Life as a New Kids Yoga Teacher

I started teaching family yoga classes in January of this year. I am really enjoying it and feel like I am putting my kids yoga teacher training and elementary school teaching to good use! I like teaching with families because it is a great bonding experience for parents and their kids. I also like that I can teach more because I   have parents to help out with partner poses or to just give extra 1-1 attention to the kids.

Something I am having trouble with is parents being overly critical and overly teaching their kids. I have 4 years olds with parents who go through point by point how specific and perfect the poses need to be! Lose-lose situation, buddy! They are kids! They don't need to be perfect, it's even better that the poses are a little silly every now and then.

This also bothers me because I think the benefits of yoga are being lessened by all of the parents critquing their children! Needless to say, I have been wanting to preface the class with a few quick words or a story about how yoga is a practice and not a perfect. How would you address this issue?

One of my seriously positive moments happened recently when I had a 7 year old along with her mother who suffer from scoliosis. I was really excited because I have it too! And the 3 of us have or have had to wear a back brace. I have alleviated so much back pain from simply attending yoga classes that I am excited to share the journey with this mother-daughter. I can't wait to see how yoga shapes their lives for the better. :)