24T13:31:09","modified_gmt":"2020-02-24T13:31:09","slug":"the-hlp-diaries-its-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/potentialplusuk.org\/index.php\/2018\/12\/17\/the-hlp-diaries-its-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"The HLP Diaries…It’s Christmas!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bemused Parent:<\/strong><\/em> Entry 4<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the time of year when parents hold their breath in anticipation of their child\u2019s brilliant star turn in the limelight. A scenario not entirely unlike The Three Kings follows. First, a sense of waiting – contemplating which performance will be chosen by teachers. Then eyeing up the potential \u201crivals\u201d of the cast but of course it\u2019s all good spirited fun. Finally, the bright star alights over your child as they are the one to bring meaning to this Christmas stage. You\u2019re ready to watch and adore them.<\/p>\n

Tonight\u2019s the night for Ada. She\u2019s a narrator this year, with five lines to say \u2013 speaking words that she was asked to choose herself. I\u2019m bursting with pride that she\u2019s<\/em> the narrator who welcomes the parents to the Christmas play. But on the other hand which high learning potential (HLP) trait makes narrating a possible disaster waiting to happen? By inviting Ada to write her own script, that gives leeway to the HLP child\u2019s inbuilt desire to ad-lib comments: \u201cDid you know that the star of Bethlehem was really a planetary conjunction?\u201d In Year 4 she told a bewildered class that stars wobble.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s often the non-speaking parts that are the most memorable. (Remember the lobsters in \u201cLove, Actually\u201d?) HLP kids don\u2019t always want the part that they are actually given. Ada has been a dancing reindeer (solo part) which was substituted from dancing present in a group. I doubt that even Kylie Minogue would look glamorous spinning around in a tinfoil covered cardboard box. When my friend\u2019s highly musical son was five, he desperately yearned to be the star of the show, a singing cat. Year 1 had to sing carols only dressed as farm animals. Consequently Friend\u2019s Son refused to sing his own year group\u2019s songs but being a fast learner learnt all the older children\u2019s\u2019 ditties and mouthed the lyrics. He looked grumpy throughout even though he did at least wear cat ears. Now aged 11, Friend\u2019s Son is the youngest trumpet player in his band, a privilege much resented by the 15 year old who sits next to him. But these days, at least his home-edder status gives Friend\u2019s Son a sense of calm about what each year\u2019s Christmas show will bring. No more being prodded to stand still, nor repeat rehearsals and a teaching assistant glaring because they think he\u2019s out of tune (someone else is singing off-key because they\u2019re\u00a0 bored).<\/p>\n

In Ada\u2019s first year of junior school, Year 3 performed an excellent modern Nativity with lines written by the older kids. On that occasion Ada was the Emperor Augustus, acting with gusto: \u201cI\u2019ll make lots of money, mwahahah\u201d except she became embroiled in an argument with King Herod, who calmly informed her that \u201cA king is better than an emperor\u201d. Out came the atlas. \u201cDid Emperor Augustus conquer Egypt, Rome and Raetia? He would have had hundreds more palaces than Herod! Because I know that I should be the Emperor!\u201d<\/p>\n

With performing there can also be a tendency to worry; speculation about what might go wrong, or over-analysing a role. Ada insists that she needs to have her lines written down, even though I know that excellent working memory can learn those words in a few minutes. And then the tummy pains start, along with questions about what happens if the words don\u2019t come out properly. I reassure her, but with fingers crossed behind my back.<\/p>\n

Postfix: The morning after!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yay, it was a very jolly Christmas production with excellent renditions by all the children. Ada had the biggest smile and recited without any controversy, but she hasn\u2019t forgiven her Dad for stealing the limelight. I don\u2019t think he meant to lean on the school hall light switch which meant a prematurely bright end to the starry night scenes. At least her Dad wasn\u2019t the man in front of me, clucking along fortissimo to the lines \u201cthree French hens\u201d in the parent sing-along. Oh well, time to think about a quiet Christmas. Peace and goodwill to all in the HLP world!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

In this series we mine the wealth of lived experience and invite members to share their thoughts with us \u2013 perhaps through an article, advice, sharing their careers, a piece of fiction or a poem. The HLP Diaries are fictional tales of parenting children with high learning potential. If you are a Potential Plus UK member and have an anecdote you would like to share then we’d love to hear from you: email focus@potentialplusuk.org<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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