Well J has attended several sessions of his kayaking now and I am okay with it, not totally impressed, but not bad enough for me to stop him from going.
I think the first session was a set back as the worker assigned to shadow J and help him out, was rather complacent and didn't want to get involved.
I was left struggling to get him into wet weather gear (like the kind fishermen wear) whilst holding the baby and keeping O from running off to explore. Then he was left to make his own way in the kayak around the water. Getting him changed again was a nightmare as his boots got stuck and the helper stood by, watching me struggle, and moaned about how wet he had got ( not quite sure how, as he didn't go in the kayak).
Needless to say, I was not keen to continue this activity. I had been told the helper would do everything and all I had to do was drop him off.
Thankfully, the following week a different helper was assigned. And she was fab. She took him off without fuss. She went into the kayak with him and, in my opinion, he had a far better time and enjoyed himself.
With most things, little tweaks are needed to suit each child, and as J has little patience in waiting, we agreed to arrive 15 minutes later so as the whole group was ready. J had to wait around for the stragglers and it made him go into his flappy, repetitive phrase -"one more one more".
It is still a bit of a pain having it held so late in the evening, and in this heat the other two boys are not too happy about being dragged out in the car.It impinges on the bedtime routine and when we get home at around 8.30pm I am desperate and in need of a drink, but have to bath them all, read stories, give milk and collapse.
