Parents Exploring different activities or "sticking at it"?

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Doubletrouble

Proud Parent
Hi,

I am a newbie with a DS7 and DD5 who have both been doing gymnastics for a couple of years. DS has been doing squad gymnastics for about 18 months and DD has been doing pre-team for ten months. DS does 2 x 3 hour training sessions and DD does 1 x 2 hour session.

My kids did rec for a couple of years before it didn't fit into our schedule and I had them stop. They wanted to go back so once our schedule allowed it, the returned and soon progressed from rec to team. They are both currently going through a bit of the "blahs" about gymnastics - probably for the last month as we get close to the end of the school year in Australia and they are tired and as gymnastics is becoming harder. They both have times where they enjoy it too.

I am feeling pretty torn at the moment between using gymnastics as a sport that keeps kids fit and teaches important life lessons about perseverance, self-discipline, being part of a team etc and feeling like I should follow the parenting "experts" recommendations to let kids explore lots of different activities. Our schedule doesn't really allow both, although my daughter also does ballet at her kinder. My stepdaughters (17, 16 and 13) went along the exploratory path and really regret that their mum let them swap activities several times a year; their dad and I wanted them to stick at least a year at each one.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
 
There are lots of ways to keep fit and get life lessons. Don't know what your summer schedule is like down under. It see,s though there is enough time try other things. They will find where they fit.

And I'm curious as to what kind of rec program there is at 2, Be wise we were ding Mommy and me then.
 
Haven't had this problem with trampoline, but have with other activities. Our rule is that they must have one sport/physical fitness activity and one creative (art, music, drama) type activity. So, if they want to quit one, they have to have another in mind they want to try, but they stick with the current activity until they find one they like. So, for example, ODS was in tennis for quite awhile before trampoline, but started feeling blah about it, so we started doing one time trial classes with different sports (even with a busy schedule, we were able to fit trial classes in, since it wasn't any type of ongoing commitment and didn't have to be every week). He tried several things (archery and lacrosse are the 2 I remember) before trying trampoline and completely falling in love with that. So, once he decided he wanted to stick with trampoline, we quit tennis and switched over. I figured that in that way, we would always be sure that the new sport was something they were really interested in. I don't know if it's just my kids, but the knowledge that they had to have something tended to keep they with a sport they were enjoying, and when they really were ready to move on, they moved on. I've never heard a word about him going back to tennis, and he was quite good at it-it just wasn't his passion, but this is-he often tells me "I don't know what I'd do with my life if I didn't do trampoline." so that's pretty cool. They are also still very young -they have time to try other things and then come back to gymnastics if they find they really miss it.
 
Thanks for your replies! I think letting them know that they must pick another sport and that it won't just be time at home watching TV is a good one. Deleted member 18037, yes they were Mommy and Me type classes and they had about a six month break so that's how they have "done gym" (if you can call those classes that) for a couple of years!

We do have an issue fitting anything else much in with my husband and I working full time and needing to get all five kids to activities, social events, work etc. Even with a nanny helping, it is a challenge! In Australia, kids can't drive until they are 18 so we still do a lot of driving for the older girls. That will change a lot over the next two years though, thank goodness! I think that using summer as the chance to try some new things is a great.

I also got in touch with DS's coach and he thinks where DS is mentally is a very typical phase for boys that age in gym. DS probably doesn't have much of a sense of the skills he is building towards either (in terms of seeing the skills performed at a high level) because this season in Australia (which will be his first) has been pushed back six months for reasons I don't really understand. I'd like to show him some cool YouTube videos of men's events so if anyone has any they think are great, I'd really appreciate some links. I saw one once -I think from a link on here - of a kind of street style men's acro comp or demo. Does that ring a bell with anyone? DS tends to give up on things to easily through a lack of confidence so I think there could be real pluses for him in seeing that he can do difficult things if he perseveres. I am less concerned about DD due to her personality.
 
Hi- fellow Aussie here
Our kids always have to finish a season before trying something new.
Your kids are just little so I would let them try other sports - they may just find their passion lies in something else... or they may return to gym with renewed vigour.
Good luck!
 

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