Parents Parent Observation Policies

[Natalia]

Give parents a punch card ,allow them one or two hours of viewing a month,they can come at any time,unannounced.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

My kid started talking AFTER she left the mad house.I asked her why she hadn't said anything before.She was told by the coaches NOT to speak about gym with parents.

10 days after I left,a mom calls me .She had arrived early to take her DD to a dentist appointement.HC had clearly forgotten about this,so the mom went up in the bleachers to call her kid.

She saw her 8 year old being hit,grabbed by the arm and thrown to the ground because the b***h of the HC had " enough of her fears."

There's a big sign on the elevator door that NO ONE is allowed to view practises,EVER!!

@dunnos driving licence is revoked because there are too many idiots on the road.Dunno is a great driver,what a shame others aren't like him.

wow! is this a gym in the USA?

we've talked about this before...the kids that are told NOT to speak about gym with their parents. there's usually a "or else" implication. someone posted this once and i put "3 YIKES". completely unacceptable.

and in a 'hypothetical', and at least in the area where i am, somebody would have been waiting for that coach at the end of the night. come and gone like the wind...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Give parents a punch card ,allow them one or two hours of viewing a month,they can come at any time,unannounced.

wait...was this the same coach from France or England that said they were going to pick your child up from school even thought you told them she was quitting and would not be competing for their club at a certain meet? the crazy female coach??

 

[Natalia]

wait...was this the same coach from France or England that said they were going to pick your child up from school even thought you told them she was quitting and would not be competing for their club at a certain meet? the crazy female coach??

The very one, in France. You see,crazy gym coaches exist.

 

[CreateMagic]

We have an open viewing area at my gym. In my little xcel group, I have seen the progression of my parents from watching every minute of every practice to dropping off and picking up only. Luckily, I have no CGPs. This group has been very self-regulating, thank goodness. A JO coach did have to deal with one, but that one parent was asked to not view.

One thing I really love about this board is all the perspectives I get just from simply reading. I have definitely grown in many ways as a coach because of this board--particularly from hearing parent perspectives. I am sure to have my phone or iPad on me at all times--because who knows when there will be a new skill made!--and I like to send parents a video. I take the time to chat with any parent I can at the end of practice. And I tell the kids all the time that nothing I say should EVER be kept from their parents. If I word something badly (it happens to the best of us!), I have actually approached the parents afterwards and apologized to them. But my situation is a little different I suppose because I coach for fun--this is not my full time job. I teach middle school by day, and just enjoy my little gymmies 6 hours a week. I've had 6 of my 8 kids for 3 years now. They're kind of like family.

I can definitely see how viewing can become an issue, especially if you get the right parents!

 

[Quadqueen]

I am sure to have my phone or iPad on me at all times--because who knows when there will be a new skill made!--and I like to send parents a video.

Love this - and wish more coaches did it. Coaches at DD's gym don't take videos, and don't allow the girls to do it either.

 

[curlygirls]

...

 

[mobeans]

Our gym allows it, although they recommend not watching *every* practice, according to the handbook. I watch often, about 75% of the time. My reason is mainly that we live 35 min from the gym and it's not logistical for me to go back home. Also, running errands is difficult at the time she practices as traffic gets heavy near where the stores are at. I bring stuff to do--magazines, books, my laptop. I even brought my son the other day and we went for a walk for a bit. We have two great viewing areas and plenty of seating for parents to watch.

Also, when my DD was 5, I started going for walks during her practice. I came back and 5 min later she broke her arm. I know it was a fluke but my thoughts of course were "what if had been in the middle of my walk, futher away?" So...I think that always will stay with me and I prefer to stay for now.

 

[profmom]

Both of the times my kids have gotten significant injuries (broken arm and broken finger), I've gotten a call from the gym because neither of us was there. My personal experience is that it takes about six months to get over that sort of thing as a parent and be able to drop the kid off without a second thought, but you never lose the charge of adrenaline that comes any time the phone rings when you have a child at the gym and you're not there.

I do almost all of my running during daylight savings time when my kids are at practice. I really hope that next season they also have a couple of evenings that coincide!

 

[3rd_time_around]

Both of the times my kids have gotten significant injuries (broken arm and broken finger), I've gotten a call from the gym because neither of us was there. My personal experience is that it takes about six months to get over that sort of thing as a parent and be able to drop the kid off without a second thought, but you never lose the charge of adrenaline that comes any time the phone rings when you have a child at the gym and you're not there.

I do almost all of my running during daylight savings time when my kids are at practice. I really hope that next season they also have a couple of evenings that coincide!

After 3 major injuries, I dread the call from the gym when I'm not there. It takes me so long to get there, so the two times I was at home were agony trying to get to the gym quickly.

 

[Haismom]

Our gym has a viewing area upstairs by our dance studios, the balcony isn't the largest area, but we have 4 picnic tables and can see most areas from seated... I find lots of mommy social time is great once we start 2+ hour practices in summer I won't be staying! but until then practice is during rush hour and I'm not going anywhere...

 

[oplei]

I went to see a speaker about the differences in generations in their parenting choices and it is interesting to watch those observations play out in the gym:
Boomers - Taught to follow authority and if the coach says no viewing, no viewing.
Generation X - Raised by Older Baby Boomers and were Latch Key kids. They make parenting choices based on what they were missing which was a parent at home when they were either home alone after school or sent to some sort of after school generalized program. The parenting choice they are trying to remedy is being left on your own after school so they want to sit at the gym and participate since they are not going to leave their children as they were "left".
Generation Y - Raised by Younger Baby Boomers and Xers. They were picked up from school by a paid program and supervised by someone who is paid by their parents. Their generation was taught that services are paid for so you (as a consumer) are entitled to a have high expectations. These parents expect to be able to sit at the gym and watch because they are the consumer and this is what they are paying for.
Millennium - Technology generation. Here is what is coming gym owners/coaches these parents are going to want remote access to the cameras in the gym. They are going to want to be able to log on and watch their child at any time during practice.
I am not suggesting that any "group" is completely right/wrong but reading this thread seems to follow this trend (although I don't know how old any of you are). Love it or hate it all the generations have to figure out a way to work together.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

hmm, I must fall into the Generation X category ( although my parents were older and born before WWII), but I had a stay at home mum, and watch all my children in all their sports, not constantly, but regularly.

 

[3rd_time_around]

To add something to the debate, I just finished taking the USAG Safety Certification test, and it actually said that parents observing was recommended and encouraged. So, there's that.

 

[FloMoGymmie]

My DD10 is a USAG L3. Our gym doesn't have a watch policy and they don't seem to encourage or discourage viewing. They have a large open viewing area that is behind glass.

My DD loves for me to watch. And I LOVE to watch as well. I was a Class 1 gymnast back in the day and just generally enjoy being in the gym, and I used to be a coach as well at a different gym.

All that said, I'm not always watching DD. I'm usually watching the older/higher level girls, b/c hey, that's cooler.
And when DD see this, it upsets her b/c she wants me to watch her. In 2 practices she was trying to get my attention. I told her if she so much as looks my way to see if I am watching, I will leave. She did it again, and I left.

Our coaches generally seem to enjoy the parent's being around and they will come out into the lobby and chat with us on breaks and stuff.

All of that said, I think my DD does best when I am not there. But she would not be going to a gym where there was a no viewing policy in place. Trust is a two way street!

 

[James]

My 4 year old daughter has recently joined a gymnastics class held in a public leisure centre. Now the windows have been completely covered so we can no longer watch her. This policy was imposed because someone, when we aren't there, was filming. This blanket ban effects all, rather than just stopping the individual. Our job as parents includes protecting our daughter we should be able to watch her and not just leave her to strangers for an hour. Very poor communication as well as lack of trust and respect for parents. Is this normal behaviour for such young children?

 

[txgymfan]

James, This is a 2 year old thread. Please start a new one. Thanks!

 

[James]

James, This is a 2 year old thread. Please start a new one. Thanks!

Ok thanks