Parents dilemma - please please help.

[needcoffee]

This is a no brainer for me too. Move. Yesterday.

Gym is meant to be fun. 6yos are meant to be having fun. 6yos are not meant to feel stressed and defeated. What good are medals in a sport you have come to hate?

Your kids happiness and mental health is the most important thing here.

 

[duyetanh]

you will find nice people in every gym, we are on our third gym ( with some of the same people and coaches from the first lol) and in each gym we have found lovely people

THIS. I was just about to say there are good people and kids at every gym, you will find them....mind you, we haven't switched gyms, but I firmly believe this to be true. There are also those you won't choose to associate with. It's the way of the gym world, and the world in general. But your child comes first. No matter how lovely the other mums and kids are, if the coaches treated my child in a way that hurt her tummy? I'd be gone yesterday.

 

[CTMOM]

Move ASAP! You will make new friends. A lot of our friends from our 1st gym are now at the 2nd gym.

 

[mOm2gymnast<3]

She's young and plenty of time to be coordinated. Move to another gym.
I would have already, as in yesterday. Best wishes

 

[Busymum]

Thank you all -- we have decided to take the plunge and make the move! She starts Thursday! She is excited and nervous all at once -- mostly excited though!

 

[duyetanh]

Thank you all -- we have decided to take the plunge and make the move! She starts Thursday! She is excited and nervous all at once -- mostly excited though!

Oh hooray!

 

[Gymbee06]

I would move her we recently switched gym in the end for a similar reason at first I just started a conversation with the he about dd feeling bored and it turned into hc saying that she was basically useless and wouldn't be able to robhsbt and I had the general feeling that they didn't care whether dd was there or not she had been at old gym for 4 years we trialled at another club and the difference was night and day the robhsbt that old gym said she wouldn't be able to do she did in her trial! I used to dread competitions due to my dd not being a superstar and the criticism she got there is no pressure at the new gym yes they want to win but they are more bothered about the kids being happy and enjoying gymnastics and new f wins way more than old gym not that that matters to me the change in my dd is huge she cannot wait to get to gym and is back to begging for more hours and wanting to do conditioning at home something she had given up on.
I will say this I once read on cb that I you are considering a move that you should have moved a year ago and I 100% agree with this you will find a gym that wants your dd usually the smaller gyms are better less pressure I know the elite gym around here talking to the parents the kids are always fearful they are gonna get dropped

 

[l.c.o]

When my DD was 7ish we moved her from a pretty darn competitive gym to a much more laidback program. It had simply been too much for her. She was stressed out constantly... stomach aches, crying before practice. She didn't want to quit, but didn't want to go to practice. So, we took a breath and moved her. Her new coach was understanding and lovely and DD really blossomed under her (confidence-wise).

Was the training the same caliber? No. But DD was happier and healthier.

Fast forward one other gym change (lost the sweet coach, plus distance was a huge factor... long story) and eventually, DD actually found her way back to her original gym.

She's much more equipped to handle the stress than she was at age 7ish. She's back with some old friends in her training group and she's doing pretty well there. She's now liking the challenge and even now loves that same "super tough" coach from before.

Anyway, my point is there's nothing wrong with backing off a bit. As your DD matures, it's even possible she'll be ready for more "serious" training again. I agree with the others that your current gym's ability to produce national team members means very little if your DD burns out or gets discouraged and quits! Good luck!

 

[CCGymbug]

I have a very personal experience. My DD has some natural talent but lives and breathes it. She sat on pre-team for 18 months and was never offered a 2nd day and just could not progress. My DD has ADHD inattentive type. Not medicated and would spend her whole day concentrating so hard that by time she got to the gym she had a hard time paying attention to the directions. She would skip certain things etc. When I asked her about it she said she got yelled at if she asked to be shown a skill again etc. When I approached the coach he said he didn't make kids do things because they quit and that DD just wanted to show the coaches what she could do (ie, look at me, look at me). I explained her inattention issue but some still don't believe in it and she was perceived as not caring. I even asked about privates and he said they only did them for kids struggling with a certain issue and it wasn't fair for someone with money to pay for thier kid to become better. I moved her to a bigger gym where they did allow her to go 3 days/week and made her do all the stations. She even was able to start competing that year. She has grown significantly in her skills and is now competing in levels. She only scores in the 34 range RT that attention to details. We now compete against her old gym and ours girls are no where as good. And a piece of me will always wonder how much better she could have been but she maybe still wouldn't be competing or had given up when all her friends continued to increase her hours And was left behind. I have always felt my DD has a real talent and developed properly she would be amazing. If course what parent doesn't think that. But at 8 fears are starting and I think hmmm, if she had started earlierat new gym what could have been. I say follow your gut. Gym should be a positive experience and should be something she can't wait to do. Find one that has a kinder more nurturing and accepting attitude. Just know sometimes there is a trade off. She may make the team but may not stand on the podium as often. I say leave on good terms and later after she is older and more mature you could leave the door open if that is where she wants to be. However, some kids no matter thier age can take that kind of calling out and critism. I say move her and keep us updated.