Hello gym parents! I’m very much a newbie in this world and I would really love some words of wisdom and/or encouragement, especially from those who may have had kids take multiple paths. My six year old made Pre-Team back in spring (at age 5), which at our gym, is basically a small group of 4-6 year olds chosen to develop skills necessary for competitive gymnastics. It’s twice a week for 1.5 hours ($200/month).
She had a really rocky start. After just a couple weeks, I got a call from the gym and realized that she was basically crying through the classes and refusing to participate. We had some long chats and she decided to give it another try. This time she ended up acclimating, warming up to the other kids and coaches and doing alright. Still we’ve had at least one call since then about her having another breakdown, which she usually blames on something like the foot strap being too tight, but when I probe, she says, “I feel stressed when I can’t do things.”
She’s truly an outlier in the group - almost a foot taller than the other kids with a heavy build. I already notice her struggling to do things that come naturally to the rest of the group (splits, cartwheels, bridges). I’m worried that despite her perseverance, it’s damaging her self-esteem because she can’t physically keep up, despite how many growth-mindset pep talks I give her or the effort she tries to put in.
Everyone in our family keeps questioning why on earth she’s doing gymnastics when there are so many sports she might excel at and I feel kind of stuck. It’s also a big stretch for us time wise, since I’m a teacher and it means long nights and a commute on top of early mornings (I have a three year old as well). When I last asked her about trying a different sport, she said, “Gymnastics is my thing and I like the stickers at the end.”
Do I listen to a six year old or do I make an adult decision on her behalf, pull the plug and redirect her to a different sport? I’ll try my best to support her either way. I’d love to hear from parents that have been in a similar spot, had to make the choice and what the consequences/outcomes were.
Thank you in advance!
She had a really rocky start. After just a couple weeks, I got a call from the gym and realized that she was basically crying through the classes and refusing to participate. We had some long chats and she decided to give it another try. This time she ended up acclimating, warming up to the other kids and coaches and doing alright. Still we’ve had at least one call since then about her having another breakdown, which she usually blames on something like the foot strap being too tight, but when I probe, she says, “I feel stressed when I can’t do things.”
She’s truly an outlier in the group - almost a foot taller than the other kids with a heavy build. I already notice her struggling to do things that come naturally to the rest of the group (splits, cartwheels, bridges). I’m worried that despite her perseverance, it’s damaging her self-esteem because she can’t physically keep up, despite how many growth-mindset pep talks I give her or the effort she tries to put in.
Everyone in our family keeps questioning why on earth she’s doing gymnastics when there are so many sports she might excel at and I feel kind of stuck. It’s also a big stretch for us time wise, since I’m a teacher and it means long nights and a commute on top of early mornings (I have a three year old as well). When I last asked her about trying a different sport, she said, “Gymnastics is my thing and I like the stickers at the end.”
Do I listen to a six year old or do I make an adult decision on her behalf, pull the plug and redirect her to a different sport? I’ll try my best to support her either way. I’d love to hear from parents that have been in a similar spot, had to make the choice and what the consequences/outcomes were.
Thank you in advance!