Walks (made some new friends with other parents in same situation), work out at gym, many hours of working online at library and sometimes coffee shops,, Tuesday night $5 moviies, grocery shopping. Can you carpool once or twice a week with someone who lives part way? On their nights you could...
I’m sorry he is going through this. It is so hard to see your child frustrated, sad, and especially injured.
Gymnastics is something he does (or did), not who he is. As a parent, when my kids go through tough times, I try to share some of my tools for handling tough times at work, personal...
I have a different opinion than some of the other posters. We have lots of experience with dance both competition studio and the top preprofessional ballet program here. I think most ex gymnasts would not excel in a ballet only training program and more importantly would be bored silly. If...
I get the impression she grew up with all the benefits of nepotism then was a favorite of USAG. Her job is now not celebrity ex gymnast, it is commentator. She has been handed that opportunity and if she wants to be great at it, she should focus on being the best commentator she can be. The...
Cliques can be really hard for a kid on the outside. My daughter has run into it in a couple of areas, and frankly it’s a tough nut to crack with teens. At gym, it takes a proactive coach who gets this and establishes up front what “team”means at their gym when kids walk through that door...
Please please tell me now until the Olympics for US meets will be not be listening to Nastia’s “me, my, I” and fellow commentators talking about her past which was a while ago now. I can’t stand that. Next time I am recording and fast forwarding through commentary where possible if she is on...
You said you plan many weeks ahead of time, your kids don’t always want company..etc.. and that they “may” be unraveling due to poor planning.
To me it just sounds like it’s a mismatch for carpooling. You sound super organized and regimented in scheduling and they are more informal and...
I don’t think it’s creepy.
Age eleven is right about the age girls start calling lots of stuff creepy, seems like they are just starting to sort that kind of stuff at that age. It’s good she is talking to you about it though.
Beware — by age 14 their favorite word will be “cringy” and they...
I disagree with this comment:
Across almost all cultures, dance generally has a sexual element.
If you think that, you need to see more dance.
Some shows that come to mind I’ve seen in the 2 years which would disprove this statement. While some of them had a little romance, definitely...
Mommy and daughter tap class. Many studios (with the exception of ballet-only schools) require tap at this age for a competitive dancer. It is the a great way for kids to get the feel of rhythm and musicality. You get exercise, she gets those benefits--win-win! Some studios (particularly if...
Ok, for writing this off to communication style and that this is only the problem of one bad guy... here’s an analogy.
We go out of town on a fabulous vacation to a far flung sunny place. I leave the sliding door to the deck unlocked, the mail and newspaper pile up, I don’t arrange to get the...
I agree with some of the others that Nastia’s comments come off as tone deaf.
It’s not unusual for someone who has enjoyed the privileges of nepotism and living in a bit of a bubble of favoritism to just not get it, in many walks of life.
I am a lot more impressed by the middle class kid...
No, but when utilized in an inappropriate way by someone supposed to be representing EVERYONE or at an event with people of many faiths, it takes on a different purpose of a message of exclusion. Similar to racist dog whistles (such as lack of condemnation of a hate message). Lack of...
I really appreciate this discussion. I’d like to add an anecdote from our local middle school.
We had a request to move the locker of a Jewish girl. She is a member of one of the Jewish Community Centers who had multiple bomb threats in 2017, where a daycare of kids of all faiths needed to...
Different states have different requirements for non competes to be valid. Some are binding and others aren’t worth the paper they are written on. Courts here would carefully scrutinize whether they are valid and meet the legal requirements. However many potential employers ask whether...
I think it’s inappropriate unless it’s an identified Christian team, meet and school. I am Christian but I am tired of other Christians shoving their religion in others’ faces. Thinly veiled intolerance is just weaponizing Christian messages into hate and claiming it’s “love.” As a Christian...
I am not surprised at all by that request and by the fact that some parents will write those support letters. From the bottom up, top down, inside out, this USAG system in the US has let arrogant, abusive coaches get away with all kinds of stuff, so that many coaches and parents even get to...