Parents Philosophy about displaying medals?

[kimute]

My DD is going to get her own room next week. I've always kept her shared room with her sister free of gymnastics stuff as sister is not a gymmie.

I thought I might surprise gymmie DD with a medal display rack in her new room. DH is not keen on the idea. Thinks displaying medals is boastful and not humble. That it would be a negative impression on school friends. Too much of a shrine... I think she should display them with pride. We have started towards a compromise of a smaller rack to display the medals/trophies she is most proud of (she has been in the game for a while so could decorate much of the room). I don't know what DD will think as I had been hoping to surprise her...

Just curious if anyone has faced this debate, displays medals, displays all vs. some, has a gymmie who does or doesn't like to...

Thanks!

 

[MuggleMom]

We don't have this problem yet so I am not speaking from my DD's personal likes but---I have seen curtain rods used to hang medals on and i like this approach. I feel like a bunch of trophies can feel like a bit much but you can display a bunch of medals on a nice (shorter) curtain rod and it doesn't quite feel as in your face with the bragging--and it wont take over the room. Maybe the curtain rod medal display and one awesome trophy. Both could be easily put away too if your daughter isn't feeling it.

 

[twinmomma]

She earned them! She should be proud of them. DD isn't keen on wearing them during/after meets, but she likes them up on her wall.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I've never had to debate this. My girls have their own rooms and asked to display their things, and my husband and I agreed. They feel pride in their hard work. There is nothing to denote the blood sweat and tears that goes into practice, but meets are the prize for that effort and they enjoy having the fruits of their labor on display. I don't think it's ever been off putting to their friends... more a talking point.

 

[3gymgirlsmom]

I think the medals show how hard they work , it is one way that says this is what I have worked so hard for and knows she is recognized for her work ( not saying kids with out medals do not , they absolutely do) we have a hook for my younger competing gymnast for her medals but she has just gotten them at 1 meet of her 3 )

 

[Flyaway]

I think your dh is overthinking it. She earned them, she should be proud! They are representation of her hard work! We rotate medals and only display the current season, that cuts down on it being excessive.

 

[vbdb]

My DD has a rack to display her medals, she filled it up last year so we've put those ones away to start fresh this year. They absolutely should be proud of the hard work that goes into each one of those medals and it's never been a discussion whether she should put them up. We make medal racks for some of her friends for their birthdays too, it's a fun project you could work on with your DD for her new room!

 

[skschlag]

My ds has a curtain rod under his window that he just slides them on. I think it looks good, and not over the top. Trophies are meant to be displayed......

 

[amiandjim]

DH made DD 2 small medal racks that look like bars (he even put chalk on them!) and they hang behind her bed...it's super cute! I think they should be proud of their hard work and display their medals!

 

[GymDad9.9]

This DH thinks his daughter deserves to hang her medals and display her trophies and achievements of hard work in her bedroom. No debate whatsoever about it!

 

[RTT2]

I feel like life offers enough knockdowns that the wins ought to be celebrated. We got DD a medal display rack for Christmas, and her trophies line one of her bookshelves.

 

[NutterButter]

DH is not keen on the idea. Thinks displaying medals is boastful and not humble. That it would be a negative impression on school friends.

I grew up in a house with a similar attitude and it messed with me in that I've never really been able to take credit for accomplishments and I have a tendency to belittle what I've done. This is common already among girls and more so if you are raised in a house with this attitude. There are other ways to teach humility. Let her display her rewards for hard work.

 

[e'smum]

my 2 dd's share a room and my gymmie's trophies are taking over. we got her a rack for her medals for her bday last year (almost a year ago) and have yet to put it up but she will have filled it twice over by now. i don't think it's boastful at all. her sister doesn't care. it's in her room where her stuff is so why wouldn't you allow her to put her winnings on display? i think we need to find a new home for my dd's level 3 and 4 trophies though. and each year just keep out the current year's trophies.

honestly, i think it's strange you wouldn't let her display at least one trophy in her current room.

my ODD is in dance and she has a dance medal she won hanging on the wall and she keeps her pins on it. they get pins instead of medals and one per dance no matter if they place in the AA or not. they look nice on the medal and it's very compact. i wish gymnastics was like that. lol. medals in the AA and pins for individual events.

 

[Ali'sMom]

We display
She earned them, she can hang them.

 

[my4buffaloes]

It is one thing to display them in the privacy of her bedroom. It is another to have them front and center in the home and brag about them to everyone and show them off. What you want to do is very much an appropriate way to handle medals. I have 2 dd's in gym, they share a room. One dd puts everything in a box under her bed. The other hangs the medals on the wall above her bed. I leave it up to them.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

We have one child the gymnast who is 11, the other is 23.

We display the current years medals.

Seriously, this is all any given Sunday stuff........................... We are incredibly proud of both our kids, specifically her for the purpose of this conversation. And, they are meets. A tumble her or there, a cold, anything changes outcome.

She has non gymnast friends who do other sports where each game is not necessarily recognized. Does that make them less successful or more................... Not necessarily.

We don't focus on medals. If she got the same score and other kids scored better, would that have diminished her personal effort......................... Umm no.

Medals are not indicative of effort and work. They are nice to have...................... but not be all end all. Do we display for a bit and then move on.

So if there were other kids close in age I would be even more cognizant of what I would or wouldnt display. Its a tough balance, pride vs bragging

 

[2gymkids]

What a world we live in, huh? We give kids trophies for just participating, but are afraid that it will seem boastful if they display something they're proud of? Not criticizing, it's just an interesting juxtaposition.
To answer the OP, my DD has a medal rack that they hang on. Hypothetically we would have to remove some old ones at some point to make room for the new, but it's been a tough start to L4 so no new medals yet this season. She has trophies on her dresser but only likes to have the "earned" trophies there- the participation trophies from meets that give them to everyone are either hidden in the back or taken off all together, lol. She doesn't like those so much. She works hard for those medals and we make sure she knows that's not what's important, but she's entitled to be proud of earning them (and they're pretty and shiny and she's 9).

 

[Texasmomof3]

We moved this summer and my dd decorated her room completely from scratch. We never did anything special with any of the kids' medals or trophies in the old house and she didn't incorporate them into her room here. We actually have all trophies from all three kids on top of some shelves in the game room and all medals from all three kids in a box in the game room cabinets. I would have let her hang them if she had wanted, but it just isn't her thing. Other than her small "Keep Calm and Love Gymnastics" plaque in her room, you wouldn't even know she was a gymnast until you got into her closet or drawers. (I don't suppose most girls have a bathroom drawer of nothing up pre wrap, athletic tape, ktape and bandaids?)

 

[Deleted member 14190]

My DD is going to get her own room next week. I've always kept her shared room with her sister free of gymnastics stuff as sister is not a gymmie.

I thought I might surprise gymmie DD with a medal display rack in her new room. DH is not keen on the idea. Thinks displaying medals is boastful and not humble. That it would be a negative impression on school friends. Too much of a shrine... I think she should display them with pride. We have started towards a compromise of a smaller rack to display the medals/trophies she is most proud of (she has been in the game for a while so could decorate much of the room). I don't know what DD will think as I had been hoping to surprise her...

Just curious if anyone has faced this debate, displays medals, displays all vs. some, has a gymmie who does or doesn't like to...

Thanks!

I put my medals up! and look how awesome I turned out! all kidding aside.... Really? I think she should display them with pride also. After all it was a lot of hard work to get them!

 

[MILgymFAM]

Just wanted to add- clearly gymnastics is my ODD's entire decorating theme. My YDD has two racks and the rest of her space is books/hogwarts/puppies. When it comes to their space I am completely to each their own.