Helpful Advice For Dance Moms

Balancing Safety and Privacy: Keeping your Dancer Safe on Instagram

As a proud dance parent, sharing my child’s hard work and talent on Instagram is a joy. The platform offers young dancers a unique opportunity to gain exposure, connect with the broader dance community, and express their passion for the art. However, as we are well aware there are many troubling behaviours that can lead to harmful and inappropriate situations for our dancers. We need to remember and be open about safety and privacy on social media.

Start with Privacy Settings

The first step in safeguarding our children’s online presence is setting their accounts to private. This simple yet vital action helps control who can see their posts and activities. Unfortunately, many young dancers still have public accounts, exposing their content to anyone online. By keeping profiles private and limiting access to a trusted circle of followers, we can significantly reduce the risk of inappropriate or unwanted attention. Additionally, it’s essential to periodically review follower lists and remove anyone unfamiliar or suspicious.

Educating Your Young Dancers About Boundaries

For parents of older dancers who manage their accounts more independently, education about online boundaries is crucial. It’s important for our children to understand that while sharing their dance journey is wonderful, they must also be cautious about revealing personal information or engaging in private conversations with strangers. We need to emphasize that meeting someone in person they’ve only interacted with online is never safe, no matter how friendly or genuine they might seem.

Open Communication is Key

Creating an environment of open communication is vital for addressing online safety concerns. Our children should feel comfortable coming to us with any questions, concerns, or uncomfortable situations they encounter online. Encourage them to trust their instincts—those gut feelings that often alert us to danger. As parents, we can guide them in navigating tricky situations and reinforce the importance of seeking help whenever they feel unsure or uneasy.

Monitoring Without Overstepping

While respecting our children’s privacy is important, ensuring their safety requires a level of supervision. Regularly checking their online activity can help us identify potential risks early on. This doesn’t mean invading their personal space but rather maintaining a healthy balance between trust and vigilance. Openly discussing why monitoring is necessary can help build understanding and foster cooperation.

A Shared Responsibility

We have a responsibility as parents, educators, and members of the dance community to protect our children. Social media platforms like Instagram can be incredible tools for young dancers, offering opportunities to showcase their talent and connect with others. However, we must remain proactive in addressing the associated risks.

By taking measures such as setting accounts to private, educating our children about online boundaries, fostering open communication, and keeping a watchful eye on their activities, we can create a safer digital environment for them. Together, we can ensure that Instagram remains a positive space for young dancers to thrive while keeping their safety and well-being at the forefront.

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We’ve put together a list of 10 things every new dance mom should know

Entering the world of dance lessons for kids is exciting, but it can also be more than just a little overwhelming. Here are ten helpful tips for first-time dance parents to make dance lessons as well as performances enjoyable for you and your child.

1. Get the Right Shoes and Clothes

Just like having the right sports equipment is vital to success on the court or field, having the right dance equipment is crucial to a dancer’s success. Make sure your child has the proper shoes and attire for their dance style to ensure comfort and performance. Most dance school should give you this information before you start, but if not, just ask. Let them know this is your first time entering the dance world and they will let you know what their requirements are.

2. Talk to Other Parents

Dance parents are a strong community, and not usually how they are portrayed on TV and in memes. The parents of other dancers can be your biggest support system and resource pool. Talk to other moms and dads during class and get to know their kids. Many parents have had their kids in dance for years and they can give you advice and tips. This is what helped my in my journey. Make friends just like your kids will!

3. Trust the Expertise of the Teachers

It can be hard to sit back and watch your child learn something new, especially if they are having a hard time mastering a new dance step. Don’t jump in to help your kid during the middle of class (if you are even allowed to be there, a lot of schools don’t allow this as you being there can distracts the kids). Trust the teachers. They are experienced dancers and know what they’re doing.

4. Don’t Compare Your Kid to Other Dancers

Every child progresses at their own pace. Don’t compare your child to other dancers or expect them to all learn the steps and move to different levels at the same time. Focus on encouraging your child to do their best and have fun without worrying about what other people are doing. Some kids have been doing this since they were 2 and others are just starting their journey. It’s about having fun not being better than your classmate.

5. Bring Extra Supplies

Pack a dance bag with extra tights, leotards, socks, bobby pins, band-aids, safety pins and other supplies your dancer might need. This is especially important for performances, but it can also be useful during regular dance classes. The last thing you want is for your child’s tights to tear during the middle of rehearsal without any replacements, or not be able to pin up a torn costume.

6. Bring Snacks and Water Bottles to Rehearsals and Performances

Dress rehearsals and performances can be VERY long. Keep your dancer’s energy up by bringing lots of healthy snacks and extra water. It may seem like a little thing, but it can help make a long day go much more smoothly. Just remember to pack snacks that can be eaten quickly and aren’t messy. You don’t want greasy fingers to ruin the costume.

7. Get Organized with Costumes & Accessories

Performances and competitions can be a flurry of excitement, especially when dancers must bring multiple costumes and accessories, but let me tell you it’s also a time of stress. For everyone! Getting everything organized in garment bags to avoid wrinkles or damage to the costume and to keep everything together for each dance. Organize accessories in plastic bags and make sure everything is labeled with your child’s name. It can help to take photos of your child in the costume with all the accessories on and put it in the bag so they know exactly how the costume should look. This is great for younger kids when you cant be backstage to help. Organizing your things before the performance helps ensure that nothing gets damaged or left behind.

8. Ask questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I can assure another new dance moms will have the same questions that you have. We all want the best for our children, so whatever sport or extracurricular activity our kids chose it’s always going to be a new lesson. Not just the kids but for us too. Parenting is all about new things and learning as we go. We’re all learning every day.

9.Don’t feel pressured to say yes to everything

Opportunities for extra’s can become overwhelming – musical auditions, private lessons, additional intensive or extension classes, and all that jazz can come at you and it’s tempting to say yes to them all. Don’t be afraid to take it slow as these will not be your kids last chances to do anything outside of the studios basic requirements. We waited 18 months before we did this. I wanted to make sure my daughter had a true passion for it and that we could fit it in to our budget and timetable.

10. Most Importantly Have Fun

Kids learn many important life skills in dance class like confidence, discipline, and dedication. But, above all, kids should be expressing their creativity and having fun. Enjoy the journey with your child and celebrate their progress and achievements. Your mantra should be “have fun”.

If you have any ideas or topics you want us to cover please contact us.