A month ago, upon moving to the northwest, I signed my daughter up for a kiddie gymnastics class to meet some new friends in this little retirement town and have a physical outlet during the rainy winter when we can't go to the park. She's two and a half. If it weren't for the recent move, I probably wouldn't have even considered signing her up for an actual sport at this age. I'm not all that big on littles in structured activities outside the home. But, 45min per week is not exactly a big deal, right?
When I first talked to the coach, he suggested the toddler Mommy and Me class, but since I couldn't do that with the baby sister, he said we could try out the starting 3 to 5 year old class. Now, a month later, he keeps asking me to bring her at different times, and seems to be seriously considering asking to put her into two or three different classes, totaling three or four hours per week! Two of those hours would be with girls about two to five years older than her, in the class one step below pre-competition team!
On the one hand, I am totally taken aback. I have never thought that filling up a little kid's days with structured activities was a good plan. And I never thought of any of my kids competing in anything before at least preteen age, which is obviously where this road leads. I know basically nothing about gymnastics, but have vague ideas from somewhere about agressive, pushy moms and little girls with too much pressure. And I don't want what was supposed to be a nice social and physical outlet to take over our lives.
But, of course I am pleased to discover that she has a talent which she loves. She begs every day to go to the gym. I have been pretty impressed at some of the stuff she has already done in this month alone, and even more so with the difference in the past month in her following directions and the confidence and self discipline she exhibits in class. She is more focused in the class with the bigger girls, gets a little distracted in the other. If she is the one motivating it, and has a love for it, would it be wrong of me to hold her back from doing what she loves? And, after all, it might be nice to have an outlet for that boundless energy more than once a week during the long, wet winter.
So, what have I gotten us into? If I agree to her going down this route, what lies ahead? Are there particular concerns I should be worried about for her little two-year-old body doing things in the more advanced class?
When I first talked to the coach, he suggested the toddler Mommy and Me class, but since I couldn't do that with the baby sister, he said we could try out the starting 3 to 5 year old class. Now, a month later, he keeps asking me to bring her at different times, and seems to be seriously considering asking to put her into two or three different classes, totaling three or four hours per week! Two of those hours would be with girls about two to five years older than her, in the class one step below pre-competition team!
On the one hand, I am totally taken aback. I have never thought that filling up a little kid's days with structured activities was a good plan. And I never thought of any of my kids competing in anything before at least preteen age, which is obviously where this road leads. I know basically nothing about gymnastics, but have vague ideas from somewhere about agressive, pushy moms and little girls with too much pressure. And I don't want what was supposed to be a nice social and physical outlet to take over our lives.
But, of course I am pleased to discover that she has a talent which she loves. She begs every day to go to the gym. I have been pretty impressed at some of the stuff she has already done in this month alone, and even more so with the difference in the past month in her following directions and the confidence and self discipline she exhibits in class. She is more focused in the class with the bigger girls, gets a little distracted in the other. If she is the one motivating it, and has a love for it, would it be wrong of me to hold her back from doing what she loves? And, after all, it might be nice to have an outlet for that boundless energy more than once a week during the long, wet winter.
So, what have I gotten us into? If I agree to her going down this route, what lies ahead? Are there particular concerns I should be worried about for her little two-year-old body doing things in the more advanced class?