Parents age appropriate

[Flip4funmom]

my son needs to make up a "training" and his options are open gym or a session with 6-13 yr olds? I'm not sure I'm comfortable with either since he's still so young. which would you do?

 

[notthatmom]

How old is he?

 

[sce]

my son needs to make up a "training" and his options are open gym or a session with 6-13 yr olds? I'm not sure I'm comfortable with either since he's still so young. which would you do?

How old and what level is he?

 

[Flip4funmom]

He is almost 4 1/2. he's on pre team.

 

[looly]

We are not in exactly your situation (girl and not pre-team yet), but My 4 1/2 year old goes to open gym (open to ages 4-12) and loves it. I would be more comfortable with that than letting her do structured training with kids that much older.

 

[Flip4funmom]

what I forgot to mention is open gym is supposed to be 5+. how does open gym work I picture it as just a free for all.

 

[raenndrops]

what I forgot to mention is open gym is supposed to be 5+. how does open gym work I picture it as just a free for all.

It depends on the gym. Some places, it is a free for all... But that is more often when it is basically preschool age and up. There is some sort of supervision - but gym dependent how much. We have been to 2 different gyms for open gym. One sat the kids down and went over the rules at the start. If you broke the rules, you got a warning. 2nd time, you were kicked out (Parents called and you sit til they arrive).
The other gym has 2 sessions- one session is ages 2-18 ... But 2-5 have to be with a parental figure. Still have to watch out for little ones. The second session is for team level gymnasts and cheerleaders ("serious tumblers only"). It is more structured. Using equipment as it is meant, taking proper turns, etc.

 

[mariposa]

At our gym, once you are preteam and up, there are no makeups. You're lucky they are offering something! That said, at his age and those choices, I'd write it off as a loss or let him do open gym,but stick around to make sure he is safe and having fun.

 

[gracyomalley]

2 thoughts - at 4.5, no need to make up a training...and at 4.5, if he's already on pre-team, he'll find himself working in groups of older kids often, so if really ready to do so (able to not get hurt and coaches and team accustomed to working with wide range of ages), then the practice with the 6-13 year olds is probably safer and more worth considering a "make up" than an open gym - which at 4.5 should be running about, jumping and building forts out of mats, anyway!

Our boys team routinely has boys from age 6 to 18 work together - and the days that are most chaotic are the ones when there are lots of littles, not the ones with mixed ages - the little ones look up to the olders and the olders mentor the littles - I love seeing my 16 year old hug the 6 year olds after practice - . But we are a small gym with a boys team totalling 15 kids L4-10.....

Honestly - take it easy and know that the key is to keep it fun at this age...

 

[bogwoppit]

I would skip both options unless you can go to open gym and just have fun with him there. At 4.5 gym is a fun activity, you missed a class no big deal.

 

[Flip4funmom]

At our gym, once you are preteam and up, there are no makeups. You're lucky they are offering something! That said, at his age and those choices, I'd write it off as a loss or let him do open gym,but stick around to make sure he is safe and having fun.

it's only offered because gym was closed for the holiday weekend.

 

[sce]

it's only offered because gym was closed for the holiday weekend.

Either skip it or I agree go to the open gym for fun. No major work-out expectations.

 

[skschlag]

remember to keep it fun. Ask him what he wants to do. D occasionally worked out with the "big guys" when he was little. In fact, when he was 4, he worked out wiht kids up to 15 regularly until we switched gyms. But it was always fun. But it is ok to just let it go as well. If D misses a practice now, there is no make up. Holidays...too bad. And we love every minute of that unexpected family time. Because as they go up the levels, it gets harder and harder to have family dinners, outings, etc.

I say, if you want, either option is fine, as long as he and the coach are on board. but it is also more than ok to just not do anything

 

[Madden3]

I would first say absolutely no need for kid on pre-team who is two years away from competing to make up training. It's just silly. If he wants more time at the gym and this is not going to cost you anything, either option is probably ok but personally I would never have sent my boys to an open gym at this age. They would have had no idea what to do or how to be self directed. And they would have been too shy to ask the coach if they needed help or direction. Basically it would have been a waste of time. As little guys they would have had much more fun getting direction from a coach and being with the big boys.

 

[gymdog]

A lot of rec classes are slated with a big age range like that (not at my gym, but at others). In my experience when that happens, usually the teachers have already moved people around in order to not have 6 year olds and 12 year olds together. So I would just ask at the office if there is any class that trends younger and attend that one. If not, and it was me personally, I would just skip it because I don't like open gyms.

 

[mommyof1]

I would just let it go and not bother with the makeup. My daughter tried out open gym once or twice and it was a total waste of time. First she got stuck "playing" with a group of random kids and didn't want to hurt their feelings by leaving to work on skills, and then when she finally got in line for skills other kids would cut in front of her and she wouldn't assert herself enough to get a turn. She basically spent the entire time standing around and didn't think it was fun. If the 6-13-year-old "session" is a rec class I'd avoid that too. My daughter took a mixed-age rec class with some adult-sized 12-year-olds when she was 4 and it could get downright scary sometimes if she and/or the big kids weren't paying attention to their surroundings.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I would skip both options unless you can go to open gym and just have fun with him there. At 4.5 gym is a fun activity, you missed a class no big deal.

This. At 4.5 there is nothing to make up.

 

[Flip4funmom]

just to update..... i went ahead and toom him to open gym. He had a lot of fun just doing what he wanted and he learned a few things from the older kids helping him. I call it a success