This subject comes up on a fairly regular basis and has been at the heart of some heated debates over the years. Even just seeing a thread with any sort of "watching at the gym" theme makes me think of that funny little graphic of the cartoon man eating popcorn while raptly watching the proceedings (posted by cbifoja recently after a thread went awry).
Anyway.
I would not tolerate being told I could not watch.
With that said, I think it is better for parents to stay the heck out of the gym, for many of the reasons coach Marie stated. I consider myself to be a pretty enlightened, non-competitive, overly prone to self examination kinda person, yet I find myself having bad thoughts and doing bad things after watching at the gym. Things like asking when certain skills might be attempted or like suggesting a certain skill might need to be attempted if a certain gymnast wants to move to a certain level or like noting that DD's friend Suzie has her double back into the pit (hint, hint). Etc., etc., etc.
I think it is the nature of the beast, for most people, that watching at the gym causes modest to extreme anxiety, which then leads to CGP behaviors. We all want our kids to do well, succeed and contribute to the all-around well-being of the gene pool. How can they do that if they are not trying new things, paying rapt attention to the coaches, focusing with laser-like precision on skills, being the hardest workers around?
It's better to not be watching if all these parameters are not being met. As far as watching because it's the only time you have with your kid? I am going to suggest that it would be better quality time to take her out for a one-on-one activity eked out from a couple hours of non-gym time.
Keep in mind I am making my case based on DD being at a safe gym with competent, loving, firm and fair coaches. I watched all the time at the old gym, where the coaching was questionable -- regularly.
