Parents Crazy Moms

[flippymonkeysmom]

Ok - we all know some - but there is one at my dd's gym and my heart breaks for her daughter. Everyday at practice this girl cries and tells the other girls that she doesn't want to do gymnastics anymore but her mom is making her. Now she is having some fear issues trying to get skills for the next level. Every practice her mother sits in the lobby watching and critiquing every move she makes. The other day the girl was not doing something because she was afraid too - she was sobbing inconsolably. The mother actually went out onto the floor and started yelling at her to get over it and do it. The coaches have suggested to the mother that she stay back a level since she is not ready mentally to move up and of course the mother went ballistic, putting that much more pressure on the kid. I tried one day to say nicely that maybe if she didn't feel pressured she would get over the fear quicker. She snapped saying that is not how her daughter is. Anyway - this poor girl is crying every time I see and looks miserable. Now her mother just took her out of school to home school so she can spend more time in the gym. I can't even stand to be around this woman anymore - how does she not see what she is doing to her child

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Gosh, I think we must be witnessing the same woman! HA! Actually, we've had this same type of mom at our gym. Constantly berating her daughter in front fo everyone if she doesn't perform up to mom's expectations, etc.

This woman was also a coach to several rec classes as well. Unfortunately, every time her daughter had her team practice, the mom would sit down the rec class and turn her back to them so she could watch and critique her daughter! I wished many times that some of the rec moms would be there to witness that!

The final straw came at our home meet 2 weeks ago... this mom was criticizing, no, YELLING, at the coaches in front of all of the parents and gymnasts at our first home meet! The mom AND daughter were both finally told to look for another gym... All of us parents are relieved at that decision!

 

[mariposa]

That is so sad. If she is that way when there are people around, I can only imagine how abusive she is when her and her daughter are alone. That just breaks my heart.

 

[gym law mom]

Unfortunately, there seem to be 1 or more of these parents at every gym. Oh yes, we have a few. We have 1 mom who works part time at the gym, but spends most of her time sitting in the gym critiquing her dd's routines. Before every meet, she tells her what she thinks she should score on each event. Well, so far this year, the girl has fallen short of mom expectations on at least 1 event. Doesn't mean she had a lousy meet, but in her mom's eyes she did fail. Girl leaves just about every meet in tears and mom just doesn't seem to "get it."

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

We are lucky not to have one of those at the moment. We did have one last year before dd was on pre-team. young girl of 4 was in dd's class which was a combo gymnastic / dance class. The girl was late everyday because it took over an hour to get there, the girl cried everyday. This poor girl would refuse to do any of the gymnastic class (most of the time) so she spent most of the class sitting on the floor crying or pouting. On days when mom would stay she would seemed shocked ' I don't know what is wrong w/ dd today, she just doesn't seem to be participating '

The rest of us who watch daily were like ' hello - she is like this every class - she is not happy and does not want to be here - why are you paying all this money and spending 2 hours in the car on top of the class so your child can be miserable?' OK, so we never said it out loud - One finally said something similar - she finished the year and did not come back.

I felt bad for her. It was obvious she did not want to be there and equally obvious that mom had no clue.

I will gladly stop when dd is no longer enjoying. Well, gladly might be an exaggeration - I would miss it - but I would not make her feel bad and I would not make her keep going. Forcing the child to do something they do not enjoy is pointless. Mine would finish the season if it had started because it is not fair to the rest of the team otherwise but at end of season if she wanted to stop I would let her.

 

[Blackie6]

Gosh, I try to stay away from this subject and those moms at the gym....but.... We had one that just moved up to L5. She was so bad (the mom)we kept telling her how GREAT her DD was (visions of fun and happy meets danced in our heads!)and that she shouldn't be held back any longer in L4, LOL. We couldn't stand to sit next to her at meets either, never complemented our girls but always wanted us to tell her how wonderful her dd did. Come to find out even the new L5 moms won't sit near her now either. Honestly, the girl *IS* good but I think she is only in it to make mom happy. Pet peeve of mine, I hate when parents can't see that their children really don't have it in their hearts to be there. If I ever get so blinded I can't see that in my own DD someday, I pray someone is honest with me.

 

[Livinatthegym]

I will gladly stop when dd is no longer enjoying. Well, gladly might be an exaggeration - I would miss it -

LOL! At our gym we joke that if our children leave the sport, we (the parents), will be left friendless.

I think every gym regularly has to have a crazy mom, kind of like every village needs an idiot. Ours is the mom of a super-talented girl. I think she came in first place AA at every single level 5 meet she competed in. The kid is talented enough that she should be moving up the levels much faster, but nobody wants to deal with mom, and the kid (get this) would rather not be in gymnastics. She doesn't like the hard work.

Once, my dh asked Crazy Mom why she didn't just sit down and enjoy watching the practice. (She stands right in the observation window and gives directions when the coach isn't looking). She told dh, "Well, somebody has to tell A what to do!" O.K.

She doesn't have too many friends at the gym. Too bad, because I think the moms have a better time together than the kids.

 

[flippymonkeysmom]

I think every gym regularly has to have a crazy mom, kind of like every village needs an idiot..

Great analogy :laughing::laughing:

 

[Blackie6]

LOL! At our gym we joke that if our children leave the sport, we (the parents), will be left friendless.

I agree! I have a blast with some of the moms & our daughters are all great friends too. I would miss them if DD quit. We LOL so much at meets we almost miss watching our own girls compete.