What goes through parents minds when letting their kids trash the gym?

[GymGirl's Mom]

I would like to whine "I'm thirsty for a margarita" every hour but it's not like my mom is going to show up to give me one.

Hahaha- I know the "on demand" feeding and beverages so many children who are way beyond the age of 2 require is amazing to me. I am not the carry around a bag of shacks mom either. I often laugh with my husband about the constant need for some kids to have something in a baggie to munch on at all hours of the day. When kids come to our house for a playdate I can tell the ones who graze all day long because 10 minutes after they are done having a snack they are back in the kitchen telling me they are hungry.

Our gym has a "no food" in the waiting room policy-- that is not followed at all. For goodness sakes parents if you are bring a bag of snacks use a baby wipe to wipe up the spilled juice box and ask at the desk if there's a broom available after sweetpea eats her Cheetos. I don't want to sit in it, walk in it, or have to be around the remains of your child's snack hours after he/she has consumed it.

 

[Sunobo]

Thanks everyone! I think I am finally starting to understand what they are doing. So parents are becoming more like parents of most reptiles, just kid of pop it out and let it do what it wants cause you have better things to do then watch it. And number 2 a toddler has this somewhat annoying hole in their face, the hole makes noice, screams, and cries but instead of paying it attention and parenting it you shove food in it 24/7 because if food is entering it it is harder to make noise through it.

Unfortunately that about sums it up for some of those parents out there.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

if it was me, i'd hail another coach to take my group. if no coach was available the group goes with me on a learning expedition. then i'm going to make all of them responsible for the mess to clean it up. right then and there. have done it before. it works faster than you can blink an eye.

a parent once said to me "you can't do that, you're supposed to be teaching our kids and i want a refund for the class".

i said, "no problem, but you'll clean up your vandalism FIRST, then i'll go back and teach your kids and you'll receive a bill for the repairs". never had a problem with this group of people again. the rumor spread. it is folklore today. problem solved.

 

[lilgymmie7]

if it was me, i'd hail another coach to take my group. if no coach was available the group goes with me on a learning expedition. then i'm going to make all of them responsible for the mess to clean it up. right then and there. have done it before. it works faster than you can blink an eye.

a parent once said to me "you can't do that, you're supposed to be teaching our kids and i want a refund for the class".

i said, "no problem, but you'll clean up your vandalism FIRST, then i'll go back and teach your kids and you'll receive a bill for the repairs". never had a problem with this group of people again. the rumor spread. it is folklore today. problem solved.

One of the MANY aspects that I love about DD's gym is the fact that HC always has the girls clean up the gym nightly. The girls, DD especially, love to wipe down the mats, etc. I see it as teaching the kids to repect the gym that they work out in daily. They're more apt to keep it clean if they are the ones cleaning it. As for asking for money back... Karate Kid- "Wax on wax off!" I know for a fact cleaning does build muscle! I should know what with three kids I have to clean non-stop! But DD now sees the value thanks to HC!!

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

My daughter knows if she eats in the lobby she must clean up her mess. The team usually cleans the gym once a week and I am sure that some parents my get annoyed I think it is great because it teaches them responsibility. Daughters gym is probally one of the cleanest I have been in and they have vacum cleaners in the lobby I have grapped them a couple of times and cleaned up the messes from my child and others while I am sitting there waiting for daughter to be done. How long does it really take to clean up people are so lazy it is ridiculous!

 

[gym monkeys mom]

It is too bad we even need to talk about his but I know it does not only happens at the gym.

I work at a pediatric dental office......osha says no food in treatment ares....DUH!! Yuck do you really want all that stuff in your coffee or your 2 yr olds goldfish crackers. You would be surprised at what we have to ask parents to leave at the desk daily. Luckily for us we say Osha says no food or drink in the treatment area.

As to what to do at the gym. I am with Dunno's suggestion. I really do however think parents are mostly cluless about things. Give them the chance to learn by either posting asign or asking them directly. They may never have been asked at home to clean up after themselves as kids and be clueless....

Good luck!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Parents actually complained that the paint was peeling on the windows? Seriously?

Anyway we have found that the way we behave and present things in the gym plays a big role in the way the kids behave.

We have a strict rule that there is no food allowed in the gym and the only beverage allowed in the gym is water. If the kids need to have an after school snack they can sit outside and eat it before class. If the parents need to feed their kids after their pre school class before taking them home then they can sit outside and have it. It makes it a lot easier when there is a clear rule. If a kid or parent pulls out some food or a juice box we can just say "sorry there is no food allowed in the gym, you can eat it out there if they need a snack". We also don't sell food or drinks, we find this causes too many problems. We have a water cooler and water is available to all gymnasts and parents when needed and that is it.

If books and magazines are being thrown around the place remove the book/magazine rack. By providing these things for parents you are encouraging them to stay and sit through the classes. We of course always welcome parents to stay and watch classes, an open door policy keeps things safer. I like the fact that a parent can feel comfortable to come in at any time and watch what we are doing with their child. But providing a lot of services to keep kids/parents entertained is sending a different message.

Kids on equipment is a big one. If one or to kids before class or one or two siblings decide that its ok to wander in a play on the equipment this can quickly escalate to a big problem. It also sends the message to kids that the gym is a playground and when they are in class there is less respect for the class structure. We have our gym fenced off and only a coach is permitted to open the gate (the handle is high enough that no little ones can open it anyway). There is a clear sign on the gate staying that students may not enter the gym without their coach. If a child attempts to enter the gym, be it class member or sibling we have no problem just stating the rule "your not allowed in the gym without your coach". When the boundaries are clear few kids (or parents) feel the need to test them. I think its important for coaches to realize that they do have a right to say something, if a sibling is in the gym getting in the way of the classes, don't wait for the parent. It may not be a class member but the gym rules apply to all who enter the facility and the coaches have every right to tell a little brother or sister to hop off the equipment.

We don't mind kids being dropped off early, the older kids often come straight from school and wait around doing homework until their classes start or a parent drops off susie to gym class early on her way to dropping of Johnny to soccer and so on. Again the rules are clear, you can go in the waiting area but not passed the gate until your coach invites you. They do not enter the gym, occasionally they try it and it is quickly dealt with. It worries me that some have reported that kids come early for class, then run around the gym and continue to do it despite being corrected. That is a problem of serious concern, it shows that the kids have no respect for the coaches and the rules of the gym. This problem will continue once the class starts. If a child is removed from the gym to the waiting area, yet ignores the directive and returns to the gym there needs to be some sort of consequence or it just becomes a game for the kids. Do you have a time out area where kids go when they are not prepared to follow the rules. If a kid goes back into the gym after being removed then they should be sat there. There needs to be clear consequences or kids see it as a game.

If we have a kid who has this testing nature and comes in and decides to try and get away with continually entering the gym without permission we simply state to the kids "OK, if you are not prepared to listen and follow the rules you won't be allowed to do gym today, I'll give your parents a call to come and pick you up". Once I actually had to get the phone but it has never got any further than that. The kids will get away with anything they can, just to see what they can get away with it. Once they see the boundaries are clear and there is no way around them then they tend to settle and behave well.