My daughter loved dance, until she didn’t. After an _________ first year, I noticed her interest fading week by week. Then, one day, she slowly walked to me before class and asked if she could just _________ it.

My first reaction was to _________ her to “finish what you start”. After all, sticking with something difficult can teach perseverance, discipline and confidence. But watching my first-grader _________ herself into each ballet position, I started to question how much sense that “blanket advice” made. Is it really in my kid’s best _________ , or even practical, to make her stick to every commitment through until she reaches a bitter _________? What if there are different but _________ valuable qualities, which can be gained by _________ the things that are not right for her?

With the winter show approaching, I realized she needed to either _________ her class or commit herself to it. After a few days’ consideration, she __________ dance wasn’t for her—a choice I __________. Quitting is never a black-and-white issue. Sometimes, it means __________ a barrier in your way to love something else. In my daughter’s case, ending dance made space for her new hobbies, such as horseback riding and Girl Scouts. She’s into them for now, but it is okay if that still changes.

As adults, we are accustomed to __________ the power of saying yes, but what about saying no? The ability to recognize when something isn’t an __________ investment of our time or energy is also Important. As my daughter gets older, I want her to feel confident to exit something that’s no longer meeting her needs. She shouldn’t be held back by the thought that she must finish something at any cost __________ because she has started.