Parents Too tired for team

[LJL07]

My 5 yr old was invited to level 1/2 team. She started prior to school getting out and did great initially. She was getting a nap at preschool. Now that we are into summer, she is attending various day camps due to my husband and I working and is no longer getting a nap. Team practice is 5-8 pm twice a week. The past two weeks, she is just beat. Three hours is long anyways for a 5 year old and 8 pm is late. Most of the other girls are at least 1-2 years older. She loves gymnastics and doesn't want to quit, but I'm trying to think of a compromise. this gym doesn't have a preteam like our other gym. Any suggestions?

 

[Iwannabemargo]

8 is late at 5, mine is 11 and has just moved to an 8pm finish from 7.30 because she is now one of the "big girls", she may adjust with time or it may just be too much for her, give it a couple of weeks, but don't be afraid to say if it is too late

 

[ZJsMom]

Since she's the youngest, maybe you could just ask the coach if she can leave early.

 

[bogwoppit]

That is very late for a five year old. I would ask if she could leave at 7. But even then she might just be too tired after a full day at camp.

 

[raenndrops]

Is there any way you could get a babysitter for the 2 days a week (maybe see if there is an option for 1/2 week day camp at a discounted rate).
If so, she could still get in a nap... or at least a rest time.

Good luck.

 

[Becauseisaid]

*putting on my asbestos underwear*

While this may seem late now (and I don't dispute that it IS), just know that this is a situation that isn't going to get better. As she progresses through the levels, her hours will continue to creep up past bedtime. Be prepared and know that eventually she'll have to adjust.

 

[LJL07]

Ha ha! I know. I have an older daughter doing team, so I know it doesn't get any better. I'm just questioning if 5 is a little young for 6 hour/week team. And I didn't know if it sounded entitled asking if she could leave a little early sometimes. I know with my older daughter there was no leaving practice early but those girls were a bit older. I'm going to give it a little while longer. She was very clingy dropping off at the last practice, but I stayed for a bit to watch, and she seemed to cheer up pretty quickly once she was with the group.

 

[wnl256]

*putting on my asbestos underwear*

While this may seem late now (and I don't dispute that it IS), just know that this is a situation that isn't going to get better. As she progresses through the levels, her hours will continue to creep up past bedtime. Be prepared and know that eventually she'll have to adjust.

Yep. When DD moved to team and her hours bumped up she would come home very tired. We talked to HC about it and her response was "She will get used to it. Most of our girls go through the same thing as they move up." Of course she was right. DD did adapt.

That doesn't mean it's okay, but it is reality.

 

[Seeker]

5 is very young to expect her to be on the go all day and then practice til 8pm. She may adjust...she may not. Any opportunity to offer her a nap would be very good!!

 

[gymgal]

I would give it a couple more weeks and if she is still struggling, at which time you can look for alternatives.

Not sure it's an option but I agree that trying to have a sitter pick her up early from camp those 2 days so she can rest/nap before practice would really help. This may even be a possibility at her camp, depending on the type of camp she is in. It would be unusual, but certainly worth asking the director. If she is attending a different one every week, that might be a little harder to request but if she is attending the same one for several weeks, the director may be a little more accommodating.

I am not sure having her leave early each practice is a good option. It would be different if it were preteam but if she is expecting to compete, she will need those extra hours. Not saying you can't compete L1/2 at 4 hours a week - you certainly can - but her gym is setting up practices for 6 hours a week, and unless very little is done in the last hour of practice (or it's all conditioning), she will likely be missing out on a full rotation, which will have a huge impact. when you are there 2 days a week to begin with.

 

[wgymmom]

Can you pass on 1/2 team for a year until she's 6? I know that at least one girl in our gym passed on her team invite until the next year. When she's older, she might be able to handle the increased hours better.

I would not want her to leave practice early, TBH.

 

[duyetanh]

Seeing as you might not be able to change the situation in terms of day camp and practices, what about asking if she could have a bit of downtime at the daycamp? Meaning if they go outside to play, could she possibly stay in and do a puzzle? I am just reaching here I know. For what it's worth, my kid had to do this at 5 also, and she did adjust... the school year is actually harder for her than summer. There just isn't really an early time for team girls to practice it seems...sadly.

 

[munchkin3]

She will adjust, but she must get some rest before practice! 5 is young and she needs a nap....ideally from 2-4ish,

 

[Deleted member 18037]

5 is very young to expect her to be on the go all day and then practice til 8pm. She may adjust...she may not. Any opportunity to offer her a nap would be very good!!

This, it's not necessarily 8pm that's the issue its what she doing all day.

When my girl did day camp then gymnastics she was exhausted. And she was done with naps at that point. We put naps/rest back on gym days.

Even last year at 8. Running around camp all day then gym was too much. Fortunately I was able to pick her up on gym days early from camp so she could rest before gym.

 

[mommyof1]

Can you pass on 1/2 team for a year until she's 6? I know that at least one girl in our gym passed on her team invite until the next year. When she's older, she might be able to handle the increased hours better.

I would not want her to leave practice early, TBH.

She may do fine during the school year when she is not running around all day at camp and has a chance to rest between school and practice (I believe I recall that OP has a nanny or au pair during the school year). Can she leave practice early just for the summer or go back to rec just until school starts, then return to team? It's really just three months at most, and she is so young that it's not as if losing some hours over the summer or even taking the summer off is going to set her back permanently. If she misses out on learning routines over the summer, that could be remedied with a few private lessons in the fall.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I would take the summer off. She's very, very young. Many of her future team members haven't even started gymnastics yet. 3 months out of the gym is not going to cause any harm.

If she really really wants to be in the gym during summer I would ask if she could take rec classes or maybe one private lesson in a month and open gym? But if you have already paid the fees then ask if she could leave early.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

Dd was similar. She was too pooped out to do it. We waited 6 mos, through the start of Kindergarten and after the Christmas holidays and her 6th birthday, she tried again and she has been on team for years now. Sometimes 5 is just too young for some kids.