Parents Sometimes I think it would easier to be a CGM

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gwenmom

Proud Parent
DD is struggling this year. She is 9 and L4 and that darn kip is hit or miss. She had it. Got grips. Lost it. Got it back. Had a growth spurt and its a hiding again. Cartwheel is either beautiful or a mess. Vault was her best event at L3 and now it's not.

All of this has lead to a lot more tears and frustration this year. Crying again last night.

This morning she was still upset, which is unusual for her. So we talked and I told she has one more practice before this weekends meet and asked if she had told her coach how she was feeling. She said no so I told her to write down three things she really wanted to work/was frustrated about.

Then I FB her coach to let her know that DD might talk to her. It would be so much easier to be a CGM and just do it myself and freak out. Much harder to see you kid cry and help them take responsibility for it and learn to communicate. Dang life lessons.
 
hope this weekends meet goes good for her, I hear ya , my ODD just got back to being able to do a full meet (was out all summer really) and then on her first BHS her foot gave out and her ankle went and now is severely sprained (2 torn ligaments )
 
You may also be starting to get some "foreshadowing" of puberty. Many girls start to have higher ups and lower downs emotionally around age 9/10. The very best thing you can do is to tell her that you are so incredibly proud of her, no matter how the meet goes. That just getting up there is amazing, and that getting up and doing her best after a little mistake is even more amazing. Good or bad performances, I always tell my daughter that I am incredibly proud of her and had a blast watching her out there at the meet. She knows tears are for the car or home, not for the competition or practice (unless she is hurt), and she has unlimited access to my shoulder and hugs later.

That kip struggle will be in the rear view mirror soon, and then on to other challenges....

I try to remind myself during challenging times for her--that this is one of the main benefits from being in this super hard sport. Learning how to deal with challenges and struggles. I know it sounds a little glib, but as a parent try to look at the moment as a time of learning versus a time of struggle....

As a parent, the ingredients you throw in the gymnastics equation are love, more love, sense of humor, healthy perspective, food, money, transportation, more love....

If no one has arranged dinner or lunch after the next meet for the girls, take that initiative. I bet 4 or 5 will show up. It's one of the highlights of every meet for our kids...
 
I think sometimes both the kids and parents learn life lessons when dealing with things in gymnastics. Its her sport that doesn't mean that I can't learn anything!

Hey at least when she tells me she got her kip I will know what she is talking about! Which is better than that darn stride circle that I had no idea.

Well Im gonna go back and practice my new skills....chewing gum and walking...lol
 
Oh, that FHS vault! We've had no end of trouble with that one. DD is just flat-out not good at it and hasn't scored over an 8.7 in her two seasons of competing it. She always broke 9 on the flatback.

Starting new 4 was rough for all of our girls. At their first meet, nobody got a 9 on anything, and my DD had done really well at old 4.
 
Many girls start to have higher ups and lower downs emotionally around age 9/10
You may also be starting to
get some "foreshadowing" of puberty. Many girls start to have higher ups and lower downs emotionally around age 9/10. The very best thing you can do is to tell her that you are so incredibly proud of her, no matter how the meet goes. That just getting up there is amazing, and that getting up and doing her best after a little mistake is even more amazing. Good or bad performances, I always tell my daughter that I am incredibly proud of her and had a blast watching her out there at the meet. She knows tears are for the car or home, not for the competition or practice (unless she is hurt), and she has unlimited access to my shoulder and hugs later.

That kip struggle will be in the rear view mirror soon, and then on to other challenges....

I try to remind myself during challenging times for her--that this is one of the main benefits from being in this super hard sport. Learning how to deal with challenges and struggles. I know it sounds a little glib, but as a parent try to look at the moment as a time of learning versus a time of struggle....

As a parent, the ingredients you throw in the gymnastics equation are love, more love, sense of humor, healthy perspective, food, money, transportation, more love....

If no one has arranged dinner or lunch after the next meet for the girls, take that initiative. I bet 4 or 5 will show up. It's one of the highlights of every meet for our kids...
Yes! My 9&1/2 year old dance DD is a wonderful child 99% of the time. But that other 1%....watch out! I cannot believe how teen-dramaish/attitude problem she can be!
 
Yes! My 9&1/2 year old dance DD is a wonderful child 99% of the time. But that other 1%....watch out! I cannot believe how teen-dramaish/attitude problem she can be!
This might be part of it. DS, my almost 12 non gymnast, started about the same age.
 
It's interesting how things come & go in gymnastics. They get a skill & as a parent, we let out a sigh of relief & suddenly, they're struggling again! Ugh!! My dd still has her kip but suddenly the squat on is problematic...what?? She competed AAU 3 last year and did squat on jump to high bar every meet. During the summer, had the whole L4 bar routine down pat and now? Well, first meet is this Saturday and I'm not sure I'll even be able to watch bars at this point! Good luck to your dd getting that kip back. Giving her advice of writing down things to work on and talking to the coach is great advice.
 
Don't get me started on that FHS vault!!! In dd L4 season, she broke into the 9's ONCE! At the state meet, prior to that, 7's. It was awful...at the time. Now, in L7, it's a sweet memory of my baby girl's gymnastics journey! So, this too shall pass!
 
Level 4 stressed my DD out so much she went xcel this year :/ She actually lost her BHS for a while. Thankfully, she seems to be having fun though and has worked out whatever was bothering her. This is just a tough sport.
 
You are doing the right thing by pushing your daughter to speak to her coach about her gymnastics. We have been working on that in this house. DD is 10. I encourage her to make a list of talking points, call the coach herself, et cetera. It has been difficult. It started with a lot of prodding, but now I basically say, "It's your sport. You decide what you want you want to do." She has done well and, I feel, has strengthened her relationship with her coaches.

And I may have one few gray hairs today because of it ;)
 
Getting them to speak up for themselves is so hard - and its also hard for them to practice -often they don't know what they think. I am trying to give DD the reigns this year, even though I would love to step in for her. In the end, its part of their growing up. I do, however, check in with her HC occ. on my own - mostly to see if there is anything she feels I should be doing and to make sure we are on the same page (DD isn't sure what page she's on and it changes daily! Ah, puberty).

I do think its important to stay in the loop - DD was very comfortable with her previous coach, who loved being her "second mom" - a relationship that was not very healthy and even DD now is aware of the boundaries stepped over. So I'm a little more CGM this year...if only to protect her. Helps that this coach is completely different.
 

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