Parents GK kids leotard questions pls help!!

[gymmummy]

Hi my dd is nearly 4, I am going to get her a leotard for training as she loves her gym. Gk do a lovely kids range, I have a couple of questions
- all the little ones in the gym are wearing sleeveless leotards, I think long sleeved look smarter & winter is very cold where we are but she wants a sleeveless... Which would you reccomend?
-dd is very tall 3 ft 7 (nearly 4!!) slim build. Would CXS 24 inch or CS 26 fit be a better fit, what size do your 4 year olds wear?
Really on the fence about the sleeveless I think they look like swimming costumes but hey if that's what the kids are wearing...!

 

[Texasmomof3]

Sleeveless. Most kids hate practice in long sleeved leos. It is hot and constricting to wear.

The leo should fit snugly. A loose leotard could catch on something or slip off or down, and you don't want that happening. Measure your dd's torso and go by their sizing chart. The length of her legs doesn't matter; the leos are cut to fit on her torso only, so kids of the same height often wear different sizes, depending on whether they are all legs or all trunk.

 

[Tuppy]

Sleeveless. Otherwise it's just too hot. It's less about her height and more about her measurements. Here's the GK guide: https://gkelite.azureedge.net/images/static/sizecharts/size-charts-inches-womens-leos.pdf

 

[bookworm]

No sleeves at all for workout, and no unitards either....sleeveless if you want her to wear it for a while

 

[Tuppy]

I actually agree and thought the long sleeve look so pretty and cold winters, and those are the ones that are never worn. Same with the fancy expensive crystals around the neck or chest. They poked my little girl while she was rolling once. and never again does that leo make it out of the stack. So hopefully you won't make the same mistakes. Good luck!

Hi my dd is nearly 4, I am going to get her a leotard for training as she loves her gym. Gk do a lovely kids range, I have a couple of questions
- all the little ones in the gym are wearing sleeveless leotards, I think long sleeved look smarter & winter is very cold where we are but she wants a sleeveless... Which would you reccomend?
-dd is very tall 3 ft 7 (nearly 4!!) slim build. Would CXS 24 inch or CS 26 fit be a better fit, what size do your 4 year olds wear?
Really on the fence about the sleeveless I think they look like swimming costumes but hey if that's what the kids are wearing...!

 

[gymgal]

If your gym has a little "shop" have her try on one of the gk ones or any other brand, then compare her measurements with their size chart to compare to gk.

and sleeveless all the way. NO long sleeve. She will look out of place and get too warm. Make sure it's a real gymnastics leo, not a dance one or a swimsuit. (yes, I have seen this)

 

[Committed]

If she wants sleeveless, go sleeveless. My DD went though a phase where she only wanted long-sleeved. It wasn't really about comfort, she wanted to show her coaches that she was a "serious" gymnast and long-sleeved leos looked like competition leos. So, to her, serious = long-sleeved. Now she doesn't own a single one (besides the comp leo).

Oh, and I'd probably say XS leo. DD, wore a small at the age of 7 and she was well past 48".

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Sleeveless.

As for the size of 4 yr olds, they vary, so their leos vary.

And quite honestly at 4, the ones at Target Kohls or Justice would work too. Our gym you can wear unitards or leos with gym shorts.

When my daughter was 4, she wore shorts and tee shirts. Didn't have to wear a leo until she went to team at 51/2. And the only way we got her out of shorts was unitards. And it took three months of prepping her that the shorts and tee shorts were going to be done. Till this day she wears a leo for meets, But at practice leo with gymnastic shorts.

Since it won't be a custom order. Order 2 sizes, have her try them on send the one that doesn't fit back. Order the one you think will fit, if it doesn't send it back and get the other size.

We order practice leos online at Amazon. We have prime 2 day shipping and we can return it

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I wanted to add, my kid hates tags in clothes. Having been burned by her before. I no longer cut tags out of leos until she has worn them at least 3 times. Far too many she claims to like, I cut out tag and they are never worn again.

So now the rule is wear it 3 times and then I will cut the tags. If she puts it on more then once, she likes it.

 

[sce]

For size, check out the GK size chart. You really want to measure torso length. You can have 2 kids exaclty the same height, with different proportions and thus different leotard sizes.

 

[GymCMLA]

my DD is almost 5 and 42" tall and in CS in GK and plum (and another brand we have that I can't remember)
Her cxs plums are too small.
I always measure girth and use the size charts though b/c torso length isn't always the same as comparing kids heights.

 

[Dahlia]

At that age I wouldn't spend too much on a leo. They outgrow them within a year or so. The ones at Target hold up surprisingly well for the price!

 

[GYM0M]

My DD is 10, 3'11 ( but she IS inching closer to that 4ft mark!!) and she wears a CL or an AXS, but she would not be considered slim. I would agree to measure girth. (Start on shoulder with measure tape, go between legs and back up to shoulder). I will say that my daughter technically measures into a CS, borderline CM, but she doesn't like how snug they are.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

As a coach (from age 4 in rec up to team girls) please stay away from the Target etc leotards! They simply don't fit well. I see tons of girls wearing them, off all sizes and shapes, and I have yet to see ONE that fits the way an actual gymnastics leotard should fit..! Yes, I'm picky with fit, I admit it, but over the years I have seen a gazillion leotards and the "fun cheap store" leotards just don't measure up to brands like GK.

You should really try leotards on to make sure they fit. All 4-yos are obviously not the same size, and even kids who are slim can have a long torso or something else that makes a larger size fit better. I would definitely go for sleeveless. DD has over the years had several long sleeved leos and she does wear them occasionally, but tank leotards are the norm for practice.

 

[GymDad9.9]

As a coach (from age 4 in rec up to team girls) please stay away from the Target etc leotards! They simply don't fit well. I see tons of girls wearing them, off all sizes and shapes, and I have yet to see ONE that fits the way an actual gymnastics leotard should fit..! Yes, I'm picky with fit, I admit it, but over the years I have seen a gazillion leotards and the "fun cheap store" leotards just don't measure up to brands like GK.

You should really try leotards on to make sure they fit. All 4-yos are obviously not the same size, and even kids who are slim can have a long torso or something else that makes a larger size fit better. I would definitely go for sleeveless. DD has over the years had several long sleeved leos and she does wear them occasionally, but tank leotards are the norm for practice.

You would think a retailer like Target would have greater presence of mind than to sell schlock like that. Pity.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

My DD was a tiny 4 year old and wore CXS for several years. You need to really measure her girth and use the GK size chart. If they sell them at your gym, let her try on as some do vary slightly.

My oldest only ever wore sleeveless but younger DD preferred long sleeves in the winter.

 

[raenndrops]

No sleeves at all for workout, and no unitards either....sleeveless if you want her to wear it for a while

At nearly 4, we were in love with biketards (or "shortsy leotards" as both gymmies referred to them). We never had to worry about undies showing - neither was going commando at that age and modesty was a key factor. We could also get a size up and it still looked fine, wasn't a spotting hazard, and allowed them room to grow.
Once each girl was invited to team at age 6, it didn't take long to decide that biketards were out and leotards were the "only" way to go.

 

[Madden3]

For my four year old, who is also tall for her age and very slender, I go to the local child-centric thrift store, where one can find a wide variety of very cute, gently used leos for a fraction of the cost of new. Gymnastics is insanely expensive and I quickly learned to cut costs wherever possible.

I completely agree with raenndrops, I vastly prefer the "shortsie leos" for this age for the reasons she stated. I also agree go with a tank top rather than sleeves. Sleeves look like dance not gym and tend to not fit right.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

At nearly 4, we were in love with biketards (or "shortsy leotards" as both gymmies referred to them). We never had to worry about undies showing - neither was going commando at that age and modesty was a key factor. We could also get a size up and it still looked fine, wasn't a spotting hazard, and allowed them room to grow.
Once each girl was invited to team at age 6, it didn't take long to decide that biketards were out and leotards were the "only" way to go.

Yep and that is why at that age Target stuff works just fine. Its a practice leo, as long as the fit isn't a safety issue its fine.

Although my girl wore her unitards until she out grew them shortly before level 4.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

We all hand ours down at gym. A couple of girls just left gym. My kid inherited 3 leos.

And we pass her small ones down.