What type of school does your gymnast attend???

[Flipomaniak]

Just wondering... What type of school does your gymnast, or you attend?

 

[gymunicorn]

I am at private school, no going to a public high school!

 

[SuperGirlmlm]

I think that homeschooling because of gymnastics is a bad idea. Gymnastics will already dominate your life with public school, so why totally eliminate yourself from everything that will socialize you and help you grow as a person. Samantha Peszek didn't miss any school for the Olympics. Jordyn Wieber goes to a public school. And they are the best gymnasts in the world!

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

Shawn Johnson went to public school too.

 

[Krystan]

I think that homeschooling because of gymnastics is a bad idea. Gymnastics will already dominate your life, so why totally eliminate yourself from everything that will socialize you and help you grow as a person.

Just want to correct a pretty misinformed post. We homeschool, and my kids are "socialized" very well thank you and growing into amazing, wonderful people. They are out and about throughout the day and see their friends pretty frequently through co-ops, field trips, meet-ups, etc. Our reason for homeschooling has nothing to do with gymnastics, but it does make it easier to do lots of gymnastics as WELL as other activities since there's no homework to worry about!

I understand your point that you need to have balance and include other things and people in your life though, especially when you are training 20+ hours a week.

 

[ejgymmom]

I think that homeschooling because of gymnastics is a bad idea. Gymnastics will already dominate your life with public school, so why totally eliminate yourself from everything that will socialize you and help you grow as a person. Samantha Peszek didn't miss any school for the Olympics. Jordyn Wieber goes to a public school. And they are the best gymnasts in the world!

Oh here we go...the whole "homeschooled kids are weird and unsocialized" stereotype. Why is that always the first thing people jump on when the topic of homeschooling comes up? Is a public school where kids sit in a classroom with other kids their same age all day long the only place a child can be socialized? Not that I really want to start the homeschooling vs. traditional schooling argument...but it could be argued that a child sitting in a classroom (where they most likely can't talk to others for much of the day) all day with students of the same age is not true socialization. In the "real world" are we grouped by age, only allowed to hang around or work with others of our same age? Is traditional school the only place kids can socialize? What about at gymnastics, other sports, around the neighborhood, hanging out at the park, or participating in stuff around the community? Why do people think the only place kids can be properly socialized is at school? If you met my daughter you'd realize that she is a social butterfly and has no lack of socialization in her life.

And I'm not even going to talk about your comment on how homeschooling will eliminate everything that will help you grow as a person. That's just ridiculous.

Anyway...yes, homeschooling your child for the sake of gymnastics, especially in the lower levels is not the reason to homeschool. We homeschool. This will be our 3rd year doing it and it has absolutely nothing to do with gymnastics. I do, however, love the extra time it gives us during the day and am relieved that my 6 year old will not have to go straight from school next year to her 3 hour practices.

If you don't know anything about homeschooling other than thinking that it produces weird and unsocialized kids, please do some additional research before giving advice on it.

 

[wallinbl]

Have thought about homeschooling several times, but the elementary school has good kids and good teachers, so it's a good fit right now. We may move in that direction come middle or high school as the pros and cons change.

 

[JBS]

Let's stay away from the stereotypes. There are weird families in all forms of schooling. And remember...what is weird to one is not to another.

 

[gymgal]

Everything ejgymmom said and more...

We have homeschooled 7 years and don't really plan on stopping anytime soon. My kids are just as well rounded as traditional schooled kids including in the area of socialization. We chose homeschooling for many different reasons, and gymnastics was *not* one of them. Now that dd is going to the gym 20 hours, I will say that homeschooling definitely helps with family life, though. It gives us time to stay connected and provides more relaxation time for dd. Sometimes, I really feel bad for dd's teammates and their families... so much stressed surrounding homework, tests, deadlines, not enough time to enjoy some family time.

In the end, each family must decide what works best for them. HS-ing definitely is not for most people but I think a lot more families would try it if there wasn't a stigma attached to it and if they realized how much help is available to those just starting out with it.

 

[2020vision]

Both of our girls go to a private school which allows us some flexibility for our older daughter and gymnastics. This isn't why they go the school, but it is an appreciated benefit. I think that they are much more understanding when my daughter needs to miss for competitions than a public school would be able to be.

Of course the flip side is that the academic rigor is much higher than it seems to be for public school kids which means that the girls have to manage their free time to accommodate their hobbies. They both know that if grades drop, so do gymnastics/lacrosse/music.

 

[2020vision]

Oh here we go...the whole "homeschooled kids are weird and unsocialized" stereotype. Why is that always the first thing people jump on when the topic of homeschooling comes up? Is a public school where kids sit in a classroom with other kids their same age all day long the only place a child can be socialized? Not that I really want to start the homeschooling vs. traditional schooling argument...but it could be argued that a child sitting in a classroom (where they most likely can't talk to others for much of the day) all day with students of the same age is not true socialization. In the "real world" are we grouped by age, only allowed to hang around or work with others of our same age? Is traditional school the only place kids can socialize? What about at gymnastics, other sports, around the neighborhood, hanging out at the park, or participating in stuff around the community? Why do people think the only place kids can be properly socialized is at school? If you met my daughter you'd realize that she is a social butterfly and has no lack of socialization in her life.

And I'm not even going to talk about your comment on how homeschooling will eliminate everything that will help you grow as a person. That's just ridiculous.

Anyway...yes, homeschooling your child for the sake of gymnastics, especially in the lower levels is not the reason to homeschool. We homeschool. This will be our 3rd year doing it and it has absolutely nothing to do with gymnastics. I do, however, love the extra time it gives us during the day and am relieved that my 6 year old will not have to go straight from school next year to her 3 hour practices.

If you don't know anything about homeschooling other than thinking that it produces weird and unsocialized kids, please do some additional research before giving advice on it.

There is SO much research to show that the "socialization" argument against homeschooling is absolute hogwash. It's become a knee jerk comment made about home schooling. And honestly, our short dabble with public school didn't exactly leave me breathless with a choice of peers. Not stereotyping every kid in public school, but there are plenty of kids in public school that quite honestly, I don't WANT my kids socializing with. My brother is a public school teacher and the stories he tells at holidays......shooooo-ey. No thank you.

I think there are some people, a very small percentage of homeschoolers, who use homeschooling to isolate their children from the "big bad world" but I think these people are so few and far between that it isn't even worth worrying about. I've also heard of people who homeschool because they don't want their religious doctrines challenged. But yeah, the "poor awkward homeschooler" stereotype is SO 1980s.

I have a friend who unschools. Their kids are amazing!!!! Social, humorous, SMART as whips, can fit in to any situation. They are comfortable in a room full of adults as well as on a playground full of kids.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I think the public school experience is very important. Not in terms of "socialization", which can be achieved in many different ways, but in terms of learning to deal with a massive institution that really doesn't care about you individually. That's a useful life skill that you don't get through homeschooling and may or may not at a private school. Also, it's important to get to know people from different backgrounds from yourself and I don't think a private school would necessarily provide that, given that most are quite costly.

All of that said...I am so fortunate to go to one of the best public schools in the country, whose academic rigor compares with many magnet and private schools. If I didn't go here, I'm sure I would feel differently.

 

[emorymom]

Dear Mack, pretty sure my kids learn about being in an institution that doesn't care about them personally at gymnastics team LOL.

Just kidding. At any rate you can figure that out pretty fast in college, just my opinion.

My children are exposed to a great deal of economic and racial diversity in their other activities; racial diversity in gymnastics.

I think with any consuming activity from which a child might want to retire (or might injure out) it's probably safer emotionally to have other things going on ... I have a child actor so this applies also. If you have multiple communities, multiple connections, then losing an activity would not be as upsetting or leave the individual open to bad influences or overwhelming feelings of failure. So I think for many I hear that school is providing that important world outside of gymnastics.

 

[gymgal]

I think the public school experience is very important. Not in terms of "socialization", which can be achieved in many different ways, but in terms of learning to deal with a massive institution that really doesn't care about you individually. That's a useful life skill that you don't get through homeschooling and may or may not at a private school.
.

I certainly hope this was meant tongue in cheek. Why would I *want* my child to learn this? I certainly do not see this as a life lesson to be learned. I have never needed this in my life... I went to a small college, have a masters degree and own a successful business.

Since we are on this topic, everyone always talks about diversity and socialization and how important it is in the young years. While this might be true, sticking a diverse group together in school will do nothing for tolerance and socialization unless there is adult guidance, which is severely lacking during the times when it is mostly needed - lunch/breaks during the tween/teen years. Everyone can pretend that public school is so good for dealing with real life but it really is a false reality that actually makes it harder for teens to enter real life.

 

[wallinbl]

I certainly hope this was meant tongue in cheek. Why would I *want* my child to learn this? I certainly do not see this as a life lesson to be learned. I have never needed this in my life... I went to a small college, have a masters degree and own a successful business.

I think the lesson to be learned is that there are things in life you just have to deal with (taxes, DMV, etc) and can't expect any special treatment for.

Since we are on this topic, everyone always talks about diversity and socialization and how important it is in the young years. While this might be true, sticking a diverse group together in school will do nothing for tolerance and socialization unless there is adult guidance, which is severely lacking during the times when it is mostly needed - lunch/breaks during the tween/teen years.

Kids are lumped together in schools in a way that's economically efficient - by home address. This keeps busing costs down. It doesn't make for good diversity. It doesn't put kids of the same learning type together. It doesn't accomplish much of anything other than showing you who lives near you.

Everyone can pretend that public school is so good for dealing with real life but it really is a false reality that actually makes it harder for teens to enter real life.

Lumping together 2000+ teens that think they know everything and letting them build their own social power structures isn't really helping them at all - it's just generating fertile ground for a melodramatic TV show.

 

[gymgal]

I think the lesson to be learned is that there are things in life you just have to deal with (taxes, DMV, etc) and can't expect any special treatment for.


Kids are lumped together in schools in a way that's economically efficient - by home address. This keeps busing costs down. It doesn't make for good diversity. It doesn't put kids of the same learning type together. It doesn't accomplish much of anything other than showing you who lives near you.


Lumping together 2000+ teens that think they know everything and letting them build their own social power structures isn't really helping them at all - it's just generating fertile ground for a melodramatic TV show.

I like your wording! Lol As for dealing things in life like dmv, taxes, etc... I'm pretty certain children can learn that periodically in the activities they attend. Definitely don't need to make them suffer through 13 years of public school for that.

Look... I went to public and catholic schools for k-12. It was fine. I survived and received a good education. I really don't have anything against it. What I take issue with is the notion that if you homeschool, you are less likely to to succeed in the world - that somehow, being *in the real world* on a daily basis (which is what hs-ing is all about) isn't enough to prepare you *for the real world*.

 

[gymmom14]

I just wanted to chime in here.... I have a dd in public school, a dd in private school and am involved in the homeschool community. The bottom line is you have to find what works for your child/family and be respectful of other peoples decisions. What works for one does not work for all. I feel no need to defend my decisions to anyone nor do I feel that one type of schooling makes you more or less successful in life. There are homeschool children that I would not want my public school dd to hang around with just as their are traditionally schooled children I steer her away from. Generalizations ruin this discussion.

 

[gymnast98]

My family has homeschooled for the past 15(?) years and graduated 2 kids by homeschool. my oldest sister went to a public HS and my parents have stated that if they could do it again, they would have opted to homeschool her through HS. I am currently homeschooled and it has nothing to do with gymnastics, just a personal family decision. It does, however, free up part of Tuesdays where I can do private training/ physical therapy with my favorite coach. But I am about to be a freshman and yes, I will still be homeschooled during the high school years.

 

[GymWithoutEnd]

We've been homeschooling for 15 years. It's a way of life, not a way to study.

When people start talking about socialization, I remind them that no one would send their puppy to be behavior training in a situation where there were 30 puppies to one trainer. Why is it a good idea for children? It works for some children, but as long as I have the choice, I will keep my children home.

And whenever people speak of all the hard knocks lessons children need to learn to survive in the world, I completely agree. But I don't agree they need to learn them at age 6. They will have plenty of chances to learn about how tough life can be, and hopefully, when they must learn these lessons alone, they will have been given plenty of tools and experiences. We don't live in a vacuum. I just like being with my children and helping them learn..... whether it is math or how to deal with racism. I'm not convinced anyone else cares enough to walk through life with my children the way I do.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

I think that homeschooling because of gymnastics is a bad idea. Gymnastics will already dominate your life with public school, so why totally eliminate yourself from everything that will socialize you and help you grow as a person. Samantha Peszek didn't miss any school for the Olympics. Jordyn Wieber goes to a public school. And they are the best gymnasts in the world

Maybe I read this differently, but I don't think she meant it as you are an unsociable recluse with no ways to interact with the world if you home school. I think she meant to home school solely for the reason of gymnastics, just to have more time in the gym, at the expense of friends and other outside activities, can be detrimental to a gymnast. I think she just meant you need a life of some kind outside the gym, whether that be with a home school group, church, friends, etc. I've yet to see anyone on here say homeschooling your kid solely for gymnastics is a great idea. Balance is always good.

My DH is one who thinks they need to be in a public/private school for socialization etc. I don't agree. I know that there are many successful kids and groups who make homeschooling an excellent option for an alternate education. I think it depends on the kids too. I would have LOVED to home school. I liked working at my own pace, and even though did fine in school, I feel now I could have done even better if some of the options kids have now were available to me back then. For now my DD will start kindergarten at public school, but when she's older if she wants to home school, we will definitely consider it.

By then hopefully she'll be socialized. <---- (that was a joke, just so ya know)