Parents Crazy Gym Parent Behavior (Yours or Others)

[ReluctantGymMom]

There is one mom of a girl who is very short and small (she is on growth hormones now), but she will inject into every single conversation, no matter the topic, how small and short her child is. And how much younger she is than everyone else (while getting increasingly madder if younger people join their level). She’s just so dang short. If I shared the hashtag that accompanied every single post about this kid (there are many), it would be a dead giveaway for who I am, but damn I am feeling like I’m just in some Bermuda Triangle of crazy.

the homeschool and home equipment parents have become the normal looking ones in comparison

 

[Maxcat83]

I know someone like that...

 

[RTT2]

There is one mom of a girl who is very short and small (she is on growth hormones now), but she will inject into every single conversation, no matter the topic, how small and short her child is. And how much younger she is than everyone else (while getting increasingly madder if younger people join their level). She’s just so dang short. If I shared the hashtag that accompanied every single post about this kid (there are many), it would be a dead giveaway for who I am, but damn I am feeling like I’m just in some Bermuda Triangle of crazy.

the homeschool and home equipment parents have become the normal looking ones in comparison

Now I need to guess! #smallbutfierce ? #tinybutmighty ? #tinygirl ?

 

[MuggleMom]

Our Gym has a day program but they dont actually have an in house homeschool thing going. The parents have to home school or find a homeschool type cohort. Its more hours and it used to be by "invite only" for girls that were going to fast track but now its open to anyone who would like to participate. I think some parents see the higher hours and the "head coaches" training and see it as a "better" opportunity for their kids. I used to wonder/worry if DD was missing out by not going that route but several years in I am glad we didn't do it. The hours are higher and we have definitely seen more injuries and burn outs from that group. I also think the coaches of that group are stricter and the lower levels dont even work with the "head coaches" they are working with the same coaches we have in the evening groups. If you are already homeschooling its nice to have your evenings free but I never understood the people at our gym that did it just for gymnastics reasons.

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

Now I need to guess! #smallbutfierce ? #tinybutmighty ? #tinygirl ?

No it starts with a B ahahaha

 

[Maxcat83]

I've seen several parents move to homeschooling (specifically for gymnastics not for educational reasons) to get more hours and to be with the "better" coaches. Almost all of those kids have since quit. I saw one mom ask the coaches if she should get this $300 split machine to help her daughter with flexibility. I personally enjoy hearing all the level 3 moms talk about their kid going to the Olympics lol....that doesn't happen at gym as much but some of them will post about it on facebook etc.

My kid doesn't even want to go to the Olympics she wants to coach and own a gym. Lol

 

[Mish]

Now I need to guess! #smallbutfierce ? #tinybutmighty ? #tinygirl ?

I was trying to guess the same thing lol!

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

She’s a beast but she’s also a…

I wish I could just put it here but I’d end up identifying this lil girl who is not to blame for her mom being a lunatic - every once in awhile though, I’ll comment that it looks like she’s gotten so much taller and she gets mad and argues with me that I’m wrong, she is still the smallest smol gymnast to ever be small

 

[mom2newgymnast]

She’s a beast but she’s also a…

I wish I could just put it here but I’d end up identifying this lil girl who is not to blame for her mom being a lunatic - every once in awhile though, I’ll comment that it looks like she’s gotten so much taller and she gets mad and argues with me that I’m wrong, she is still the smallest smol gymnast to ever be small

Well at least I know I'm not too crazy a parent now because I have absolutely no idea who that could be. I do think it's crazy what some parents brag about though.

 

[txgymfan]

My kid doesn't even want to go to the Olympics she wants to coach and own a gym. Lol

If she has questions, ask Aussie_Coach she coaches and has a very successful gym. She also has the most positive gym environment that I have heard of.

 

[Aussie_coach]

If she has questions, ask Aussie_Coach she coaches and has a very successful gym. She also has the most positive gym environment that I have heard of.

Aww thanks txgymfan. Just believe that kids learn best, achieve the most and have the least fear when they are happy, believing in themselves and having fun.

But yes, the goal of owning a gym is not too different than the goal of going to the Olympics. It takes enormous dedication, commitment, times, energy and of course the stars need to align.

 

[PeanutsMom]

Aww thanks txgymfan. Just believe that kids learn best, achieve the most and have the least fear when they are happy, believing in themselves and having fun.

But yes, the goal of owning a gym is not too different than the goal of going to the Olympics. It takes enormous dedication, commitment, times, energy and of course the stars need to align.

You should come to the US and hang out with our girls in our gym! Happy, positive, and confident is what we are FINALLY finding after years in competitive gymnastics.

 

[MuggleMom]

every once in awhile though, I’ll comment that it looks like she’s gotten so much taller and she gets mad and argues with me that I’m wrong, she is still the smallest smol gymnast to ever be small

YES continue to poke the bear!! poor kiddo I hope she can ignore her mom's brand of crazy

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

YES continue to poke the bear!! poor kiddo I hope she can ignore her mom's brand of crazy

I think the kid knows her mom is crazy, but she herself is very sweet. I don’t come from a culture where it’s common to go around bragging about how great your kid is, so if someone tells me my child is doing great, I’m more likely to respond with “thanks, I too love the way she trips onto her face while walking” than informing them that I had her evaluated by an Olympian who also said she has great potential (same mom, when kid was level 3). I don’t know how one gets evaluated by Olympians, but it is very easy to get under those kinds of peoples skin by just complimenting someone else’s child

 

[Deleted member 26368]

I think the kid knows her mom is crazy, but she herself is very sweet. I don’t come from a culture where it’s common to go around bragging about how great your kid is, so if someone tells me my child is doing great, I’m more likely to respond with “thanks, I too love the way she trips onto her face while walking” than informing them that I had her evaluated by an Olympian who also said she has great potential (same mom, when kid was level 3). I don’t know how one gets evaluated by Olympians, but it is very easy to get under those kinds of peoples skin by just complimenting someone else’s child

I mean, what Olympian wouldn't tell a tiny gymnast that they had potential? Not that the girl doesn't, but for a parent to go around bragging about that? Yeesh

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

I mean, what Olympian wouldn't tell a tiny gymnast that they had potential? Not that the girl doesn't, but for a parent to go around bragging about that? Yeesh

But how does this even happen?? Was there a book signing and she demanded this Olympian evaluate her kids back handsprings? I’ll never know but I’ll always wonder

 

[GymMomA3R]

I know I have CGM tendencies that I fight and squash (asking for privates, watching practice, knowing score requirements, looking at possible meets our gym may attend). However, I also am the type that just loves gaining information and researching things and I have a need to plan ahead. I’ve learned to change the “I want to schedule privates” to asking the coach if he/she thinks privates would be helpful to reach a skill she needs for competition. And even though I’m there watching practice - it’s more I’m chit chatting with the other moms and occasionally look to see if my gymnast got the new skill she wanted me to see.

However, I’d like to think I’m nowhere near the CGM behavior I have seen with my own eyes when we started our journey.

The daughter is incredibly talented and super sweet… but her crazy mom has admitted that she was a competitive gymnast and she is pushing her daughter because her own dream was to go all the way and she thinks her daughter can do it. She also won’t stop bragging about how many followers and fans her daughter has
- Used to walk onto training area and sit inside on the floor so she can yell and coach her kid as well as get better video angles (she’s even told gymnasts working to move because they were in the shot )
- when kicked off the floor, she (and her husband if he was there) would yell from the parent area to coach. One time she even yelled at her daughter (6 at that time) if she didn’t do a skill, they were going to leave her behind when they go to their family vacation in a few days. Other times, she would yell at her to stop being a baby and get over her mental block. (Then go in Instagram and say her daughter thankfully hasn’t had mental blocks )
- interrupts her daughter’s training (again by yelling) to make her take the phone and give it to a coach to video it so she can post it on Instagram.
- constantly asking parents around which free leos/equipment/accessories should her daughter get because a company wants her as an ambassador
- gym hopper claiming coaching wasn’t good even though her daughter loved the gym and did as well as could be expected when she was there (considering mom and dad coached over our own coaches and she only came to practice 2x a week)
- complains on Instagram how her daughter was robbed during meets (especially since she had a former Olympian flown in to choreograph), but when people point out that the score seemed accurate, she’d delete the post.

I could go on and on… Sadly she turned some other parents at the gym into crazy gym parents and I felt bad for our coaches. It all came to a head dramatically and the fallout left several girls that were on the cusp of going elite to switch gyms (the moms made the decision even though the girls didn’t want to leave) due to her influence… and I believe those other girls have now left the sport.

 

[Maxcat83]

Aww thanks txgymfan. Just believe that kids learn best, achieve the most and have the least fear when they are happy, believing in themselves and having fun.

But yes, the goal of owning a gym is not too different than the goal of going to the Olympics. It takes enormous dedication, commitment, times, energy and of course the stars need to align.

Luckily my husband and I have experience in owning businesses but yes i's not that easy for sure. We also have a friend who was a gym owner as well.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Luckily my husband and I have experience in owning businesses but yes i's not that easy for sure. We also have a friend who was a gym owner as well.

A rewarding life but also a challenging one!

 

[meoowww~]

Once at a meet recently the coach was telling a gymnast to make sure that her parents wouldn't make her work out or do gymnastics at home.