Parents Gymnastics has changed my child!

[NewtoGym]

Well my little bird turned 7 today / and I have to say that the changes in the last year are pretty profound and I feel a lot of them can be attributed to gymanstics! Whether it is the sport, the team, or the wonderful enouraging coaches, my angry, spoiled, bratty (but lovable!) 6-year-old has found an outlet for her energy and I have noticed her self-esteem skyrocket and her attitude change so much! She has excelled in the short time (less than a year) that she has been doing gym and I am just so thankful for it! She is excited to go to gym, spend time with her friends, and I have seen her grow so much. She is focused, serious (while still having fun) and really gets excited when she learns new things or improves current skills. I am just so proud of her. Have you noticed similar changes in your child that you attribute to the sport as well?

 

[mariposa]

Happy Birthday to her! Glad she has found something she loves. Gymnastics teaches kids so many life lessons, it is a wonderful (though at times frustrating and confusing!) sport and while I was hesitant to let my daughter start (competitive) gymnastics, I am glad that I did.

I definitely think gymnastics has helped my daughter in so many ways that were nothing to do with skills or tricks. In the gym she is a totally different kid, though over the years that difference has lessened as she has started to apply what she is learning in gym to the other areas in her life.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

That is great! I definitely think gymnastics can be a learning experience for kids. My dd is becoming more patient, b/c she is realizing that even if she can't do something right away, with practice and determination, she can do anything! She is a perfectionist and gets easily frustrated if she doesn't do something perfectly, but this helping with that. The discipline is also great, they learn to listen and follow directions and how to respect others like their coaches and teammates.

I am glad that gymnastics has been such a great experience for your dd and I hope she continues to enjoy it and learn from it for years to come!

 

[NGL780309]

I have noticed positive changes in my child as well. She recently turned 6 and has always been a painfully shy child. Now, while still shy, she warms up very quickly and is one of the most outgoing kids once she knows people. Maybe it's age, but I think all of the interaction with her teammates and the hardwork they put in together has really helped her come out of her shell. I also have been just amazed at how she handles competing. I really didn't think she would be able to do it given her shy nature. I actually think she is one of those kids that actually is sharper in meets than in practice. She really turns it on. I think having these experiences will really help her be confident as she grows up. I'm also amazed at how hard she works. She had a private recently to work on her routines before the meet and while trying to fix something they did it more times than I could count. The coach commented to me after practice that most kids her age have a limit to the amount of time they can focus and repeat something, but that DD just keeps going and never complains or whines. I'm more proud of that than any skill she has learned.

 

[lilgymmie7]

I don't know fully if gymnastics in itself has changed my DD, but I can say it has helped her become a highly motivated, hard working, and determined little girl. She has also learned to balance school and practices while still keeping high grades. She has been on the academic honor roll this year in first grade ( Kind. didn't receive grades) and the Citizenship honor roll since Kindergarten. She understands what it means to do HW at such a young age. On days she has practices, she knows that the home policy is to get it all finished before practice. I'm sure as she ages, that policy will be adjusted due to earlier practice times and the heavier school work load, but for now it is working just fine.
It is really neat to see another well adjusted little seven year old. My DD is also 7 and just had her birthday in January. They grow up too quickly don't they?

 

[emorymom]

I think gymnastics, her #1 favorite, has been good for 7yoDD because she is stronger and more flexible that most other kids and this helps her out in other activites she enjoys like swim team and dance.