Parents Vent/rant about munchkins out of control at meets (and gym!)

[AGM78910]

Munchkins are the adorable younger siblings/friends of competing gymnasts. However, a lot of the time their behavior is not so cute. I have had my nachos stepped in, camera knocked over, and have tripped over them. I have listened to the wailing of overtired toddlers who could care less about big sister/brother after 3 hours at a meet. There were times I could not hear announcements or floor music. I have seen them climb large stacks of mats and equipment after they and their parents were told not to and signs were posted. (Way dangerous!) Please. please, please get a sitter for these little guys! They will be much happier at home and you will be able to enjoy the meet and so will everyone sitting around you in the audience.

At gym they have run out onto the vault runway during vault practice, climbed on beams during beam practice, and bounced on the trampoline during the gymnasts workouts. They distract the gymnasts and the coaches. In one instance, the kids were told to go play on the trampoline by the parents. The owners have clearly posted rules and the gym area is roped off from the viewing area but that doesn't seem to make a difference.

 

[NGL780309]

I agree about that 100%. I have not taken my youngest DD to her sister's meets. Mostly because there's just no way I could deal with her and stress about the meet. I do have to bring her to the gym 2 of the 3 days DD practices, but she's pretty good. I typically take her to the park or somewhere to play for the first 1.5 hours. Then we sit for the rest of practice. On bad weather days we are stuck there the entire practice. I work really hard at entertaining her though and try to not let her bother anyone. She's little and pretty quiet and calm. I get compliments on how quiet she is. Hopefully they aren't lying to me! If she starts crying I take her outside. I get so annoyed though with this one family who brings their daughter who is like 3 and she is so bad and so loud. She runs up and down the viewing area with other kids and screams and makes tons of noise. She spills food everywhere, she fights with other kids, she is very badly behaved. When this child is here then my child of course wants to run around and act like a wild animal too. I get really irritated too because I'll bring snacks and drinks for my DD, the nongymnast one, and this child will just take over the snacks and eat them. If you haven't learned from my earlier posts, I'm not one to say anything. So what can I do? I just let the kid eat my DD's food and feel annoyed. Sometimes I'll say something to the kid like, "She's really hungry so I don't think she wants to share" hoping the mother will hear and make her kid quit begging, but no such luck. And don't even get me started on this girl taking over my DD's toys. She'll come and tell me that my DD isn't sharing. Well, she's only 1yo and it's the only thing we have with us to play with so I don't really care. Bring your own toys.

Sorry for the rant, but you hit a nerve with that one. I know if I have the right to bring my child, they have the right to bring theirs, but geez control your child. I don't let her run around mainly because there are stairs, but also because it's annoying to other people. My child isn't a perfect angel, she's had a rough night or two, but she's mostly very quiet.

 

[NewtoGym]

Bad news: Kids are everywhere! Especially at kids gymnastics meets! lol. Seriously, though young kids can be annoying to some, parents can be distracted or focused on the their gymmie and not their toddler, but try to remember that this is a sport filled with kids, for kids, about kids. We have all been irritated with rambuncious kids, but try to remember they are just kids and most parents are doing the best that they can. I don't have any little munchkins, but I remember when I did! My youngest is now 7. Try to not become the grumpy old man (or woman)!

 

[misssmartypants]

Oh I had to laugh! We have moms that brings the toddlers/ babies to meets, and ignore them. A little guy is crawling down a hall, and going under the vendor tables pulling stuff down. I point this out to mom, but I got a shrug, and "he's just exploring his world!"...Then the young ones whose mom ignore them (she tunes all her kids out)while they are all over the place, telling her they have to potty, and cant hold it. Pee-pee dance didnt get her attention, so out it came.Or the one gymnast at a meet, who had to get her baby sis off the mat, and tell her mom to watch her better. My Auntie is old school and gave the "look" to one little kid for being out of control...oh that poor little thing! lol...behaved for the last 30 minutes! Its not being grumpy or kid hatin. Its a matter of safety. And at a meet, those girls are under pressure and it can be distracting and they could hurt themselves. Or, the ignored babies/toddlers could get hurt. At practice, the little ones there are generally good. But they are also not the ones that go to meets.

 

[Galadriel]

I must say I find it is a common problem..

Frustrating usually and stressful for the parents who bring them, and also for the parents who are getting annoyed by them!

The prime consideration is obviously safety, and we have had the same issues with kids getting onto stored equipment that has been put out of the way for the meet. We went to one meet where a toddler fell down the steps of the tiered seating.

My youngest were always the low attention, hyper kids, so I ended up going to watch while dad stayed at home and minded them.
If at all possible it would be better to keep little ones away i think if they are going to be 'pests' - either that or be up and down like a yo-yo to keep them out of trouble or if they start to cry etc, but it is not always possible for the parent to organise this!

The parents who just ignore them and let them get on with it are definitely annoying!

 

[Gymdad2]

When we put on a meet we include a playroom for little siblings with a couple of volunteers as sitters/monitors. It really helps with the excess energy and/or boredom that the little ones may have and it frees up mom/dad to enjoy the meet. It has been a successful addition to our meets and we have had some very positive feedback from parents about it. It can be added to your meet advertisement or website and it may help attrach more gyms to your meet.

 

[Monkeygirlsmom]

I am the parent that has no choice to bring youngest dd , tho If I am paying attn to my older kids , the other moms and dads at our gym do help me with her so I can see my other kids !! (I would not get to see my other kids and they would be crushed!!)
I do not let her run around and if she does I am right after her. At the gym the older girls are all over her taking her when they are getting there break and then I get her rightback!! (all the coaches know I am the first to tell the girls to get back!! but the coaches are also ones who are just as excited to have dd in the gym. I cannot stand tho when parents are not being a parent!!

 

[Monkeygirlsmom]

When we put on a meet we include a playroom for little siblings with a couple of volunteers as sitters/monitors. It really helps with the excess energy and/or boredom that the little ones may have and it frees up mom/dad to enjoy the meet. It has been a successful addition to our meets and we have had some very positive feedback from parents about it. It can be added to your meet advertisement or website and it may help attrach more gyms to your meet.

What a great idea!! tho I admit I am VERY Picky about who watches my kiddo!!

 

[MdGymMom01]

When we put on a meet we include a playroom for little siblings with a couple of volunteers as sitters/monitors. It really helps with the excess energy and/or boredom that the little ones may have and it frees up mom/dad to enjoy the meet. It has been a successful addition to our meets and we have had some very positive feedback from parents about it. It can be added to your meet advertisement or website and it may help attrach more gyms to your meet.

And you know what?? I would even be willing to pay an extra $5.00 fee for this extra service!!! Of course, I would check in on him during rotations, but knowing that there was a "supervised playroom" would ease some of the stress. My son is 9 and I will sometimes bring him to meets. He has his PSP or DS to play with so he is usually pretty occupied and doesn't cause problems (just the occasional "Mommy, can I have some money to get some food" a few times during the session).

 

[Azgymmiemom]

gulp...I am having to drag my 4..almost 5 year old boy to my dd's meet this sat and I am dreading it!!! My dh works every sat, and usually my wonderful, fantastic mom keeps him so I have never had to bring him to a meet. Unfortunately, my ds's states meet is the same day as my dd's meet...over an hour away from each other at practically the same time! So mom volunteered to take my son and cheer for him (closer, and no hair do to worry about, lol!) and I get to drive over an hour away and bring my little guy with me. We have a bag packed with snacks and various video games. I am hoping it keeps him entertained...but I will not hesitate to take him outside if he gets antsy. There will be plenty of other parents there to video and cheer for my dd if need be. I think the supervised play area is an AWESOME idea...gonna remember that one for our next hosted meet...

 

[maddiemei]

My 8 yr DD has to come and she is bored to tears. She hates coming to practice and to meets, but she has to. My husband has to work. I try to make sure she has plenty of stuff to keep her busy. Her DS is awesome and one of her friends at the gym has an IPOD.

It does bother me when parents aren't paying attention to their kids. Case in point at practice one of the little brothers was actually climbing on the door and swinging on it. The parents were just standing there having a conversation. I saw the mom look over a couple of times at her kid, but didn't say anything. This same child at the last meet we were at was climbing around in a decoration that had sprinklers at the hotel. The kid actually broke the sprinkler head. Water went flying everywhere. It was actually kind of funny since we don't go to their gym any more and the parents are just as obnoxious as the kid .

A room for siblings at meets would be awesome. I would gladly pay $5 or so for her to be able to go and do something while I'm trying to watch her sister compete. It will be reversed though when 8 yr DD starts her softball games. My gymmie DD is already bored to tears if she has to go to practice. I guess it's an even trade.

 

[cher062]

I agree 100%. I don't have a problem with siblings but really they don't want to be in a seat for 3 - 4 hours at a meet. It's boring for them and the normally great kid can become a monster. I was at a meet once that these 3 kids that seemed to be in the 3 - 6 range were impossible!! we were in bleachers and the parents just let them run around anywhere. They were up and down constantly in and out of the bleachers. I finally stopped the kids on one of their trips in and said It's about time you guy stayed put. The parent turned to me and told me to mind my own business I told her I was as i wanted to watch my DD with out her unrully kids in my way. I told her that is what the loft area is for so kids can run around without bothering others. How about watching your kids and keep them under control. All the parents around me clapped and agreed - that mom was then embarrased grabbed her kids and went to the loft where she should have been to begin with.

Really though that is what Babysitters are for. You hire one they take your kids for the time you need them to be cared for and you can go and actually enjoy the meet. Heck when my DD was young and we were going to my son's meets I knew then why grandparents were invented. IF she did come to a meet we came prepared with a bag of activites she could do when she was bored. From Crayons, coloring books, video games, DVD players for movies, dolls, etc. What ever I knew would entertain her and keep her quiet. If she started to get fidgety we would do the walk to the snack area where she could run around a bit have a small bite to eat and not be a bother to anyone.

I don't believe anyone must bring a sibling unless you are heading out on vacation right after the meet or something like that. Leave the siblings home with a trusted sitter (family friend, grandparents, aunts, uncles, trusted neighbor, there must be someone you can use to care for your children you just have to ask them.)

 

[my4buffaloes]

Having 4 kids myself, one who has some issues, I know how hard it is. When my dd started competing my younger 2 were 3 and 5. It was really hard. Now, we have made the decision not to let my other kids miss their activities for dd's meets. This means they rarely go. We try to all go to the really close ones and usually take 2 cars. This way my dh can just show up as it is starting and leave "when her feet hit the floor on her last event" (as my son said the night of the super bowl). it is working better. I did have to take them to the first meet of the season and it was an 8 hour affair! I just brought lots to do and bribed them a little. I don't do that often, so it worked pretty well. I can't stand it when parents let their kids run wild, but honestly that has been us at times. I just do the best I can.

 

[mariposa]

While I agree that parents should control their kids if they bring them to a meet (drives me crazy, too!) or practice, I do not agree that they do not belong at the meet at all. We don't use babysitters and don't have family that could watch them either. We take our kids everywhere with us and always have. My youngest has always been brought to meets (and even if she could stay home with dad, she likes to come with me) and she behaves. I bring lots of snacks and things for her to do and she watches and plays. In between rotations we get up and go outside to refresh and stretch those legs. Same thing if we have to stay during practice.

We have a few parents that let their kids (even babies!) roam the gym during practice and it is very irritating. They expect every other parent (or child) to watch their kid for them and it is just rude. It also bugs me when a child is crying or throwing a tantrum and parent doesn't take them outside. I don't like hearing kids scream and I am sure no one wants to hear mine scream. I always took her outside to get some fresh air and calm down without everyone else having to listen to her. Just common (though apparently not so common!) courtesy.

 

[Mariainlv]

I can understand the annoyance at crying babies/unruly toddlers etc. Where I disagree is with the leave them at home statement. Not an option for us. I don't view my children as annoyances and very rarely leave them anywhere. (My husband and I have not been out to dinner alone since my son was born.. He is 6) We go everywhere as a family. I would not count DDs gym meet as an emergent time when I needed to leave my kids.

Kids cry, dogs bark. Its what they do, its part of life.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

I leave my younger kids, 2 and 4, at home with dad or grandma. They don't want to go nor can they be required to sit and behave for four hours. It seems unkind to them, us, the other competitors so we don't do it. Sometimes our four year old goes when she wants to come watch. I find many younger kids are brought and leave their parents alone but will want other adults to play with them. I don't mind but unless my DD is up. However, why bring them and just ignore them. That seems wrong.

 

[lilgymmie7]

I have always believed in the fact that ALL family members attend sport or school functions as support. However from early on, my children have been expected to sit, watch, and to be considerate of all others around them. My kids as babies may have 'wailed' but I always took them elsewhere to calm them down. What ussually happened was that they napped during the meet/function, etc. I don't know what it was with my babies, but they slept better with noise than when it was too quite. I guess I was just lucky! My son to this day reminds my oldest, 18 yo, "I went to ALL of your meets. You HAVE to come see me wrestle!" Right he is, at least in my book! Family is an individuals first support group! That is my opinion and belief however. I know it doesn't work for all.

 

[AGM78910]

We went to a meet that had a supervised bounce house and TV for the dads tuned to the football game. Loved it!

 

[3stars]

I'm from the same school of thought as Lilgymmie7. My sons come to all of their sister's meets just as she is expected to attend all of their soccer games, etc. How will they learn to behave at them if they are never exposed to it? I pack a ton of snacks and activities and yes there is some whining, but they sit in their seat or in someone's lap (meaning my husband, parents, or mine).

 

[Mariainlv]

I have always believed in the fact that ALL family members attend sport or school functions as support. However from early on, my children have been expected to sit, watch, and to be considerate of all.

This ^^^!

Said much better than I can!