Parents Did they get it from us?

[NY Dad]

Gymnastics brings out the best in my dd. Some of her best qualities shine through more in her gymnastics than they do anywhere else. It got me wondering where these qualities came from (nature vs nurture). To be a competitive gymnast takes a lot of things: love/dedication, coordination/athleticism, strength/flexibility and I'm sure a bunch of other things that aren't coming to mind at the moment.

Did your gymmies get these qualities from you? I'll go first

Love of gymnastics - When I was very young (we're talking several decades ago) I took gymnastics and I really enjoyed it. As I recall I took classes for 3 years? (I've asked my parents about this and as far as they knew gymnastics was gymnastics so whatever the lowest level was that's probably what I was doing). My parents claim that I didn't want to do it anymore and that's why I quit. That's not what I remember. I remember being told that I was too tall and I was getting too old (I'm guessing I was around 8 or 9 when I quit). One specific memory I have is that I had been working on BHS (which I could do with a very significant spot). It's a fuzzy memory but the Russian coach who spoke very broken English asked me to do a back flip (with a spot). I reluctantly agreed but as I was going around I landed right on my head (I was fine, more irritated than anything else). We figured out that he wanted me to do a BHS not a back flip. One other random memory, we did FHS first so I was able to do that on my own. I only mention that b/c my dd has been able to do a BHS for over a year and I don't think she's ever worked on FHS.

Dedication - For almost all hobbies that I've had, I've immersed myself in them so it's not surprising that my dd picked this up from me.

Coordination/Athleticism - me and me I wasn't very at anything (okay, maybe swimming but I didn't love it so that was short lived) but whatever the season was I was playing a sport for my HS. I played on club/fraternity teams when I was in college but I never focused on any one sport and to be honest I wasn't even close to good enough at anything to play for a college/university any division any sport. My dw also played HS sports.

Strength/flexibility - I'm naturally strong and I have no idea if I was ever naturally flexible but at this point I'm about as flexible as a piece of wood. My dd works on this at the gym so I'm going to go with nurture on this one for my dd.

 

[John]

Ill Play.

Love of gymnastics -

When I was a kid we did gymnastics in elementary school gym class. We had box vaults and mat galore, also a horse with no pommels. I liked it and did it constantly in the backyard, Flips handsprings etc. I moved on to taking diving lessons, I think mom thought it was more acceptable, then on to baseball, football, and wrestling.

Dedication -

I have always immersed myself in things 100%. I believe it to be a problem. I think in some fashion people with great dedication have addictive personalities. I know I do. I hope DD's can stay involved in something she loves until she is mature enough to understand addictive personality.

Coordination/Athleticism -

I have always been short athletic and muscular. DD's Mother is also an athletic and very physically strong woman. She played soccer and now runs marathons.

Strength/flexibility -

Read above.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Nope. I’m not sporty or arty or musically inclined. My girls get none of those excellent qualities from me (or my husband, really). It’s all them.

 

[John]

I like the idea they got it from inside. I have pondered nature versus nurture for a long time.

I tend to beleive people can be either the parents that raised them or 180 degree opposite.

 

[amiandjim]

I was a competitive gymnast for a few years back when there were classes instead of levels. I had to quit for financial reasons and am sad about to go this day. I genuinely love the sport and I love watching the sport! So, I would say my daughter’s love of gymnastics maybe started with me, but now, it’s all hard. She works harder than I ever even thought of working at the age of 8!! My husband and I are both fairly athletic, so there is probably some genetic component (our poor son didn’t inherit any of that though!) but the dedication is all her!

 

[Gymmom826]

I think she was born with a natural talent for the sport. I think she gets it from my dh who played many sports like baseball and soccer. I played softball and I was a runner and ran some 5ks and half marathon. We’re both competitive and have a good work ethic. She does have a tenacity and intensity I’ve never seen before though...she’s scary..lol..

 

[MuggleMom]

I find nature vs nurture fascinating since I am adopted. I always thought of myself as such the "second child" but as I have gotten older and it talking with friends I have learned I have a lot of "first child traits" which is cool cause biologically I am the first child but in my family I am the baby. Also you couldn't find two more different people than me and my brother and I think its in part since we are not biologically related. Its really interesting to look into the details of it all. Like my youngest sucks her thumb and rubs her belly button just like I did and taps her nose just like my husband did. This cant be a learned behavior!! Crazy!

As far as gymnastics goes my DD gets a lot from me I competed till about 8th grade was was old level 5 and probably would have been 6 training 7 today. I was very flexible DD has to work at that, she is definitely stronger than I was. Evidently I was pretty good I found a level 5 State all around trophy in my house the other day from when I was a kid, and I do know I was invited to a special training program to fast track over the summer to skip levels 6 and 7 to be a level 8 but that's when I quit (They should have asked me a year sooner I would have jumped all over it).

As far as determination and self motivation I have that but she has it in spades. She is very sensitive like her dad--internalizes things and worries more than I ever did. Bars is her favorite and she is the best at it (Just like me) She picks things up quickly but form takes longer (just like me). Its fun to watch how it all plays out that's for sure.

 

[BachFlyer]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Nope!

 

[Madden3]

I was the kid where the one year my parents forced me to play softball, I stood as far in the outfield as I possibly could and prayed the ball never came to me. In HS I was the kid with too much eyeliner who sneered at the jocks. I was and still am happiest when lost in a book. My husband ran some track in HS, but was never super competitive or much immersed in sports either as a participant or spectator. I have absolutely no idea how my kids go to gym everyday and work their butts off, loving every minute.

BUT...my mom was a very good tennis player most of her life- the one everyone wanted as a doubles partner. My dad was a lifeguard and rowed for the University of Pennsylvania. Husband's dad was a very high ranked race walker at one point. So... maybe it just skipped a generation.

 

[BachFlyer]

I was pretty athletic as a kid, and always been relatively fit. But I’m about as coordinated as a 1 legged horse, and as flexible as a piece of steel. One rec class at 9 and it was extremely obvious I’d be better off sticking to running. I can’t say that I was really blessed with tenacity or bravery or motivation or any of the mind-blowing personality traits that make a gymnast, by any stretch of the imagination. The only thing is that my love for watching gymnastics is the reason i signed her up because I saw something in her that lil ol me never had.

And I’m pretty sure that the only thing she got from the other DNA contribution is possibly an addictive personality someone mentioned above

 

[suebee]

I think dh and I are overall fairly athletic, but our parents did not emphasize or encourage sports when we were children. We are fairly active, and I think we both have some natural athleticism but our athletic talents were never fully developed.

I have always loved gymnastics, but other than a few months in a recreational class when I was probably 9 or so, I never did any gymnastics. My most difficult skill I could do was a bwo. I really wanted to be able to do a ROBHS, but it never happened. I was extremely flexible as a child and could do splits easily.

Dd is much more strong than she is flexible. Her dad is pretty strong, though, and so I guess she got that from him. I never had much upper body strength, but both my gymnast and my non-gymnast can do more pull-ups than anyone else in their grade, and my dh was the same way when he was a kid. Dd also loves conditioning and she definitely did not get that from me!

But I am very hard working and determined and focused, and dd is the same.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Genetics gave her the talent. Life gave her her work ethic, which we nurture.

Her smart a&&, her father and I both take credit for and lay claim too.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

The nature vs nurture thing and who wants to take credit for what, always amuses me.

 

[duyetanh]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Nope!

Bahahaha! Same.
At almost 6 feet tall, gym aint my thang.

 

[SMH]

I am zero percent athletic. I was a drama/music kid. I could never even do a cartwheel, so she didn’t get any athletic skill from me, that’s for sure.

At a young age she was climbing/jumping from things most kids her age shouldn’t be- and we figured focusing that energy would be a good idea. It was just the perfect sport for her from the beginning. When she was younger she tried various dance classes, soccer, but it was always right back to gymnastics. It’s just what she loves and has a natural talent for.

I’d like to think that we as parents play a little part in her determination, commitment, and drive- but really, that’s how she is in most aspects of her life, so while we may nurture it, I think it’s just part of her personality, and it happens to be a part of her personality that lends itself well to competitive gymnastics.

 

[l.c.o]

I nearly tipped over while putting on my socks this morning, so my vote is no.

 

[BachFlyer]

I nearly tipped over while putting on my socks this morning, so my vote is no.

LOL