Parents Finding a good balance

[NGL780309]

I've been struggling with the decision to let DD miss gym for 2 hours a week to go to 2 dance classes. I don't want her to miss gym, but I think she's way to young to have to sacrifice her interests for gymnastics. I left the decision up to her and she initially decided not to miss gym. That didn't sit well with me though. I know she'll regret not doing her dance classes because it is her 4th year. I came up with a solution that I think/hope will work well.

She will miss 2 hours of gym a week in exchange for dance, but she's going to do an hour private once a week with one of the optional coaches which made her current coach happy. She'll do mainly bars and tumbling with him and maybe a little vault. She'll get to work on other skills like her kip on bars that they won't do during practice so she's very excited about that. In January she'll move up so practice will start an hour later and her dance will only make her miss an hour of gym.

Just sharing because it was a hard decision and I feel good having finally made one.

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

I think @ her age it is important to try different things. Dance should compliment gymnastics anyway. Especially floor & beam.

It is hard because I think some coaches can really make a parent feel bad for their kid missing practice. In reality I don't think it is that always bad and can sometimes br beneficial. Like in this instance, or even just to prevent burn out.

 

[NGL780309]

Especially in DD's situation I felt like missing was fine. She's training L4 now and not competing because she's too young. She's moving to L5 in January and will again not compete because she's too young. We just aren't in a position where I feel like missing will hurt her. She has plenty of time. I think it will be good for her and I feel completely good about the decision. I think she may actually get more out of having a private for an hour than the 2 hours she's missing.

 

[gym law mom]

I agree with your decision 100%. She's only 5, so missing a practice here and there to do something else is not going to make a difference. In the end you'll probably end up with a happier child.

Certainly don't feel bad having her skip an occasional practice for a birthday party or play date. She needs to have fun times in and out of the gym.

 

[Shelovesthebars]

She is probably going to be better off with the situation you are describing. I am glad my dd only goes 5 hours a week to gym. She got accepted into a technique class and is also going to be taking ballet,tap and Jazz. This will be her 3rd year of dance. In the spring, she will be able to drop dance if she wants to because all of our level 4's and above take dance at the gym with some prettty incredible teachers. Dance is just so important for gymnastics.

 

[NeDadof3]

I would have to agree wholeheartedly with your decision. Your daughter is very young and has plenty of time to devote herself exclusively toward gymnastics if she chooses to do so later. As others have said, dance complements gymnastics really well (many gyms require a dance class as part of their training), and she may actually benefit more from doing both, especially with the addition of private sessions. Those essential elements that she picks up from dance may actually serve to boost her gymnastics performance later.

 

[cher062]

are there any other dance classes she could go into so she wouldn't have to miss gym?

 

[NGL780309]

I never mind letting her miss gym for a birthday party, special family night etc. Gymnastics is not our life! I just felt bad about her missing 2 hours a week for an entire year. I was afraid the coaches would be mad.

They actually do ballet for 45 minutes one day a week during gym.

Originally when I went to sign her up for dance they had placed her in this particular class that was the same time as gym. I requested to move to another class on her off day. They told me they would do it, but it wasn't the proper class for her. I was thinking she's 5, what could the difference be? We went on Tuesday and I was very disappointed with the class. It was 4/5 year olds and they were just beginning dance. It was more like a tot class. They were working on skipping and hopping. Last year as a 4 year old they placed her with older kids (6-8) and they worked at the bar and did leaps and turns on the floor. So yes there was another class for her age, but I don't think she would have learned anything. I didn't want to pay $100 a month, plus 3 costumes at $60 each and a $100 recital fee for her to learn to skip. Gym makes our kiddos so coordinated!

I feel totally happy with my decision and I'm glad you guys agree. I'm excited for her to start her privates. I'm a little nervous because she's shy and I bet she won't be at all happy to work with the male optional coach. To be honest I think she'll get some better coaching. He was an alternate on the Athens team for his country and a really great gymnast. Her current coach was a dancer and did only low level gym, if any at all. I don't want her to form any bad habits and I think he will be great. She's known him since she was a baby and use to play with him because he was a friend of her dad's, but I know she'll still be really shy to work with him. She starts on Wednesday so I'll let you know how it goes. My mom will be taking her so I will have to rely on how DD says it goes. Her usual response is, "Don't ask me!"

 

[gymnut1]

Well done for working out a solution. sounds like a really good one too. Let us know how she gets on.

 

[NotAMom]

To me, my only hesitation would be the loss of $$$ for the hours that she is missing. That is a cheap skate speaking. Otherwise, it's all good.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I would not worry ecspecailly if she is to young to compete. I am struggling with this now with my daughter. I am not sure about the private lessons for a child who is 5 and not competing but at my daughters gym they really do not encourage them. (My daughter has never had one ) I think that could get really expensive.

 

[NGL780309]

I've read several people on here say they don't know about privates for a young child, but I have to say our experience has been nothing but positive. We've never done regular privates, but had a few this summer to work on her floor and beam routine. She's 5 in a big group of older girls and she just really needs that one on one attention. After a few privates on her routines they looked so polished. I think during regular practice they don't pay much attention to the details with her because she's not competing.

I think she'll enjoy having the attention and enjoy getting to work on skills they won't do in practice.

It is pricey, but I'm willing to spend the money for the moment.

 

[cathiann]

I'm totally with you on letting them skip gym for other things--like a weekly dance class, birthday parties or whatever. If you don't, no matter how much she likes gym now, she'll grow to hate it, if it's the cause of her not getting to do other fun things.

 

[Tuduri]

Win/Win situation

This is a great compromise and, I think, a win/win situation. A dance class will ultimately help your daughter, primarily on the floor exercise. Many gyms, like my daughter's, already have a dance class aspect to their practices. We have a dance instructor come in every Friday for 30 to 40 minutes. The girls love the class. But it also is serious stuff. They learn a lot of basic dance moves as well as routines to music. I truly believe it has made my daughter more graceful on the floor. Her forte had always been her strength and it probably still is. But she is definitely more graceful now. At the beginning of last season I actually arranged a private with the dance instructor to go over the dance routine of Jamy's floor. It really helped. Have you ever seen, "So you think you can Dance?" Some of our training is similar to what these dancers do. It is very serious work, though fun. Dancers are amazing athletes, too. They don't call our gymnastics 'artistic' for nothing.

Julio Garcia,
Jamy Garcia's dad!

 

[NGL780309]

Her gym does dance on Monday for 45 minutes too.

This is a great compromise and, I think, a win/win situation. A dance class will ultimately help your daughter, primarily on the floor exercise. Many gyms, like my daughter's, already have a dance class aspect to their practices. We have a dance instructor come in every Friday for 30 to 40 minutes. The girls love the class. But it also is serious stuff. They learn a lot of basic dance moves as well as routines to music. I truly believe it has made my daughter more graceful on the floor. Her forte had always been her strength and it probably still is. But she is definitely more graceful now. At the beginning of last season I actually arranged a private with the dance instructor to go over the dance routine of Jamy's floor. It really helped. Have you ever seen, "So you think you can Dance?" Some of our training is similar to what these dancers do. It is very serious work, though fun. Dancers are amazing athletes, too. They don't call our gymnastics 'artistic' for nothing.

Julio Garcia,
Jamy Garcia's dad!

 

[NGL780309]

So DD had her private yesterday and her new dance classes. I wasn't at the private because I was at work so my mom took her. My mom said it went well and the coach told her DD did really well and had a great practice. When I talked to DD she told me she had fun and wanted to go back. I don't really know what skills they worked on because my mom knows nothing about gymnastics. DD doesn't really like to give me specifics about what she does and I try not to make her. She did tell me she did kips and her FHC and then she did a lot of vault. That was all I could pry out of her. She really hates to tell me too much. I thought that was for teenagers!

I was able to catch the last bit of her new jazz class and it looked really hard. I was surprised how much they were doing. She looked like she was having so much fun. We had to race to gym after that and she had missed floor and vault and some of bars. She hopped right up and did the best mill circle I've seen her do in weeks. She had it beautifully and now she is having trouble stopping on the top of the bar. She only got to do one bar routine and it was good.

We also got her team leo last night. It is really pretty. It is tiny though. I was afraid looking at it that it wouldn't fit her, but it did. It's very snug though. The leo is cut really, really high. I thought she'd be so excited to go home and try it on, but she wasn't the least bit excited. She said, "Mom I've been in a leo all day!"

 

[gymnut1]

I don't understand why they cut little childrens leos so high. It is really not necessary. A 4 year old doesn't need to have a 'longer leg line' lol. I love those really sparkly leotards. Glad everything is going well.

 

[kikimom]

My dd does dance as well - this year she will miss 3 hours of 13 hours, but the coaches have said she can come in earlier one day a week which will add back 1.5 hours, so she will be missing 1.5 hours of gymnastics. She will do 11.5 / week and 6 hours of dance. She is going to be competing level 6 for a 2nd year because she didn't get her required scores to move to 7 this year, but she trained with the 7s over the summer, so I think she will be fine. As long, as it works, I like the idea of her doing both.

 

[gym law mom]

Don't stress over her missing some of the practices. Since she's doing a private each week, you can let that coach know what she's missed and he should have time to work on it with her. Also you could ask him to help with the mill circle. If you're mom is taking her, then just send in a note.

That sounded like a lot of leo time in 1 day---maybe the competition leo will be more appealing on a day when she's home more.

I also don't like the real high cut for the younger kids. The meet leo is supposed to be a tight fit---coaches like them that way to show off the gymnast's lines.