I have spent the last 6 weeks reflecting on what gymnastics was to us, as a family and to my DD. Im not a perfect parent of a perfect gymnast from a perfect gym. But I went through having a young gymnast with Olympic aspirations and the talent and commitment to take her there, only to have it all end. I think this lends itself to having something worth sharing...
1) Your gymnast is talented and gifted for choosing to do this sport. They are choosing to put themselves out there, for the world to see and criticize their every move. They are always being criticized and critiqued, with small victories being celebrated for a minute while spending months focusing on mistakes. They choose this because they want it. So believe in their gift and their talent, not because they will be Olympians but because they are gymnasts. They are strong and beautiful in their own rite, every one of them. The 9 year old level 9 is TRULY no more amazing than the 11 year old who just got her kip. REALLY. I mean it.
2)You can not make your child learn a skill she isn't ready for, you should not make her feel bad for it, and you can not change her ability to achieve her task. YOU HAVE TO SIT BACK AND LET HER OWN EVERY MOMENT. Period. REALLY. I mean it. And be proud of her, really proud because your gymnast is talented and gifted for choosing this sport.
3)When you say you don't care if your child moves up, you don't care if they have a mental block, you don't care if they don't win-you aren't fooling anyone. You have to care because you love your child and want the whole entire world of success for them because you love them. You care, and so does every other parent. That doesn't mean you should be any less amazed by your child when those things don't happen your gymnast is talented and gifted for choosing this sport.
4)There is life beyond gymnastics. It hurts to imagine a world without this sport and all we love about it. But, when they leave, they will be okay because your gymnast is talented and gifted for choosing this sport. Those talents and gifts don't go away because they move into the next phase of their life. Those gifts were there before they became gymnasts.
5)I grew as a person because my daughter was a gymnast. She already knew who she was but I certainly learned a lot about who she was through her short but very intense gymnastics experiences. Now I will be a better gym parent to my son, thanks to the fact that my gymnast is talented and gifted for having chosen this sport. I also know I can trust her to be exactly who she is meant to be, and I can sit back and let her be that person.
If you read through the whole thing and think I am a big sap, you'd be right. But if I didn't learn from my children, and share what I'd learned, I would wonder what it was all worth. Enjoy this ride and let it belong to your talented and gifted child.
1) Your gymnast is talented and gifted for choosing to do this sport. They are choosing to put themselves out there, for the world to see and criticize their every move. They are always being criticized and critiqued, with small victories being celebrated for a minute while spending months focusing on mistakes. They choose this because they want it. So believe in their gift and their talent, not because they will be Olympians but because they are gymnasts. They are strong and beautiful in their own rite, every one of them. The 9 year old level 9 is TRULY no more amazing than the 11 year old who just got her kip. REALLY. I mean it.
2)You can not make your child learn a skill she isn't ready for, you should not make her feel bad for it, and you can not change her ability to achieve her task. YOU HAVE TO SIT BACK AND LET HER OWN EVERY MOMENT. Period. REALLY. I mean it. And be proud of her, really proud because your gymnast is talented and gifted for choosing this sport.
3)When you say you don't care if your child moves up, you don't care if they have a mental block, you don't care if they don't win-you aren't fooling anyone. You have to care because you love your child and want the whole entire world of success for them because you love them. You care, and so does every other parent. That doesn't mean you should be any less amazed by your child when those things don't happen your gymnast is talented and gifted for choosing this sport.
4)There is life beyond gymnastics. It hurts to imagine a world without this sport and all we love about it. But, when they leave, they will be okay because your gymnast is talented and gifted for choosing this sport. Those talents and gifts don't go away because they move into the next phase of their life. Those gifts were there before they became gymnasts.
5)I grew as a person because my daughter was a gymnast. She already knew who she was but I certainly learned a lot about who she was through her short but very intense gymnastics experiences. Now I will be a better gym parent to my son, thanks to the fact that my gymnast is talented and gifted for having chosen this sport. I also know I can trust her to be exactly who she is meant to be, and I can sit back and let her be that person.
If you read through the whole thing and think I am a big sap, you'd be right. But if I didn't learn from my children, and share what I'd learned, I would wonder what it was all worth. Enjoy this ride and let it belong to your talented and gifted child.
