Parents crazy?

[MdGymMom01]

Crazy??? Yeah, I think we are all a little crazy!! But, in a good way!! Non-gym parents "just don't get it". I remember when Dani was doing cheer in 1st grade for about 6 hrs a week her little friend was a gymnast (Level 4). I was talking to her mother and she was saying that she trained 12 hrs a week. I was like "What??? That's crazy! I thought cheerleading was tough!". But when I switched sports to gymnastics and actually saw the training and what went into the training, I understood the time necessity. Non-gym parents don't understand that in gymnastics there are FOUR events to master, plus lots of stretching and conditioning to help prevent injuries. This takes a lot of time. Especially, when the coaches have 6-8 gymnasts to train all at one time. Sometimes at Dani's 3 hr practices, there isn't enough time to rotate to all 4 events.

I think the ChalkBucket is a godsend for us gym parents because here we all "get it".
Thanks CB!!!

 

[canadiangymmom]

Crazy?? Maybe just a little For putting up with a *friend* who is so disrespectful and judgemental.

As parents it's our responsibility to worry about the happiness, development and well being of our children. If your daughter is thriving in her environment with those training hours, the only way you'd be crazy is if you pulled her out based on someone else's say so.

Keep up the good work mom!

 

[kristilyn73]

I tell most of my friends from the start that I am a "crazy gym mom'!

Crazy because we love our kids to death and want them to succeed at what they do well! In all seriousness, like other posters said. You have to be in the sport to understand the truths and the myths. I think most outsiders think of gymnastics as the negative press sees it - our kids have eating disorders, they are weighed daily, they are disciplined by Eastern European Coaches who do nothing but scream, they are going to be shpped off to live with said coaches and they are only doing this sport to win an Olympic Gold Medal one day!

Of course we know better, we know that our kids are learning healthy lifestyles and eating habits, time management, and confidence.

Hang in there! We understand!

 

[JessMom]

Thank you all so so so very much ! ! !

 

[Gymdad2]

Of course we are all as Crazy as loons!!! Who else would spend $7,000.00 a year (tuition, equipment, booster fees, travel, food, etc), give up 10 or more weekends a year, let dd practices 24 hrs week 51 weeks a year, (that's what dd is doing now) all for the chance to watch her perform for about a total of 30 or so minutes. I have argued on this board and other forums over the years all the advantages out dds get from this sport, and they are many, but the one thing I have never really mentioned is that it is addictive; both to our dds and to ourselves. Dd will be starting her 10th year of competition this fall and it is still as exciting and fascinating to me as it was that first meet those many years ago. Dd just started her junior year in hs so we are starting to think about that big word "scholarship" but only time will tell about that. Whatever happens, it has been an amazing trip and one that I would not have missed for anything. I am sure a lot of you other 'crazies' out there feel the same way. Good luck to you all.

 

[kikimom]

People say I'm crazy too. My dd is 9 and in fourth grade - she does gymnastics (will compete level 6 this year) and competitive dance so she goes straight from school to either dance or gymnastics monday - friday and gets home after 8 at which time she eats and does her homework. Eventually she will have to give up one or the other because the homework commitment will grow, but for now she is having fund doing both and since my husband and I both work full time, if she wasn't at the gym she would be in some type of aftercare, so she is happy.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Didn't read all the replies, but my Little Monkey has been doing 15 hrs since she was 6 years old training L5 and now at just-turned-9 she is still pulling straight A's along with her gym schedule, girl scouts (up until end of June), religious ed and everything else...

If your DD can handle the schedule and loves going to the gym, then why should your friend care?