Parents I hate Summer Gym schedules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ProvB]

Not a huge fan of our summer training schedule either. Gym is 7:30am-11:30am Mon-Thurs. I start work at 11am a 30 minute drive from the gym. I’m a single mom, her Dad is not involved, and all of my family works Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. We live 30 minutes away from all of the other gym families so nobody is willing to help out.

So for summer, I had to ask for her to leave an hour early from training everyday, pay for full day summer camp through the city plus after care from 3-5:30pm, and I pick her up at 10:30, drop her off at camp at 10:55 and hope I can make it to work in 5 minutes.

She is super excited that she gets to train with “the big girls” for summer, but man is it ever hard on my wallet and schedule.

 

[Noideaaboutgym]

Well, it's possible but not very common. Usually it's only done if a child is born in November or December and is not as mature as the other kids born in the same calendar year.

But, the first grade is more like your kindergarten. The days are short (3-4 hours) and the kids learn through playing and exploring.

I am in the UK so our 3-4 year olds do the short days in pre-school, at 4-5 they do full days in reception class. I wish our system was more like yours.

 

[Taxidriver]

I am in the UK so our 3-4 year olds do the short days in pre-school, at 4-5 they do full days in reception class. I wish our system was more like yours.

Yet with the new 30hr childcare more and more 3-4yr olds are doing full days of 9-3 in preschool, it’s quite sad really here in the UK.

 

[rebcoola]

I always wondered how some of the working parents pull off summer schedule. 8am-12 isn't terrible my DD hates mornings.

I can't believe some of your state laws here my 11yr old is a certified babysitter. They give free bus riding lessons at 10 so kids can get around town.

 

[twinmomma]

Grrrrrrrrrrr On top of it, STOP CHANGING THE SCHEDULE. Once the summer schedule is out, that should be it. I can't keep reconfiguring my plans on how to get my kid there when you're making changes week by week.

 

[gymnastmom05]

I'm just catching up. I know I'm lucky because I don't work. We LOVE summer schedule (morning practices for optionals) as opposed to evening practice. We can make more use of our day unlike when she would have to stop playing or any trips anywhere had a hard deadline so she could get to practice. After so many years of missing family meals, I cherish having her home for dinner at night. I'm sure it's hard for some of our parents but I know our normal start time (4:30) is difficult as well. Most don't get off in time to drive home and drive their kids to the gym by 4:30 anyway so the inconvenience is always there. I will say that we have our schedule a few months ahead of time. The only tricky part is if your child is on the bubble from optionals to compulsories - then they have to wait and see and have much less time to figure it out.

 

[sewgood]

It is inconvenient for working parents, for sure. But then I have to remind myself that these coaches work evenings and weekends every single week for the rest of the year and allowing them to have their evenings in the summer for maybe 8-10 weeks is good for their mental health and they deserve it.

 

[raenndrops]

I think it’s just my nature, but if I weren’t breaking the law I would do as I saw best and deal with CPS if they came. It’s quite ridiculous how people want to tell others how to parent over silly things, but so many abused kids have no one who helps them. I’m a total free ranger though. I’ve never once had cps called on me over it, and we’ve been giving our kids freedom of movement since they were young- they walked themselves to school starting at around 7.

I walked to kindergarten (from one of my houses) alone. We lived in a bigger city (over 35,500 people).
Then, in 1st grade in a different state, I walked with other kids. In second grade, in a smaller town, I walked with my 5th grade brother or alone. In 3rd grade, we rode the school bus (school in the country). In 4th grade, I walked with my little brother. From 5th on, I rode the school bus because those schools were at least 10 miles away.
I was also going to the park alone at 7 years old.

In my small town, kids can't walk to school because there are no sidewalks near the elementary or middle school. However, kids go to the park alone. Some people get uppity and post on FB about it, but as long as they are not breaking any laws and are being safe, I don't think it is a big deal. With most kids having cell phones (and most of the parents have tracking apps on them), it isn't a major problem. After all, the police station is less than 2 blocks from the park, lol.

 

[twinmomma]

It is inconvenient for working parents, for sure. But then I have to remind myself that these coaches work evenings and weekends every single week for the rest of the year and allowing them to have their evenings in the summer for maybe 8-10 weeks is good for their mental health and they deserve it.

While I don't disagree, it is the job they signed up for, and it becomes prohibitive when kids can't participate because their parent(s) have to work a regular schedule. Thank goodness for our support network, otherwise DD would have to do rec classes or something or private lessons through the summer because I wouldn't be able to get her there. It's one of the things that is frustrating about this sport. My son's baseball doesn't change to mornings just because it's summer.

 

[jenjean70]

I love the morning training! Hate the 5 hour trainings and hate that it is an hour away.....I cannot find enough to do and gas is just tooooooo expensive to drive back and forth....Hopefully DS can drive himself soon, but that 7am time is just tough.

7 am?! Yikes! Our team practices 2:30- 7:30, M-F......While it's kind of in the middle of the day at least we don't have to get up at the booty crack of dawn. Wow- I am in awe of you guys!

 

[skschlag]

7 am?! Yikes! Our team practices 2:30- 7:30, M-F......While it's kind of in the middle of the day at least we don't have to get up at the booty crack of dawn. Wow- I am in awe of you guys!

Well, they start at 8....we just have to leave at 7. 2:30-7:30 would be soooooo hot in our gym! LOL! The younger kiddos practice then.

 

[jenjean70]

Well, it's possible but not very common. Usually it's only done if a child is born in November or December and is not as mature as the other kids born in the same calendar year.

But, the first grade is more like your kindergarten. The days are short (3-4 hours) and the kids learn through playing and exploring.

Kindergarten in the states some kids are 4 years old on the first day of school and they go to school a regular school day like all of the other kids. The first grade curriculum has been pushed down to kinder and those poor kindergartners struggle with the expectations both academically and emotionally. We push the babies too hard here.

 

[jenjean70]

Well, they start at 8....we just have to leave at 7. 2:30-7:30 would be soooooo hot in our gym! LOL! The younger kiddos practice then.

Our gym is actually cold....The air conditioner works really hard all summer!

 

[skschlag]

Our gym is actually cold....The air conditioner works really hard all summer!

oh..D hated that at nationals! HE said it was so cold you could never really warm up

 

[Aussie_coach]

Kindergarten in the states some kids are 4 years old on the first day of school and they go to school a regular school day like all of the other kids. The first grade curriculum has been pushed down to kinder and those poor kindergartners struggle with the expectations both academically and emotionally. We push the babies too hard here.

That is the same here. You start the first year of schooling (called Prep in Our State but Kindergarten in other states), in the year you turn 5 by June 30th (school year starts in January). So half the kids are 4 when they start.

They attend a full school day, wear a full school uniform and learn an academic curriculum, with a distinct lack of play based learning.

Kids being suspended and expelled from school at 4 or 5 have significantly increased since introducing this.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Kids being suspended and expelled from school at 4 or 5 have significantly increased since introducing this.

Wait, what!? What happens to those kids then? This sounds unbelievable. I've never heard of such thing