Parents Poll: how many parents ask their kids to practice/stretch/condition at home?

[Amusibus]

My mom (who is a bit of a CGGM) seems to think I should be making my 7 year old level one daughter practice at home. She will start competing in the fall at level ONE. Is this normal? How many parents do this? It is kind of my opinion that if she wants to do stuff, she will, and if she doesn't want to, nothing anyone makes her do can change her mind. And gym is for HER not me. But I'm curious, do other parents encourage (or require) their kids to do either stretching, conditioning, or practicing of any kind at home?

 

[skschlag]

No, no, and no! I do not require practice. We have things he can do. If he wants to he can practice. If he pulls out the "I'm bored, there's nothing to do" then I might mention mushroom, trampoline, and stretching in a long list of things he can do. But, IMHO, gymnastics is best left in the gym unless the gymmie initiates things. ANd then we limit what we allow at home!

 

[gymgal]

My dd just competed L7, so I am coming to this from a different perspective from L1. I remind her to stretch when she is on extended break from the gym (1+ weeks). But I don't make her do it. It is she who has to suffer to get back the flexibility when she goes back in the gym, not me, so while I feel it is my parental duty to place the reminder in her head, she should make the ultimate decision.

When she was much younger and first learning a floor or beam routine and was only going 2/3 days a wk, I encouraged her to run through the dance parts of her routines so she wouldn't forget them.

 

[wallflower]

DD stretches her over splits every night at home, but it was coaches request and I just have to remind her. When the coach first told me I blew it off. Then when I got a phone call and she told me that it really needed to be done I will admit I was irritated. It was a chore to get DD to do it and I felt like I'm at work all day, she's at gym all night and in the hour I see her before bed I have to make her do splits. I was less than happy about it. After a month or so it has become a habit. Last night, DD reminded ME. So it has indeed become a habit and DD has seen some improvement in her bad split. Her other side and middle were already fine. So yes, but not by choice.

 

[my4buffaloes]

My girls are training level 8 and on a developmental team. I don't require it. I strongly encourage stretching on all of their off days. Flexibility has never been their strength. They wanted to work out this summer on their off days (there are 3 complete weeks off with scattered days in between). I printed up some calendars and we came up with a schedule together. Some days it is just stretching. Other days it is 20 minutes or so of conditioning exercises (pulled right from what they do at the gym). It isn't much.

At the beginning they wanted to do this because they thought it would help them be better gymnasts. Now that we are just over halfway through summer they know it is helping them. My 8 year old has commented how she feels stronger in the gym. My 12 year has said she thinks it really helps. They both are getting skills right and left and they are typically very slow to get new skills. So we all know it is helping.

At the beginning of the summer I offered a little incentive. If they complete 90% of the scheduled workouts they will get a new leotard at the end of summer. Remember this was there idea though, I do not require it! Please don't bash me. I provided the incentive to make it more fun for them. I do not remind them to workout. They are totally keeping track of it on their own. My older dd has missed 1 workout, my younger dd none.

So that is what we are doing right now and this is the first time we have done something like this. But it is helping them in the gym.

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

Yes, last year dd fell at a couple of competitions on beam. Then, we made a beam and started practicing, but at that time, I just felt they were not going to gym enough. Now, I require her to condition at home twice a week for at least thirty min. It keeps her busy plus focused(shes a busybody). When school starts next week(new, middle), well see. We havent started routines yet so, I dont know yet if she will practice at home. Now, they are doing 12 hours per week compared to 6 last year.


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[Amusibus]

my4buffaloes I would never bash you! I am asking from curiosity. Perhaps my child is a little different because she has ADHD and Aspergers so motivation in general is less than that of the average child. I don't want her to do stuff she herself isn't motivated to do as the point of this in my mind is to have fun, be fit, develop social skills and a longer attention span. I see that my child does have motivation in other areas, but I guess my pushy mom can't see that.

 

[my4buffaloes]

Amusibus - I totally understand the motivation factor - I have a son with both ADHD and Aspergers. It should probably be nothing but fun for her to get her to do anything at home. If you feel she needs help (stretching or something) then making it into games would help. Every child is different and will have a different motivation level. AT level 1 most kids naturally do gymnastics around the house, but probably need to work on flexibility. You know her best, don't push her unless you want to, she wants to and it will help.

 

[HoldThePhone]

Nope! Every now and again after practice the girls come out and say that they have homework to work on handstand holds against a wall, or work on their splits, or whatever, and honestly at this point I don't even force that. I want her to continue to enjoy going, and enjoy getting to do things she doesn't get to do at home. Once in a while, she'll practice her splits (she has all 3, but left leg is a little weaker, takes some stretching to go all the way down.) When she does things at home, I try to make sure she's not doing them incorrect, but other than that, we leave it in the gym. Granted, she's 5, and I think she's there enough as it is for the time being.

 

[vagymmomma]

DD's coaches have asked her from day 1 on team to work at home on her shoulder flexiblity (it's not good). Other than occasionally reminding her to stretch her shoulders and her middle split, gym stays in the gym (except the constant handstands and YouTube watching which occurs unprovoked).

 

[IreneKa]

I don't require it, but DD is one of those who won't stay still. When she watches TV, she would start doing some crazy stuff, like handstand, then falling on the couch, preferably right where mommy is sitting LOL. If I get too irritated I tell her, why don't you do some stretching, or some push ups or curl ups instead. She gladly does as I say, and it keeps her occupied for the next 10 minutes of so.

 

[Committed]

Nope. She has never been given "gym homework" either.
She does whatever conditioning/stretching she feels the need to do, on her own. DD is really into conditioning right now, so I often see her doing pushups, sit-ups, wall-sits, pushup handstands, etc. She would kick butt at a boot camp!

 

[lhmom]

I encouraged DD to do ankle exercises after her last injury healed to help strengthen it. That was at the request of the HC. She's learning a new beam and floor routine for the upcoming season, so I did suggest that she might want to go over the movements to help her memorize. But I don't require her to do anything at home. I told her that any motivation to improve needs to come from her. But she's pretty self-motivated- I could not use that approach with my son.

 

[bookworm]

I have never asked my kids to practice/condition or stretch at home, or on vacation...they're in the gym plenty of hours to get it done there...

 

[cbifoja]

Are you kidding?!?!?!?!?

I make mine stop sometimes because quite frankly, it gets a touch annoying to have her constantly doing gym and conditioning at home. There are days when the constant smacking of her feet on the mat makes me want to rip my eyeballs out and stuff them down my ear canals.

The only thing I don't interfere with is stretching because it's still and quiet and it is something she really needs to be doing at home. Can you tell I'm a quiet person? LOL

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I have learned to watch TV with a fluid side-to-side motion, as my daughter cartwheels/walkover/handstand walks in front of me. The only stretching I make her do is her Physio exercises.

 

[Muddlethru]

Throughout compulsories (and even now) my daughter is always doing some kind of activity (i.e., gymnastics, dance, trampoline). I've not asked any of my children to practice their respective sports. I figured if they loved their sport enough and want to excel, they should take it upon themselves to practice. If they don't practice, then I am guessing they lack the passion for that sport. And I believe one cannot force passion, no matter what age. So, my asking them to practice may not lead to anything but resentment. At L1 though, I don't know what you can ask your daughter to practice.

 

[Natasha]

I agree that either the motivation is within them or not. The only thing I have required my dd to do at home was her physical therapy exercises after an injury as they were monotonous and she hated them. As far as practicing or conditioning it has only been when she has initiated it and only what she chooses to do (with safety limits of course). I have also never done any rewards for practicing, etc, unless you count the privilege of trying out for team after she showed my she was serious about it by doing conditioning 2x a week for a couple of months.

 

[munchkin3]

Never a requirement, but i am always there to guide.
I remind my older stiffer gymmie the benefits of daily stretching.

When my kids get bored, I time them for fun on handstands.
Every so often they want to do something more at home, and I remind them that I am a clueless mom, NOT a coach. I am very limited.
They truly love the sport so sometimes they just do it on thier own. But I have learned after 5 years, that making them do conditioning at home is not a good idea in the long run.

 

[JMACAZ]

I have 2 gymmies. One will come home from gym and practice what she learned that day. She is constantly on the bar or beam. Now that she is learning the new routines her coach has recommended some things to do at home. The other one I do encourage to stretch and practice on beam at home. They both cartwheel and handstand everywhere...