Parents Missing my friend

[Midwestmommy]

Ugh. She is getting too personally invested in the gymnastics thing, and it's getting weird. I miss my friend with the good healthy sense of humor and perspective who cared for my daughter so much. Jeez, encouraging your kid to be self confident is great. Her bragging about her privates and how great she does in them, making demanding comments to other girls at gym like ordering them to "move" with no "please" etc., that's not what self confidence is. True self confidence does not require boasting or pushiness or putting others down. My daughter also misses her friend, she says she isn't much fun or very nice lately. You get the picture. I want my child to succeed too, but if the day comes when her child scores higher than mine, I hope it happens in a meet when they both have a fantastic day and we can all celebrate together! But in the meantime, the intense competitiveness and parental overinvolvement is driving a little wedge between us. It feels like she got on the crazy train and forgot what's important.. I miss her, and she's one of the nicest people I know, but I can't find her anymore.... I am kind of wishing they would limit hours you can watch at the gym to force her back into the fresh air in the real world...

 

[Deleted member 15064]

Oh dear... Can I pm you?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

the ONLY time an athlete looks down on another athlete is when they bend down to help them up. that's all.

 

[aerials]

I'm sorry this is happening. At first though I wasn't sure if you were talking about a gym mom or a kid.

 

[Crazy mom]

Yes there are crazy moms in our gym world. My pet peeve is the moms who feel they need to post every routine on Social media when their child excels. It creates bad feeling among the moms who's kids are struggling. Please parents stay humble and concentrate on the sport and the wonderful lessons it affords all our children.

 

[profmom]

I post my children's routines from their meets, but the audience is not their teammates' parents. It's our out-of-town relatives. Don't read too much into it. (And I post 'em all, even the ones with falls, bad form, and dejected salutes at the end.)

In my experience, some very invested parents tend to chill out somewhat as they get down the road. Hopefully your friend will return when you're all at the point of just hoping that everyone walks out of the meet in one piece, and everyone has watched her/his daughter wrestle hard with a few things. My favorite times to be in the gym are when somebody nails something in practice that has been a struggle and all the practice group members cheer -- and the parents who are there are all just as thrilled.

 

[sce]

But in the meantime, the intense competitiveness and parental overinvolvement is driving a little wedge between us. It feels like she got on the crazy train and forgot what's important.. I miss her, and she's one of the nicest people I know, but I can't find her anymore....

Have coffee with her and tell her. Maybe not the crazy train part.

 

[Crazy mom]

Yes I do think as the kids move along everyone begins to chill because eventually gymnastics humbles everyone, even the super talented. The parents I was talking about are the ones who only ever post the 9.5 and above routines and who clearly believe their DD is the next Olympian. I just think it's better not to get too high or too low in this sport. Stay humble and if your DD is acing everything remain humble and be considerate of other parents who's DD may be struggling. It keeps the gym friendly if nothing else.

 

[sce]

Yes there are crazy moms in our gym world. My pet peeve is the moms who feel they need to post every routine on Social media when their child excels. It creates bad feeling among the moms who's kids are struggling. Please parents stay humble and concentrate on the sport and the wonderful lessons it affords all our children.

I questioned doing this. But, so many of ds' friends who are not into gymnastics and my and dh's friends and family wanted to see the videos. To other gymmies it may feel like bragging, but those outside the gym just want to see what he's doing.

 

[Midwestmommy]

This is a pretty old thread.... Where does the time go? Yep, my friend has since hopped off the crazy train and is in the dingy with the rest of us...

 

[Jenny]

Well that is good to know. There is hope for others!