For Parents Question for you experienced parents

[Mariainlv]

I am brand new to all of this so please bear with me

J is on a L3team (the gyms preteam, but they compete locally for experience)

She attends 3x a week for 3 hours. Mondays are conditioning and Wed/Fri is skills etc.

She asked to take a seperate tumbling class, that is 1 hour, once a week at the same gym. She went last night and had alot of fun. She has RO-BHS-BHS and last night they were working on front tucks on the trampoline and connecting RO-BHS X4 or 5 and she thought it was great. She likes the other apparatus but tumbling is really it for her, followed by beam (since she can use the tumbling skills there.)

With the addition of this class it takes her to 10 hours a week.
My concern is am I setting my child up for failure by having a 6yo at the gym that many hours?

Thank you so much for your insight! This is an awesome site with an amazing bunch parents!:applause:

 

[Emma's mom]

Hi, my dd is 8 years old and a level 6. She started competing as a six year old level 4. At that time she did 10 hours a week. This is a very personal decision and IMO really depends on the child. You as a parent know your child best. My daughter lives and breathes this sport. When she went up to 16 hours this past summer we were very leary of her being able to handle it. Of course she loved it. Trust me, I get the "looks" from non gymnast parents when they hear the hours she is going. We did as a family make the decision to back her off to 12 hours a week during the school year. However, she has the option of going the additional day now and then when she wants. This is what works best for us. We were concerned because she is only eight, and had a few health issues we wanted to get her over. I know a lot of girls that go many more hours and are doing just fine. I hope that helps!

 

[TeamDad]

I'm sure you will hear alot of +/-'s on the subject. For us, we didn't let our daughter start pre-team until she was 8. She did however do recreational classes since she was a small child...you know mommy and me and that sort of thing, however, we did alot of physical/brain developmental type things when she was an infant that would make most people cringe and freak out.

We weren't concerned about the hours in the gym, but we were concerned about over developing her muscles and the pounding she would be taking on developing bones. To that end, we decided to exercise caution and wait until she was older.

Although she is still one of the shortest girls in her grade, I don't think that it has anything to do with gymnastics and we never did buy into that dogma. For us, we just didn't want our 6 year old to look like a tank. We wanted her to develop long lean muscles and flexibility.

I should also mention that I do have a double standard in that I would have no problem if my 6 y.o. son wanted to do 10 hours a week, but I am much happier that he only does 1+1/2 hrs per and is involved in many other activities that are pretty diverse and range from sports to nature and science. I think it's important to expose these kids to a wide variety of experiences and wait and see what they have a strong aptitude and interest in before committing to one activity.

To answer your specific question, I think it's probably a good idea to leave her wanting more as burnout is a real concern as she gets older.

 

[gymjourneymom]

Hello & welcome to CB! You will get a lot of different opinions to your question. But only you know your DD. At 6 yrs old she should be having fun...gymnastics should be a blast for her. And it sounds like she is loving it! That is wonderful to hear! But is there something else she also has an interest in? Music, art, swimming, soccer, ballet? Now while her gym hours are low, is the perfect time to explore all of her other interests. As she continues in her gymnastic training, through the levels, her hours will increase & she'll get those tumbling skills. Is there a rush for her to get them sooner & spend more hours in the gym at this point? Only if that is what she really wants & you think that is what is best for her. You will hear this it a lot around here & it's TOTALLY the truth, "Gymnastics is a marthon, not a sprint". If she is learning to LOVE the sport, that is what will carry her through on the path of gymnastics. This is her childhood...she should be having fun & making great memories! Only you, the parent, knows what is right for your child. Enjoy every minute of her being 6yrs old, that's what REALLY matters!

 

[MdGymMom01]

Welcome! I can't really add to much to what the above posters have said. My dd is 10 and currently a level 5 (she does a more rec league so she is only in the gym 7 hrs a week). She started gymnastics relatively late at the age of 9. But, she did do All-Star cheer from the ages of 6-9. And the reason why we switched to gymnastics was because she was burnt out. Cheerleading was all she knew so I also think that she just wanted to explore other options. Last year, in addition to the gymnastics, she dabbled in ballet and track and field. She is also doing ballet this year, as it is really starting to peak her interest. I think that it is very important for young kids to do a wide variety of sports and activities and get a feel for what they really enjoy and have a good aptitude for like TeamDad said.

For your dd, gymnastics, or any activity for that matter, should be fun. Since she is in the gym 9 hrs already with the gymnastics, the extra hour of tumbling can wait.

 

[TGM]

Watch and listen closely to your child...generally you will be able to see if it is too much. There will be ebbs and flows--days when they will be so excited and days when they will cry and want to quit. Most times these emotions are temporary and after a rest (or sometimes even a short break) they will be ready to go again. In our home, we stress finishing what we start. We don't talk about other levels or seasons, just where we are now. That way, when DD comes home crying and saying she wants to stop, she knows that she can (with my blessing) AFTER SHE FINISHES HER CURRENT COMMITTMENT. This takes away the "never-ending" perspective that we naturally see things through when we are struggling. Hope this helped!

Blessings to you and your budding gymnast!

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

I think if you just listen to your DD she will let you know if it is too much for her. They know more than we sometimes give them credit for. My DD does 9 hours currently L4 and also an open gym class for 1.5 hours so that is a total of 10.5 hours. She would go more if they let her LOL!! It all depends on the kid and if she loves it I don't think it is too much!

 

[Flippers Mom]

I agree with what others have said - you know your child best. What is right for my daughter may not work for you. That said - here's what we did: Started competing Level 4 when she was 6, and went to the gym 5 hours a week for levels 4 & 5. Bumped that up to 7 hours a week at level 6 (age 8) and up to 10.5 hours a week at level 7 (age 9). She also attended a couple of dance classes throughout this time. We switched gyms this summer because she had begged and "wanted to get serious". She now attends gym 20 hours a week (age 10) and while she loves it, she is now thankful that we didn't allow her to go more when she was younger. She does miss the social and free time that she used to have but is thrilled by the progress she has made and knows she will be competitive with the bigger gyms because of the work she has put in. It is a continual balancing act. Who knew that one little 45 minute class once a week was going to turn into this all-consuming (time and money) sport?!!!

 

[canadiangymmom]

Hi, and welcome!

Something you said struck me as funny, it was that you need advice from "experienced" parents. While I knew your meaning (experienced with gymnastics) the other way to take it has even more value. Many of us have more experience with gymnastics, and there are as many different training set ups as there are children, but ultimately, no one here is as experienced as you when it comes to your child!

If she's handling the 9 hours well now, and loving every minute, 10 hours really isn't that big of a difference. Parents who take the time to seek advice and research to help make their parenting decisions, are looking out for the best interest of their children, and are probably going to figure it out pretty quickly if the fit isn't right for their child. If that's the case, it's really simple to fix!

In a slightly different direction, many gyms offer tumbling classes for anyone. Sometimes, they're more "rec" geared than competitive, and as a result, the goals of the program are not in line with the goals of the competitive program. (ex-teaching everyone a BHS, form irrelevant) Make sure if you go ahead with the tumbling class to check with her coach about whether or not it's a good fit.

Good luck with your decision, and stick around, we love fresh blood, lol!

 

[kristilyn73]

Welcome to the CB - My DD, Beetle, and I are doing the math right now.. I think she was 7 when she was in Level 3... That would have been about 9 hours a week. It seemed to work for her. She is now a L8/L9 and just turned 14.. Like the other posters.. you know your DD the best. If she is handling the 9 hours and loves the tumbling then by all means keep her going

She probably loves the challenge and the fun!

Keep up informed! It sounds like you have quite the talented Gymmie on your hands!

 

[Mariainlv]

Thank you!

Thank you everyone for the responses, its always good to hear many different viewpoint/experiences. Helps to make an informed decision!

J asked for the extra class, and has been raving about it since yesterday. Her HC (the lady in charge of the L3 girls) Ok'ed the class and its at the same gym, same floor etc. so skills/form wise I think its ok.

I appreciate all the BTDT that information. I will continue to watch her and see how she is doing. She seems to be having fun and is SO into practice, etc and cried last Sat that there was no open gym. I just want to balance what she wants with what is prudent for her from a long term standpoint.

Personally if she decides to do just tumbling, or something else entirely, thats OK with me too.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

As the others have said, take the cue from your DD. Some live & breathe gym (my little one started L4 at 6yo doing 12/wk) and other kids like my older DD (started team at 7 now 12 yr old L8) likes to have her mental health days

 

[Blackie6]

Hi, my dd is 8 years old and a level 6. She started competing as a six year old level 4. At that time she did 10 hours a week. This is a very personal decision and IMO really depends on the child. You as a parent know your child best. My daughter lives and breathes this sport. When she went up to 16 hours this past summer we were very leary of her being able to handle it. Of course she loved it. Trust me, I get the "looks" from non gymnast parents when they hear the hours she is going. We did as a family make the decision to back her off to 12 hours a week during the school year. However, she has the option of going the additional day now and then when she wants. This is what works best for us. We were concerned because she is only eight, and had a few health issues we wanted to get her over. I know a lot of girls that go many more hours and are doing just fine. I hope that helps!

Emma's mom, I could have written your post except my DD is in L5. This is our 3rd season of competition. My DD also did over 10 hours as a 6 yr old L4 w/increased hours in the Summer. Now that she is a L5 (8) the hours are up to 15. Seriously, we haven't put in a full week's practice yet w/increased hours. While my DD also loves the gym, and never had a problem being there for that long, I want her to have a balance of time for other things like violin, chorus, friends and family too. Gymnastics is a year round sport & it's not always for everyone. There have always been girls coming and going that tried it and couldn't transition to the long hours. One went back down to pre-team for another year til she matured a little and now she is trying L4 again. Whatever you decide, just do what's best for you & your family and at this age make sure she is having fun.

 

[cathiann]

If she's loving it and doesn't appear tired all the time or doesn't balk at going most of the time (I think ALL kids will balk sometimes!), then I think she'll be fine!

 

[emorymom]

It's OK to let it evolve and evaluate it as things come up. Is she in full time brick and mortar school? What are your goals for her being in gymnastics?

 

[Granny Smith]

I completely agree with what many others have already said. I just wanted to touch on the below question you ask.

You are only setting her up for failure if you have expectations that you place on her because she in the gym for 10 hrs. If the goal is for her to have fun and learn new skills than there is nothing wrong with 10 hrs. If you believe that her being there for 10hrs is going to produce a champion, then yes you would be setting her up for failure (not necessarily, but there is a darn good chance you would be.)

I don't see the latter from your post though, just say...

With the addition of this class it takes her to 10 hours a week.
My concern is am I setting my child up for failure by having a 6yo at the gym that many hours?

 

[Mariainlv]

I completely agree with what many others have already said. I just wanted to touch on the below question you ask.

You are only setting her up for failure if you have expectations that you place on her because she in the gym for 10 hrs. If the goal is for her to have fun and learn new skills than there is nothing wrong with 10 hrs. If you believe that her being there for 10hrs is going to produce a champion, then yes you would be setting her up for failure (not necessarily, but there is a darn good chance you would be.)

I don't see the latter from your post though, just say...

As far as gymnastics, yeah I have no expectations for J. The only thing I want is for her to have fun and not get hurt long term. Last night I voiced my concern to the gym owner and she had an analogy for me. She compared the hours in the gym to structured play and asked would J actively play 10 hrs a week. I said sure, she is a little ball of energy.

It's OK to let it evolve and evaluate it as things come up. Is she in full time brick and mortar school? What are your goals for her being in gymnastics?

Yes, J attends brick and mortar school. She is on track break (darn year round school) I guess once school kicks back in I will re-evalute next month. I really have no goals for J other than to keep her safe and having fun.

Its funny I am so worried about hours. Last year she was 5/6 and spent 6+ hrs on her tumbling team and I didnt worry. I guess this just seems more serious.

 

[mbphoto]

I am brand new to all of this so please bear with me

J is on a L3team (the gyms preteam, but they compete locally for experience)

She attends 3x a week for 3 hours. Mondays are conditioning and Wed/Fri is skills etc.

She asked to take a seperate tumbling class, that is 1 hour, once a week at the same gym. She went last night and had alot of fun. She has RO-BHS-BHS and last night they were working on front tucks on the trampoline and connecting RO-BHS X4 or 5 and she thought it was great. She likes the other apparatus but tumbling is really it for her, followed by beam (since she can use the tumbling skills there.)

With the addition of this class it takes her to 10 hours a week.
My concern is am I setting my child up for failure by having a 6yo at the gym that many hours?

Thank you so much for your insight! This is an awesome site with an amazing bunch parents!:applause:

I am not an experienced gym parent by any means but I think I can offer some insight. My kid was diagnosed with ADHD. Not so much the AD as much as the HD. She was just unable to sit still and would get yelled at 24/7 because of the massive amount of excess energy. She entered gymnastics at 7yrs into level 4 so we were close to your childs age at that time. The excess hours at the gym were a lifesaver for us. The more hours at the gym, the better she did in school. She struggled in school before we found gymnastics. Now she just turned 12, she spends between 20-25 hours per week with the extras we do. She is now a striaght A student and even receives excellent behavior awards now. So, I would say as long as she is happy, well adjusted, not struggling in school, you are doing the right thing. Just take her lead.

 

[Gymnasticsgirl521]

Welcome.... I have a 6 year old and she logs roughly 12 hours a week not counting privates and open gym. It all depends on the child. Mine asks to go to the gym to practice more and learn more skills. I believe if it has her happy then it is worth it. Best of luck.

 

[NotAMom]

Regardless of how one feels about hours for a 6yo, I agree with others that every child is different and it's critical to monitor the gymnast closely and react accordingly. I also agree with Granny Smith about not setting your expectation too high. Otherwise, before long you may find your daughter losing interest, getting frustrated/discouraged and eventually quit.

With that said, I will add a different view to the answers. Many gyms do not offer this many hours until kids are at least 1 or 2 years older regardless of ability. Ours only allows 8/9 and older to practice beyond 7 hours. FWIW, their reasoning is obvious.

Also, there has been at least a couple of threads on this topic recently. I would suggest you to do a search and read those as well.