Parents Fess Up - What have you bought

[cher062]

Ok from another thread the OP felt like she might be a crazy gym mom for wanting to get at home equipment so I assured her she was no more crazy than we are and asked everyone to fess up as to what they bought when they started out to put us all in that crazy gym mom catagory.

Bog asked me to start a new thread so I don't hijack the thread so here it is. Here is my Fess up

Ok folks fess up what equipment do you have at home, when did you buy it and how often is it used now.

For me we have a floor mat, an 8' floding beam for the floor a chin up bar. All were purchased at the end of the first year. For that summer all were used by the fall the chin up bar was used with the floor mat under but only on the vacation weeks. Now 7 years or so later the mat is used by me when I exercise, the chin up bar (probably the only at home item I would recommend we have an "Iron Gym" chin up bar and she does use it for more than chinups as you can use it on the floor too and for sit ups), the beam DD uses on occasion but only when she is working on a dance move that she might be falling on otherwise its in the corner collecting dust.

In the end most of the stuff is unused certainly not used on a regular basis. Even the chin up bar is only used for at home conditioning during the vacation weeks the coach give at home conditioning.

What I've learned over the 15 years of being involved in gymnastics (combined with son and dd). They get enough practice at gym, let home not be the secondary gym location if you don't have to. Better to add a second day at the gym, do privates or do open gym to practice skills IF you think your child will actually work on skills.

Ok who is next to fess up to being one of the crazed new gym moms buying the at home equipment when their girl first started out?

 

[dmytv]

ok. When dd was working on being level 4 we bought a floor beam(the kind that rolls up) and a mat. The next season my dh made a beam out of a 4x4 and we bought a chin up bar that mounts between the doorway.(We mounted it low at first, and she would practice mill circles). Fast forward 5 years later and the roll up beam stays rolled up in a closet, the mat I use for exersicing, the 4x4 beam sits in the garage being tripped over and the chip up bar(which was slowly raised in the doorway over the years) is never used except to clothesline my dh everytime he walks into dd's room. Honestly, I don't know why we as gym parents were buying home equipment. Isn't that what the gym was for? IDK just this past cmas, up on the gym parents wall was a poster for Nastia Lukin home equipment stuff. Oh, we also have a handstand trainer that we aquired last year. It too sits in the corner. lol

 

[Empowered]

So we bought the Jr. Kip Bar set, with folding mat and padded mat. Folding mat is stuffed under a bed, only used to stretch occasionaly. Padded mat is in the hall as we recently had company who used it as a mattress to sleep on. Bar is disassembled, in the closet and has been for 2 years now.

We also bought the low beam and that was used for L4 and the during a bwo fear before the L6 season. Hasn't even been looked at since then, though I curse at it every time I trip over it.

In all honesty I wish I had spent the money on leotards, at least those get used... lol

 

[nevertooold]

Well I opened a gym, does that count ?

 

[lhmom]

Well, we do have a beam at DD's request. She really wants to get that cartwheel consistently. However, we did get a fantstic deal on one from another parent whose kid left the gym. Will probably sell once she gets past the BWO. That and the mat underneath are the only things we've bought. I put my foot down and refused to get a bar for home. DD would have our upstairs playroom looking like a gym if I'd let her.

 

[bogwoppit]

We had a beam, I bought it way back when oldest was on team. It rarely got used, we spent more time using it as a prop for plays etc. We also have some gym mats that got played on endlessly, not really for gym though, just other goofy games in the basement.

I gave the beam away, two years ago, to a girl at our gym.

Grandad gave the girls a trapeze that was his. He was a gymnast in the 1940's. But I keep it low so they use it like a swing. Mind you I think they have forgotten about it as I never hear the creaking of it swinging any more.

 

[cher062]

Well I opened a gym, does that count ?

LOL only if its attached to your house and only your kids use it then you qualify for the crazy gym mom of the year award LOL

 

[mtbmom]

Floor beam (occasional use, but none now that she's out).
Chinup bar (less use now that I made her stop swinging on it).
Tramp - Loves loves loves it, even uses it before school sometimes. Best purchase I've ever made. She's an only and it keeps her hyper self occupied.

 

[skschlag]

We have a mushroom (used ALL the time!-we have to kick him off some nights). DS also has a set of Paralletes that he uses regularly. We as a family have a tramp and a chin up bar and a weight set. DS loves to play on the tramp with his friends, and the rest is for family workout use.

 

[MaryA]

A nice heavy thick mat for Christmas one year when she was 6 or 7... that got used a ton, for gym and non-gym activities. My nephew, who is taking tumbling and is going to add a boys gymnastics class in February (and so it starts... time for brother and sister-in-law to plant that money tree), has indefinitely borrowed it now. Brother and sister-in-law are complaining about how they now have a giant red mat constantly taking up half their living room. Welcome to my life!

Bought a folding beam at a yard sale. It got used, but not a ton... but then again, it was $15 at a yard sale. I think it's time to pass that along. She is definitely "queen of the beam" but I doubt that the beam we have at home has anything to do with it.

A pull up bar... and she does swing on it, in spite of constant threats from me. I think she may be physically incapable of NOT swinging on it. I should probably just take it down.

Went around and around on the "junior kip bar," especially when someone at the Y gym was selling one. Ultimately, it was a matter of space. Where does one put something like that where it is easily accessable and yet not taking up an entire room?

Pretty much, when she was at the Y and had limited gym time, it made sense for her to have some of this stuff... not that I ever told her to go practice, but she was constantly doing gymnastics anyway... better for her to do her beam routine on the floor beam than on the back of the couch, right? Now she's in the gym 15 hours a week... and is only a few months away from another big jump in hours... so it's not really necessary. I think she would still be using her floor mat if she hadn't indefinitely loaned it to her cousin, but she knows that he uses it more than she would. He is one high energy kid!

 

[Mom2twingymnasts]

My husband did all the purchasing of our gymnastics equipment - so he is the crazy gym dad . DH bought the kids 2 nice panel mats and 2 cheap panel mats. He made my daughter a beam. It gets used only when she has gymnastics friends over. DH bought my son a mushroom. It use to get used regularly but now he is on to pommel horse circles - so thinks he is too cool for the mushroom . My son asked for a pommel horse for Christmas (Santa didn't bring it). My son will use the mushroom for the school talent show. DH bought a set of long paralletts. Actually both DS and DD used those for a while. Daughter would just use one with matts around it and would from a handstand fall down on to the matts - not sure what she was working on. DH made a shorter taller set of wooden paralletts. DH bought a chin-up bar that attaches in a door jam. Gets used when kids will be tested on chin-ups or pull-ups in school gym class. DH bought rings that can attach to the chin-up bar. They got used for a few weeks.

 

[JessMom]

I totally need to fess up! Trampoline in the yard is a normal thing . . . the regulation length beam in the livingroom . . not so much. It's about a foot off the floor. I got it from a gym for only $100. We had to move it in through the window. When we have parties we take off the legs and hide it behind the couch. I have to say . . . it is used just about everyday. She watches TV on it, does drills on it, makes up routines . . . she even once fell asleep on it. Naturally we have mats to go along with it (great for sleep overs) People definitely think I'm crazy - but she loves it and 2 years later still lives on it.
She had a chin up bar but she was not just doing pull ups . . . so we got her a mini bar for her birthday 4 years ago and she LOVED it. She still uses it a lot when it's out. But the intent when we got it was to help her with her kip which she was obsessed with at the time. I have to say that she's level 7 and still can not kip on that minibar. don't know why. now the only thing she uses it for is breaking front & back hip circle records and cast handstands.

I agree, she doesn't "need" any of it. But she loves all of it, uses it and has fun with it.

In a year or so you'll probably see the bar on craigslist. not sure she'll ever part with the beam.

 

[Krystan]

We got a mat almost two years ago and a low beam last year. They still get used all the time so I don't regret it at all!

 

[Danica76]

Great thread, Cher

We have an 8' folding floor beam that is currently folded up in a corner in the basement & hasn't been touched since summer I wonder if DD even remembers that she has it! I never push to do gym at home. If she wants to use it, she can drag it upstairs herself. It's good conditioning - lol.

We also have a chin up bar. This she has been using lately (with my supervision) because she says she needs more upper body strength. Fine by me. She has some goals written down (number of cihin-ups, pull-ups, leg lifts) that she wants to reach. Once she reaches those, she sets new ones. I'd say she uses it 2-3 times a week on the nights she's not at gym.

I know I have a CGM lurking inside of me. Since she started competing this year, I've calmed down A LOT. It's not the end of the world if she doesn't do well at a comp. or doesn't get that skill right away...it's her sport and as her Mom I need to let her own it.

 

[momofthreegirls]

We've accumulated a lot of gym equipment at my house over the years. All my oldest DD wanted for Christmas when she was 5 was a "cheese" mat. The mall Santa was really confused when she asked for it - don't think he had any idea what it was. Lol! "Santa" came through, and that got used a lot - for gym skills and also for playtime (works great as a tent when draped with a blanket, and as a slide when propped against the couch). It also makes a great snack table when folded up. Then for her 6th birthday she got a 4x6 panel mat. That gets used all the time by all 3 of my girls. Also has been used as a place for kids to sleep for slumber parties.

Soon, my kids started using the "bar" that is on our treadmill (to hang onto while running) as a bar for swinging and flipping. No amount of warnings and punishments could keep them off of it, so two Christmases ago, their Grammie bought them a junior kip bar. This is hands down the most-used "toy" in the house. It gets used every day. In fact, my three year old is swinging on it as I type. The panel mat resides under the bar. Grammie also bought them a Brianna beam, which mostly sits in the corner of our spare room. I only get it out once in a while, because it takes up so much space, and mostly just sits there. However, it's currently out since my 5yo wants to practice for her first L3 meet next weekend.

Oh yeah, we also have a mini trampoline with handles, which gets used a lot, too.

Right now, my kids can go to a 3 hr practice, and come home and do some more. I usually have to force them to get off the bar or stop flipping around the living room so they can eat dinner and go to bed. I'm sure that will change as they get older.

 

[MaryA]

Right now, my kids can go to a 3 hr practice, and come home and do some more. I usually have to force them to get off the bar or stop flipping around the living room so they can eat dinner and go to bed. I'm sure that will change as they get older.

Yes, my DD will come home from a 3-4 hour practice and do handstands and BWO's in the living room. All I can think is, imagine how productive I would be if I had that much energy, even for just one day. Right now I'm contemplating the space under my desk and wondering if anyone would notice if I curled up under there for a nap...

 

[monkeysmom]

Chin up bar around $30. My daughter uses it several times a week. Strickly used for pullups, toe ups, L holds. Any goofing around use and she gets "grounded" from it. (has only happened once).

Nice quality large folding mat in the basement (cost about $500). Used a lot. Every time she has friends in the basement (to build a fort). Used for splits, cartwheels, stretching, handstands, sleeping pad for sleepovers (can sleep 4). I don't allow her to do handsprings etc at home. I had her coach talk to her when I found out she was practicing them with an older girl at recess--only allowed in the gymnastics gym because I don't want a broken wrist or arm.

Fold out beam. She uses this about once a week. Mostly to practice cartwheels on the beam or her routines (she doesn't do anything more difficult than cartwheels or handstands on beam yet).

Best bang for the buck was definitely the chin up bar. Her favorite item is the mat. I would put my self in the risk-averse category of parents for what I will let her (and friends and neighbors!) do at home, so I will not ever get her a trampoline or a bar. I trust her to be careful but it's the other kids I would not to have to deal with. Plus I'm not a gymnastics coach and have no desire to try to be one. We visit dogs, video games, and trampolines at other people's homes....... One of my stress-reducing and cost effective parenting strategies.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

I bought a roll of painter's tape and "made" a beam on the floor of the playroom for dd to practice her back walkovers last year when the new gym switched her leg around.

We bought a couch set for the living room and dd uses the arm to practice cast handstands, and pike holds between the 2 couches. (which she is constantly being reminded not to do)

We put hardwood flooring in the dining room which is constantly used to practice her double turns.

Seriously though, I am considering buying a mat that I can share with her for my workouts as well.

 

[profmom]

Daughter begged for a beam first year on the team when she was struggling with the cartwheel, so we did it. Two years later, son begged for a mushroom during his first year on the team (this year), so to preserve peace and equity, we did it.

L6 daughter is now not too bad with mushroom circles, and L4 son can stick a cartwheel on the beam. :/

 

[gym law mom]

We got a floor beam(8'--not fold up) when she made L5---1st competitive level. It got alot of use until she hit L7 and no acro at home. Now its propping up a corner of the house.