Parents Does your gymmie do other activities?

[lovegymnastics22]

The main 'problem' is that gymnastics kids are so ahead of the curve physically that they get invited to team on anything right away, and then it's work again!!!!

I love this... So true for us! But also great that I can send her off to soccer camp and not worry that she's not on a soccer team, just because she is in such amazing shape.

Right now its hard to find a sport she can just do once a week. But I think she'll have no problem getting onto any middle school volleyball/soccer/tennis/basketball team if that's what she decides she wants. So for now at 8, I worry about her not doing other sports a little less. She does do piano and a bunch of other stuff.

 

[3gymgirls]

In my experience band requires at home practice too.

Yes - as a band teacher, your child's teacher will prefer that he or she practice on a regular basis as homework. You will find that he or she will progress more quickly and be more successful. However, 20 minutes a day should be plenty most of the time.

 

[KSLaura]

My kiddos do twice a month girl scouts and once a week ballet. Younger DD did T-ball last summer and ended up doing handstands in the outfield. She didn't request to do it this year and we didn't sign her up.

 

[Kate E]

My DD is 6 & does 7.5hrs of gym over 3 sessions all year around bar 2 weeks at Christmas. She did ballet from 2.5yrs & tap from 3.5 but gave both up when her hours increased from one class to 3 at gym as they clashed, she has just gone back to ballet & straight away was moved to grades class. She has done street dance once a week since last September & turned down their request to join the crew as it would mean missing some gym classes. She was also doing swimming club but gave that up to go back to ballet as I said something had to stop if she was determined to restart ballet. From September she will also be having singing lessons & doing musical theatre!
She has also done ice skating on holiday courses & would do that regularly as well if I let her but she gets a lot of homework & I insist she also has some down time to see friends/watch a film/play!

 

[Committed]

DD has played soccer the past 3 years, but now that she has gym 16hrs/week, she's had to drop it. However, she did do a soccer camp this summer. She'll also take a cooking class at the end of this month. I wouldn't mind adding vocal lessons to the mix, but I'm just concerned about the amount of activity she'll be in.
Not to mention, DS is just old enough to have after-school activities (starting kindergarten), and there is only ONE of me! DH works insane hours - plus weekends.

 

[Sneezyone]

Yep. DD swims, although not competitively. Just laps.

 

[Gymmom826]

My daughter (almost 8) will be level 3 next year and will be at the gym 4 days per week (3 weekdays plus Sat). She has done other activities over the years but nothing has really stuck the way gymnastics has -it's been something different each year or even half year (other than gym of course). There are a few things that she's asking to try -a musical instrument, ice skating, tennis. We could make something like this work but I'm not sure if it's necessary. On one hand I would like her to be well-rounded and do something in addition to gymnastics. On the other hand between school, friends, family, etc and gymnastics I would like her to have a couple of days to play with her siblings and that sort of thing. I'm wondering what other gymnasts are going at around this level of commitment.

My dd was 7 and doing 9 hours of gymnastics, so she was still able to dance, sing in our choir at church and go to Girl Scouts. Since her hours increased to 16, she's had to stop all activities but luckily she's still able to sing at church which is important to us.

 

[OwlGalLiz]

Little guy is 7, and has been competing two years already. He has practice 9-12 hours depending on a few factors- 3 days a week. He's at a STEM magnet school and in scouts. If he expresses interest in something we do let him do it on one of the "off" days for a a semester. So far he's tried karate, piano and swim, and enjoyed them all. School comes first gymnastics second, and everything else third. Except scouts- he leaves practice early one day a month for the big pack meeting. He is healthy, happy, and still has plenty of time to be a kid playing. Balance is key.

 

[scgymmom322]

My dd is 6 and will begin practicing 9 hours a week tomorrow on preteam (level 3). She has done ballet since she was two, and has tried a few other kinds of dance, like tap and hip hop. She would love to continue dancing this fall. The dance schedule hasn't come out yet, but if it works with gymnastics, we will do it. I always leave it up to her to decide gymnastics or dance as her priority (or something else!) and she always chooses gym.

 

[wgymmom]

When ODD first started competing, she also did choir and AHG. We dropped AHG for various reasons. She can usually do choir for one semester. Hopefully she'll be able to participate in the fall. But she's up to 5x/week, around 20 hours give or take.

 

[needcoffee]

Wow, your kids all do a lot of stuff!
We are a one activity at a time kind of family. Mainly due to finances, gymnastics is expensive. I also loathe spending my life driving everywhere, DD trains 4 days a week and DS 1 day a week, not the same day as gym. I really look forward to those 2 afternoons of not driving anywhere! That's also the only 2 days we can fit in homework, friends, family stuff etc.

I have no idea how everyone fits more stuff in!!!!

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

Another vote for a musical instrument! There are SO many long-term benefits from playing an instrument, and it is very complimentary to something physically taxing like gym. I"ve kept Kipper in piano, but we have an awesome teacher who is very flexible. There is no pressure to practice a lot, and her enthusiasm for piano changes throughout the year. However, she is steadily learning and improving. She is in choir at school (which required going to school early one day per week) and was in kid's music/drama at our church. She can start beginning band this year at school and wants to play the flute. We may or may not continue the piano. I've tried to get her to try other activities this summer..but no luck. She's content being a gym rat, and loves her "down time" for reading and crafts.

 

[GymCMLA]

DD almost 12 yo L7 - dance (used to compete dance and gym until this past season), dabbled in soccer at age 6 and softball last summer and fall
DS1 almost 10 - TnT level 4-7, baseball
DS2 almost 7, TnT pre team, baseball and basketball

 

[sewgood]

Actually, DD is is looking forward to Middle School where the electives are much better.....she wants to take band.....during the day, no homework, and an easy A!!!!! Only problem is she has to wait an entire school Year!!

This is not at all true. There is homework, usually in the form of practice cards. Plus, there are playing tests and written tests. Not to mention the fact that there are standards and common core integration work. If you go into band with the idea that it will be an easy A if you just show up every day, you are going to be disappointed. It's a real class and requires real work.

 

[sewgood]

My daughter plays piano and is in choir at school and church. She also has CCD (religious ed) on Sundays before Mass during the school year.

 

[MILgymFAM]

My DDs are at gym (they are in a situation where they are stuck there while the other practices) 28 hours a week, combined. My younger DD dances and swims and my older DD dances and is learning three new languages. They both still have time to write letters to people (yes actual letters), write poems, draw, sing, and completely veg out. The hours waiting for each other means they get plenty of reading time as well. During the school year that is how they squeezed homework in also. My younger DD wants to add a musical and an extra Greek mythology course in for fall and my older DD wants to add music lessons back (she plays euphonium and is beginner piano).

 

[Anna's_Mom]

This is not at all true. There is homework, usually in the form of practice cards. Plus, there are playing tests and written tests. Not to mention the fact that there are standards and common core integration work. If you go into band with the idea that it will be an easy A if you just show up every day, you are going to be disappointed. It's a real class and requires real work.

Not to mention mandatory concert performances which almost always conflict with practice and/or meets. DD is required to take music (middle school public academy) and so sings in the choir. So far no conflicts with meets but coach isn't too happy when she has 3 performance nights in a row with a mandatory dress rehearsal earlier in the week. She doesn't have to practice out of school time because she learns lyrics in seconds, luckily. But they are required to prove their memorization regularly, so other students do work outside of class. This year she will be in the show choir and I'm bracing for more conflicts plus more out-of-class work with harder music and choreography to learn.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I have a kid who would not do well with only gym.

She does gym, Chinese school, religion. Next year starting an instrument and orchestra. And the occasional after school activity

And she needs her down time to play football, ride bikes, swim and do legos with the neighborhood kids. She needs time for sleepovers and birthday parties and playdates. And the occasional PJ day.

We need time to have dinner as a family a few times a week.

I am very glad we found a gym that recognizes you don't need to be in the gym 5-6 days a week to do JO.

 

[cbifoja]

Before optionals, she rode horses and played soccer. For one year of optionals, she did a martial art. She's abandoned it all for gym. She will go to bday parties and other social functions when she doesn't have gym.

Next year she will begin music instruction but she isn't happy about it. Mom is forcing her to do so.

 

[Faolmor]

DD is nearly 6. Aside from gym, she also does Irish dancing and swimming. She also does home-school gym, which is a social rec-style fun gym class for home-schooled kids in our area, and a weekly playgroup.