Do you get bored?

[Coacharella]

Parents, do you get bored when watching your daughter/son?
I think sitting there watching the kids work similar skills day to day must be... well.....borrrriing?? Am I right? Obviously supporting your kids must feel good, but I think that gymnastics would be boring, as it is a long road to perfecting even one skill. Am I wrong? Or, do you love it?

 

[Gymnasticgrandkids]

Only bored when it comes to conditioning...that is not interesting at all, but I know it is definitely worthwhile.

 

[bogwoppit]

I don't watch, seeing the same thing over and over is boring. I've had kids in the gym for 11 years, I can always find things to do.

Plus I love seeing them at meets with the huge improvements they have made.

 

[clrmom]

I don't find it boring, really. I enjoy watching. I do spend some of the time talking to other parents though. I will say that it is nice when they work on something new, but out of all the sports my kids have done (dd is the youngest), gymnastics is one that I don't mind watching.

 

[UnoMas]

I love watching my kids, as well as all the other girls on the team too. I don't love to watch beam because they do the same leap passes over and over....but I always enjoy watching bars and floor, and vault too.

 

[MaryA]

The only day that practice goes late enough that I can watch is Friday. I do like seeing the progress, but I admit, it's mostly social time. Generally several of us sit in the lobby area (it's a YMCA) where we can see into the gym and still chat (after a trip to the coffee shop down the street). And my daughter likes it when I'm there, so I get "good mommy" points along with some grownup conversation, a cup of coffee, and maybe a scone! Can't beat that!

 

[Coacharella]

Yea definetely gymnastics is the best sport to watch (biased opinion, but I love love love it for life).

But I mean.. every practice do you watch? Like sit there 3/4 hours at a time, every single practice, don't you ever get bored? (if you do this..)

 

[UnoMas]

But I mean.. every practice do you watch? Like sit there 3/4 hours at a time, every single practice, don't you ever get bored? (if you do this..)

I do not watch every single practice, no. I do stay once a week for the whole 3-4 hours...and that's because my girls get dropped off AND leave at different times. So, once a week I just stay and watch because it is easier than driving back and forth! And, I enjoy keeping up with what they are doing...sometimes I feel like it's the only way I get to see them!

 

[clrmom]

My dd's practices are only 2 hours at a time. I do usually stay the whole time with the occasional day that I might run an errand or two. As she starts staying longer, I will be more likely to leave. The only times it bugs me to watch are on the "practice-before-a-meet" days when the floor music plays over and over and over...

That doesn't mean I watch the whole 2 hours (I might read or socialize part of the time), but I am usually there. As far as the same skills over and over...each class there is improvement in those skills and I find that fun to watch. I do look forward to seeing the girls learn new skills once competition season is over though.

 

[Kiwi]

I love watching my DD practice, but I am also chatting to the other mums at the same time. Also, she only trains for 2 hours twice a week, and I only get to see about 30 to 45 minutes of one of those training sessions per week. I think probably I would get bored if I was watching 3 to 4 hours several times a week.

 

[NotAMom]

I love to watch but do it only about once a month for a couple of hours.

 

[MarR99]

It seems that the first 20 to 30 minutes of my DD's workout is always stretching/warm ups so I never want to watch that. I try to come a little early at the end of her workouts to watch but at this point of the season she is not really working on anything really new and exciting. She is just trying to perfect the skills she needs for her competitions. I like talking with the parents but staying for the whole 3 to 4 hours she is training is not an option. I would go crazy! Besides, the coach does not really want us there anyways.

 

[mariposa]

I don't stay and watch my DD anymore. She is there 3+ hours a day 4 days a week. No way I could sit there that many hours a week. I usually come the last 15-30 minutes once a week and a few times I might go for the last hour on a Friday because the gym is quiet then.

I have another kid and I don't think it is fair to her to spend that much time a week there either. We drop of my gymmie, go home, cook dinner, grocery shop, do art/crafts, play outside, etc. So many things that we get done, I just can't imagine sitting there the whole time.

And I do think that watching every practice gets boring. I notice so much more when I haven't seen her, especially since they don't have a set schedule, so I never know what event I will see when I get there to pick her up. I hadn't seen vault in forever and just tonight got there in time to see her vault over the table once.

 

[Pogo]

Since my dd has been in the sport for 16 years, we gradually went from watching all of each and every practice to not even watching practice at all. Of course, at the beginning, it was only 6 hours a week, but as it gradually built up to 21 hours a week, we simply couldn't afford the time. Also, once she could drive herself to gym, there really was no need for us to hang around. Furthermore, as our daughter grew older, we were able to allow her greater independence.

Nowadays, the only time we get to see practice is when her school posts a youtube. At least we get to see her meets either streaming online or on TV.

 

[Galadriel]

I used to years ago, but yes it is boring, and i could be getting on with other things and it is a good time to spend quality time with other kids and husband who felt left out because i was 'never there'
Much much better relationships with other family members since i stopped staying. (and got into a carpool situation!)

 

[flipper's fan]

I have never been able to attend and watch all the practices. However, when I do stay I am rarely bored. The only things that I have found boring in gymnastics are compulsory meets, usually level 4 or 5, where there is a huge number of gymnasts and it's usually uncomfortable too, and really long awards ceremonies with long breaks between the meet and the beginning. The worst one was seven hours for a level 7 meet from beginning of warm ups (4PM) to end of awards(10PM).

 

[nettyinpa]

I don't stay nearly as much as I used to. Mostly because my son has karate 2-3 times a week at the same time she's at the gym. When I do watch I never find it boring, especially now that she's in the optional levels and the music's not the same, over, and over again. Unless they're conditioning. Lately, since she had the knee injury, I rarely was in the gym 1-2 hours/week (she's there almost 20hrs/week). A lot of times, while she was restricted, I'd take her out early. Now, I practically have to drag her out of there!

 

[Jennemmy]

Out of the 12 hours, at least 8 of it has me sitting in the waiting area. I watch very little of it. Most of the time I chat with other parents, work on homework with youngest and I always have a stack of books to read. Our optionals work out at the same time and it is fun to watch them as they work on their new routines and skills. I used to spend the practice time running errands but I was spending an extra $200+ a week at the grocery, mall or starbucks. It took me a while to figure out why my food budget was so high. On nice days, parents at our gym walk. A cheap way to pass time. We are planning on moving closer to the gym when the housing market rebounds which will let me drop off without needing to stay.

 

[gym law mom]

At 20 hours/week of practice, I just drop her and leave. I may come in to watch an hour or so of practice on Saturday, but thats it.

 

[Gymdad2]

I'm with Pogo and Gymlawmom,

Now that dd has her driver's license and car there is no need to go to the gym. I stop in once or twice a month just to say hi and check the mailbox, but other than that I never go.