Parents "Holiday" and Summer schedules

[twinmomma]

I am incredibly frustrated with the need to change schedules during the holidays and summertime. This has happened at every gym we've been at. We have two working parents and we already rearrange things to make her gym schedule work. For the holidays the entire schedule gets rearranged, mostly to early in the day. Well, we both work. And we don't have family or carpool options for her for gym, which means either one of us has to take off of work or she misses practices. One or two weeks of sporadic practice during the holidays is not something I'm overly concerned about except for the fact that her first real meet is in less than a month. What is more frustrating is the need to completely rearrange everything for the summer. Just because the kids are out of school does not mean we as parents can get them there any earlier than we already do.

Does anyone else have this frustration? As a plea to coaches and gym owners, please recognize how hard parents work to get team kids to gym and changing the times around like it's no big deal is really an incredible struggle for some of us.

 

[twocurlygirlz]

Are the practices be early enough that they mimic school hours- with camp to fill in the gap? If during the school year you take them to school then pick them up from school and take them to gym- if the gym hours are early can you mimic the same schedule- school am drop off = gym am drop off and then school afternoon pick up = gym afternoon pick up followed by camp? We work too but love the earlier schedule as it keeps them busy during the break while I am at work- instead of having them home all day then back at practice late? Does that work for you guys or are your practices randomly at like 12pm- even with that can you leave for lunch and take them?

 

[AmandaLynn]

Our practices get rearranged for holidays and summer. For summer, it is a way to spread the kids out over a greater time frame and allow the gym to not be so crowded. There are times during "normal" schedule that we have more than 10 team groups training at the same time. Not factoring recreational classes!

We have a HUGE team program in a relatively small building. As a coach, it is kind of nice to be able to get the equipment that we need all summer long without having to fight over it.

Our gym does also offer summer camps and holiday camps, as well as an afterschool program and many of our working parents choose to use these as childcare options in an attempt to ease their carpool and transportation issues.

 

[MILgymFAM]

We always had that happen with artistic, but never with t&t. Honestly, since I am a SAHM, I always wished our t&t schedule would switch to days, so we could have something approximating family time in the evenings. I would obviously feel like you if our roles were reversed.

 

[QueenBee]

I think this is one of those frustrations that encapsulates the challenges of gymnastics over lots of other sports/activities. It is super expensive, it becomes high hours very quickly and those high hours become a challenge to make happen the more your family has other obligations (work, school, other family members, etc).

I am so impressed by families who can make it work when all parents work outside the home. I know a couple of families at our gym who can't find a workable carpool who hire a college-aged driver over the summers (and breaks) who can take their gymnast to/from practice. I don't know how practicable that idea is for your family/budget.

Most of us are just anxiously waiting for our gymnasts to be old enough to drive themselves to practice. Then I'll just need to find the money for another car, should be easy enough - right? Lol.

The one thing I do like about summer/break practice time changing is that our evenings are free. And it is usually nicer to practice in the morning.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Yes and no.

Yes when I was working full time, it sucked big time. And my other favorite thing is Gym is 3 days a week. Other summer things like camps, enrichment etc, usually require a 1 or 2 week commitment. So I would be paying for 10 days of camp and only going about 5. And I would I would use my lunch to trek her back and forth.

Part of the reason I went to part time/perdiem (and I miss the bucks). Up side I get her where she needs to be. So as a non full time working parent, I appreciate morning practices so we can do other things the rest of the day and more family time.

Its a case of d@mned if you do, d@amned if you don't.

 

[Flyaway]

Its a case of d@mned if you do, d@amned if you don't.

This is really it. We both work full time, but my dh is flexible enough to be able to make it work most of the time and we work out carpool with other gymnasts for the days it doesn't. I prefer daytime hours because then I get to actually SEE my kid after work. Lol. My dd prefers it because the gym isn't overrun with rec kids. But I get it. It's a no-win for some people.

 

[mai_lin]

Yes!!! Our situation is very similar - no family and no gym mates to carpool with and 2 working parents. I'm fortunte in that my kids are in year round school so our summer schedule doesn't change usually... but when my girls get to middle school and go to a traditional calendar this will be a concern. As soon as there is a break that affects both schedules (year round and traditional) the schedule at the gym changes (the end of this week and next, for instance). Its frustrating because we don't typically get notice of the change and then we're left scrambling...

 

[raenndrops]

Our schedule doesn't change for breaks - except we take off 2 weeks for Christmas and the month of July (other than an optional two weeks in the middle of the month when they have rec camp).
The entire Team practices at the same time. Rec classes start before team and end before team, so team has the last hour in the gym alone.

 

[Seeker]

The schedule is a challenge no matter what, but if you're both going to be at work and have to make alternate arrangements for care (since I'm assuming she will be out for school vacation), can't the babysitter drive or handle one side of the drop-off/pick up? I have found a s similar scenario for summer camps and summer activities where we are located.

I am a single mom and for years have lived away from family and/or support, so I get it. I am responsible for everything (no alternating weekends or anything like that). I work full time and have had to get very creative piecing things together to get her where she needs to be and/or picked up.

 

[samsmama]

I hear you. It is really, really challenging. I do 95% of the gym transportation and the first summer I had to cope with day practices almost drove us out of the sport. In addition to the havoc it wreaks on my work schedule, I hate that DS doesn't get to do any camps in the summer and that he doesn't get much down time over winter break.

I have since changed specialties at my company to allow me to work from home on the days when DS has to be at gym during the school year so I will be able to swap those out in the summer to accommodate the day practices. Now that I have worked that out, I do like the day practices -- no dealing with rush hour or late nights, more family dinners and activities.

FWIW, one family at our previous gym just doesn't do day practices as a rule. The parents both have demanding careers and they have two other children, so they have just told the coach it's not going to work. Their DS doesn't practice much over winter breaks and does a couple of evening practices in the summer with another group. He is a very strong gymnast and is doing just as well this season as my DS, who practiced 20 hours a week all summer. That may not be an option at your gym, but just know that it can work out ok!

 

[twinmomma]

We live 2 min from school but 40 min from gym. And the practices are different on different days. We went from all after work to 10-12, 12-2, 1-3. I'm taking one day to take her at lunch but other than that it's a major challenge. If summer changes she's going to have to do rec classes and a private every week. That's the only thing I can think of.

 

[suebee]

I get why they have day time practice during breaks, and I too prefer it, even though I work, but that's because I have someone to drive dd.

But please, why can't the gym let us know in advance what the schedules will be during the break, so we can make plans and arrange rides? I mean, we all know when Christmas is and we all know when New Year's is. It's not a surprise and it doesn't happen unexpectedly. Would it kill the gym to give us more than a day's notice that the schedule will be different during break? I know it will be daytime (from prior experience) but I don't know what hours it will be during the daytime yet. And it's only 4 days until Christmas!

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Part of the reason I went to part time/perdiem (and I miss the bucks). Up side I get her where she needs to be. So as a non full time working parent, I appreciate morning practices so we can do other things the rest of the day and more family time.

This is what I've done as well, though I realize that many families do not have the flexibility to do it. I am looking forward to the 2nd have of this summer when my DD can drive HERSELF to practice!!

 

[e'smum]

our gym changes it's schedule for the summer. but it's the same each summer. we all know it's coming.
they did change the schedule for next week for JO and let us know a couple of weeks ago. a couple are mornings but some are still at night.
also, we let our town gym team use our gym for their meets and we have to change schedules for them as well. our AHC is good about letting us know as soon as she knows.
i stay home but i can understand the frustration for working parents.
to the OP - not sure what team you are on but at our gym it's understood you do the hours if you are on the JO team. Excel it's a bit more flexible and their hours stay at night.

 

[LizzieLac]

I do not care to calculate the money I have spent to have high school kids drive DD and DS to practices when they were younger. Did it for YEARS. I could be driving a much nicer car or have a fancier house, I suspect.

DD just got her driver's license and now I can put that money toward getting her a car.

I work so my children can spend my money. There will be nothing left when I die. I must remember to tell them they spent their inheritance already!!

 

[Seeker]

We live 2 min from school but 40 min from gym. And the practices are different on different days. We went from all after work to 10-12, 12-2, 1-3. I'm taking one day to take her at lunch but other than that it's a major challenge. If summer changes she's going to have to do rec classes and a private every week. That's the only thing I can think of.

Yeah -- those times are pretty crappy! Esp with the duration being only 2 hrs. At least my dd's practice is 1/2 the day (at least). Maybe talk to them now about these challenges so you can make a plan for summer.

 

[mommyof1]

I hate summers. Last year practice was supposed to be in the morning, then it was in mid-afternoon, then it switched back to mornings again something like a week before the summer started. I registered my daughter for afternoon camps, switched to mornings, and then switched back to afternoons. We were very fortunate to be able to change her day camp schedule--everywhere else I've ever lived, waiting lists are long and camp schedules are set in stone in January. I spent about 3 1/2 hours in the car every gym day, accomplished very little work, and used up tons of vacation days. I used a sitter a few days, but that was too expensive an option for the entire summer. It was miserable.

As far as I can tell, there only two out of 16 L3 moms with full-time jobs who are not teachers. The other one's husband is a stay-home dad.

Practice time changes during holiday breaks don't bother me as much as they do during the summer because one parent or the other usually has to take off work to stay home with our daughter, but last-minute changes and practices right in the middle of the day are incredibly annoying.

 

[twinmomma]

our gym changes it's schedule for the summer. but it's the same each summer. we all know it's coming.
they did change the schedule for next week for JO and let us know a couple of weeks ago. a couple are mornings but some are still at night.
also, we let our town gym team use our gym for their meets and we have to change schedules for them as well. our AHC is good about letting us know as soon as she knows.
i stay home but i can understand the frustration for working parents.
to the OP - not sure what team you are on but at our gym it's understood you do the hours if you are on the JO team. Excel it's a bit more flexible and their hours stay at night.

DD is on the T&T team, and her coach is really flexible - it's the gym that moves the whole team program to altered schedules and the T&T team has to move accordingly. Grrrr.

 

[Learning Parent GB]

Our biggest problem isn't the transport. It's the fact that having practices all day during the holiday means that DD doesn't get to have a holiday. She would love to have some time in the daylight to go off and do things with friends and family, have days out or even have a lie in. Some people see that as her not being committed enough, but I think it shows that she needs some balance in her life.