Off Topic Gymnast Sanity

[TheXcelMom]

My DD has taken to watching "Dance Moms." There's plenty of equivalence with gymnastics. Lots of practice. Competitions. Some girls are "better" than others when they're like...eight or nine.
These women are bananas. Holy heck.
The things they say to their children, about their bodies, their talent, their results at comps, I cannot imagine thinking, much less saying.
Yes, the producers pick the craziest ones, but I can't imagine anyone on this forum being 10% this level of cray-cray.
Thank you all for making me believe gymnastics is sane.

 

[Deleted member 28607]

off topic but I actually got into gymnastics because of Dance Moms! I started watching it and I loved the acro solos so I started learning tumbling and handstands and eventually transitioned to gymnastics!

But I definitely agree that the show was toxic and the things the mothers were saying was pretty messed-up. The long practice hours, however, are about the same as DP optionals though...

 

[Coach Kate]

Dance moms was my guilty.pleasure for awhile back in the day. I bet for enough money they could find some gym moms willing to act as dramatic.

 

[TheXcelMom]

Given the opportunity, I might very well fall right into this insanity. I’d be this dramatic without the lipstick and sparkles.
Nah.
The funny thing is my daughter is a better dancer than athlete and I was going to get her into dancing if she quit WAG. Now, there is no way dance is in the cards.

 

[Madden3]

Is that show still on? Was my guilty pleasure back in the early seasons, so I have not seen it is ages and may not be remembering it well, but I never believed it was a realistic portrayal and thought it was showing a lunatic fringe made even more looney by the cameras and the pressures and "stardom" of being on a reality show. During the competition footage, I remember thinking that everyone else including the judges and competition organizers seemed to be in a different world. I felt sorry for the non reality show competitors and their coaches and parents having that madness marring their event. Ugh.

 

[GymnastPotterhead]

Is that show still on?

Nope, I don't think so. I also heard Abby Lee sold her studio so its probably not coming back anytime soon

 

[Aussie_coach]

While obviously being crazy was an important part of then keeping their contracts for the show.

I’m pretty sure a clever producer could film just about anyone round the clock and edit it to have them come across as crazy.

I also think many on the dance would would consider that gymnastics parents are far more crazy than dance parents.

Gymnasts training 20-30 or more hours per week. $500 for 1 leotard, pulling kids out of school and home schooling them because the program requires it.

 

[gymgal]

There is a lot more information on the internet now (compared to when it was airing) about just how contrived the show was - the girls and moms who were hand picked, the fights between the families and the comments made to the dancers. It certainly was a toxic environment in general but what was shown on TV was mostly a choreographed production for Whoa factor.

There are plenty of crazy gym moms out there just like dance moms and I am pretty sure they could have done a similar show with gymnasts if they really wanted to, though it would have been more difficult due to the sheer size of gym academies and their competitions.

 

[TheXcelMom]

I think these shows are designed to make everyone else feel good about themselves. It totally worked on me and my daughter.
She thinks I'm a superstar supportive mom

 

[Pigeon]

I also think many on the dance would would consider that gymnastics parents are far more crazy than dance parents.

Gymnasts training 20-30 or more hours per week. $500 for 1 leotard, pulling kids out of school and home schooling them because the program requires it.

Competitive dance is crazy expensive. Kids are in multiple dances, need different costumes for each dance and for dance competitions you pay PER DANCE that you are in. And for many dance competitions that can be $100 per dance! You can be paying hundreds of dollars just in registration fees. Dancers easily practice 20-30 hrs a week.

I think it's like many sports/activities, the higher you go the more expensive and crazy it gets!

Rec dancing, like rec gym is much less.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Yes, the producers pick the craziest ones, but I can't imagine anyone on this forum being 10% this level of cray-cray.

I think the parents eventually cottoned on that the produces wanted drama. Instead of allowing the producers to manipulate people/situations (hiding costumes for example)to cause drama that involved the kids - the parents would start drama between themselves to shield the kids.

 

[Carly]

Just my personal opinion but I would not allow my kids to watch the show. My cousin's tween daughter was really into watching it and started to change into a little brat who yelled a lot at her parents and siblings.

 

[Rookie Gym Coach]

The show is toxic and addicting and as a 13 year old if i were a mom i would try to hold off on letting my child watch these type of shows.

 

[gymgal]

My dd was 10 when it first started airing. She would watch it with me or her dad and we would discuss topics throughout the show. Watching these types of shows together can actually help with dealing with certain topics, as long as you are being interactive. I would not have allowed her to watch a show like this unattended.

 

[TheXcelMom]

You guys.
I started a positive thread about the healthy attitudes the parents on this forum exhibit.
But after three posts scolding me, I'd like to gently state the obvious.
You don't know me, or my daughter, or how our household runs. You can't see which lessons she's taking away from this show or what about it she finds most compelling (FWIW, it's the dancing).
Thank you to everyone who understood that I was complimenting this community.

 

[MuggleMom]

Toddlers and Tiaras was my guilty pleasure for a long time because it made me feel like a really good parent...as in I may not get it all right but at least I'm not doing that to my kid.

I agree this forum is pretty tame but I feel like every gym has a few... sometimes hidden sometimes not so hidden.... families that would be great on TV if you catch my drift.

 

[Carly]

You guys.
I started a positive thread about the healthy attitudes the parents on this forum exhibit.
But after three posts scolding me, I'd like to gently state the obvious.
You don't know me, or my daughter, or how our household runs. You can't see which lessons she's taking away from this show or what about it she finds most compelling (FWIW, it's the dancing).
Thank you to everyone who understood that I was complimenting this community.

I hope that you are not referring to my post but you probably are. I was not trying to scold anyone. Like you said, I do not know how you run your house. I was just offering my opinion from what my cousin said about his daughter. Many parents may not be aware or even think about it. I probably would not have if he didn't say anything.

 

[gymgal]

I don't think anyone was scolding the OP at all. They were stating their general opinion on the show and ones like it. As for the gym vs dance community, there really isn't much difference. There is craziness in both and neither is as crazy as that show made it out to appear.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Just my personal opinion but I would not allow my kids to watch the show. My cousin's tween daughter was really into watching it and started to change into a little brat who yelled a lot at her parents and siblings.

That sounds like blaming a show for lack of parental involvement/positive relationship, boundaries and structure... I am sure watching the show didn't help - but to blame a TV show as the catalyst of the issues? It should have been a discussion point for this is not how our family treats others and what behavior we should not tolerate from others in life.

 

[Carly]

That sounds like blaming a show for lack of parental involvement/positive relationship, boundaries and structure... I am sure watching the show didn't help - but to blame a TV show as the catalyst of the issues? It should have been a discussion point for this is not how our family treats others and what behavior we should not tolerate from others in life.

I agree with you. My point of the post was to make others aware not to judge anyone.