A different boy at Cubs

On Monday I got to see a different boy at Cubs.  It was my turn to help on the Cubs Parent rota, and my first time.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but one thing I was fairly sure of was that my son would stick to me like glue given half a chance.  Well once again he was going to prove me wrong.

We go through the same routine every week where I’m not allowed to leave his side until the flag is hoisted.  If you think how long he was in Beavers, and now Cubs, you might have thought he’d be happy to let me go and play with the other children by now.  But no, he’s let me go early twice but generally I’m held hostage until the very last second.

So how would being a parent helper go I wondered? Well not as I’d expected if truth be told.  He actually told me that he was leaving me as it was time to join the others.  Woop! Could this be a start of something new!? The kids were all going over to the park to play rounders and I followed them, whilst secretly praying I didn’t need to join in.  I hated rounders at school, but haven’t told my son that little fact.

My son didn’t join me, didn’t really acknowledge that I was even there.  I got to see a different boy at Cubs and it was wonderful.  He was talking to the other children, he was laughing and smiling.

It did make me chuckle when it soon became apparent that my son takes after me on the lack of hitting the ball with the rounders bat ability.  But he joined in, it didn’t bother him at all that he missed or got run out in one game.  He was happy to take ownership of a base, but hadn’t really grasped the finer points of fielding.  But as I looked on at a different boy at Cubs, it showed me once again just how much he’s grown up over this last year or two.  There would have been a time when he would not have left my side, let alone join in with a game of rounders.

It made my evening when another Mum who happened to be there, who doesn’t know my son, commented on what a happy, smiling little boy he was.

After they’d come back into the hall for a snack and a drink they soon headed back off to the park, some to the zip wire and some to the play park.  Once I’d finished my chores I headed out to see what they were doing, and there he was, totally oblivious to my presence, swinging away, quite happily.  It all just showed me, that whilst our journey through Beavers and Cubs hasn’t always been smooth, it was right for me to keep getting him through the hall door each week.  It was right for me to persuade him to try a Cub Camp, and now he’s not even talking about leaving anymore, and is looking forward to the next term.

When it was time to head home, he walked on ahead of me, looking up at the sky, and I just looked on at a different boy at Cubs and smiled.  Miracles do happen!