MAG Moms of boys - - -any advice for a new gym mom?

[Shell]

My son has taken off since June in his gymnastic class. He loves it and is doing well. He is super flexible (splits while each leg is on a chair) and very very tiny. He is 8. He has a few obstacles he must overcome. He has autism but is high functioning. He also has psoriasis on his hands and feet. I want him to make it to team one day and he does too. His coach is amazing. So . . . any good advice when it comes to a boy? Thanks!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

no advice aas things are very differnt over here but as a person who has psoriasis and other scaley skin problems, moisturise, and try to avoid stress. DD has eczema ( had to look that spelling up can never remember it ) and we keep her moisturiser in the car as well as at home, we slap it on on the way and slap it on on the way home - seems to help

 

[emorymom]

To progress to team it's best to have them in a pre-team program 2x a week or more. Does your gym offer that?

OT has he had a celiac panel drawn? Even if that is negative have you tried GFCF? I have heard that it can help with the skin problems. Some people think it helps with other stuff.

 

[skschlag]

I know the chalk can be really hard on the psoriasis. We have one boy on team that wears socks a lot during workout to prevent his feet from cracking. There are shoes they can wear too.

Other than that, the biggest thing for my son is for it to be fun! When he is having fun, he is doing well. Boys progress so differently than girls, and their "career" can be so much longer. So keep it fun and exciting, and let him lead with what he wants.

Enjoy! I just love men's gymnastics

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

No advice other than to make sure he is having fun and staying motivated with great coaches!!! Too many kids end up w/crazed parents, crazy workout hours and too much pressure and end up burning out! Good luck and have lots of fun with this crazy sport!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

be patient. we take longer to develop in the sport. my wife "instructs" me that that's the case in most other things also...

 

[skschlag]

LOL! That is funny dunno! D's coach and I are always saying that if and when his brain catches up to his physical ability and talent it will be amazing! Just not sure when that will occur

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Sorry, posted in the wrong forum!

 

[Shell]

Thanks! He is in the advanced class and goes 2x a week for an 1 hour each practice. He also goes to open gym on Saturday for 2 hours. He loves open gym because he gets to have more fun. The advance class is tons of conditioning which I know is tough. The boys' team is pretty small when compared to the millions of girls they have. It's interesting to watch how boys progress in gymnastics. I know all about girls since I was a gymnast myself, but boys is another story.

 

[trapar]

Don't really have any general advice, but just wanted to say that I have had a lot of fun with boys gymnastics since my son started about 3 years ago. He loves to go to the optional boys meets and we've gotten to go to some college meets to watch also. He looks up to them and likes to collect autographs from the big guys. It keeps him excited about the sport when he gets to see what he might be able to do someday if he keeps it up.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

We, too, are pretty new to the boys side of things. My ds hasn't even been in gym two years, but he's already competed level 4...I feel like he is always playing catch-up!! I think gymnastics is an awesome sport for boys because they just get to MOVE so much!! Perfect thing for boys!! Enjoy the ride

 

[BlairBob]

On a side note, I'd check to see if the psoriasis is stemming from inflammation due to an unknown allergen which is why one poster asked if you had tested for celiacs.

Coconut oil seems to do wonders for psoriasis and eczema because it crushes inflammation with all of it's neat properties.

Let him enjoy what he's doing. Get a pullup bar if you think he'll use and make a set of PVC parallettes, maybe even a set of rings. Stay flexible, get strong, do lots of HS.