Do you get bored?

[lovemylifex4]

I stay and watch most of Alexis' practices. She goes 3 times/week, 2.5 hours each time plus 1 45 minute private lesson. I LOVE watching! Of course, Rylee has her classes during that time too (well, they never overlap perfectly... but she has classes the same nights and she is only 4, so I couldn't just drop her off and leave) and 1 night/week Austin has his pre-team tumbling class during the girls practices and McKenzee Grace has hers 1 night/week too. I'm there about 13 hours/week. Occasionally we will drop Alexis off if I have to run somewhere really quick but that's pretty rare...

I love watching the kids!! Yes, it gets boring to watch conditioning... but usually I have another kid I can watch during that time And like I said, Rylee is only 4 so I can't really just drop her off at this age (although, she would be 100% fine, I'm sure).

 

[MdGymMom01]

I don't watch that much. In her 10 hrs a week of practice I might watch for the last 30 minutes or so. It was actually a treat yesterday because they did floor last so I got to see all the team's floor routines--they are all coming along nicely!

I don't watch too much of her ballet either--they actually are pretty strict about their viewing policy and say that it is very distracting to the dancers. They do allow you to watch about a minute or so, just so that you can see what they are learning. I may peek in during the last 5 minutes of the pointe training to see what they are doing, but that's it.

It actually does get a bit boring watching the same thing over and over.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I prefer to wait to see her until the meets. We can only watch certain days, the days the recreation classes are there and those days the lobby is so crazy and crowded. I sometimes get there early for pick up and will try to see her but then I get distracted talking to another parent and I forget to watch her!

 

[standsonherhands]

I like to watch when they are trying new skills, but generally just watching isn't much fun for me (especially conditioning). I do enjoy passing time talking to other parents, and sometimes the down-time is nice. I try to watch a part of most practices because dd asks me to stay. After a full day of school, and 4 hours of practice, I don't get to see her much unless I watch. I mostly go to make her happy and let her know I care.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

ds requests me not to watch him...unless he specifically asks me to. He's a 9 year old melodramatic diva...and I have told him time and again that he missed his calling and should go into acting! (lol)

when my preschool son is there, it is the first hour of my dd's practice...so, I stay and take him with me when he's done and then go back and get my dd. Sometimes it works out that my dh is off work when whichever gymmie is done and then I do the drop off and go home and he brings the gymmie home. Doesn't always work out, and it is a long drive for us...over an hour round trip. I can only do so much shopping...as another poster mentioned...it's hazardous to the checkbook (lol) and sometimes I can go to my mom's and stay during the time, but I do like to watch when I can.
Seems like there are always booster club/team things that need to be done, too, and I can work on that stuff while I'm there.

tonight I didn't watch at all because I wasn't feeling well. Dd comes running out and says, "guess what? I can vault over the table!!" (she's a level4- they almost NEVER uptrain, but since there's only one meet left in November, they have been trying new skills out.) Not only that, but she can now do an aerial cartwheel, her cast back squat on jump to high bar, her kip is back and she can do cartwheels on the beam. She also told me she can do her flyaway with just the coach standing by her, and she climbed the rope past the 12 foot mark without her legs. She was so excited she was bouncing up and down all the way home in the car-and that's for 1/2 an hour. She, obviously, enjoyed the uptraining...

Man, did I pick the wrong night not to watch or what!?

 

[cher062]

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?

Well watching the conditioning is boring because nothing much happens but when they are working skills I love to watch and don't think it's boring at all. I love to see my DD get her skills and see the progress over the course of the season (guess it's that teacher in me).

I don't stay too often as this gym and our old gym had a viewing (or should I say not viewing) policy for team. Every now and then I will stay for the whole time and watch maybe 10 or 15 min in each event. I have to say when I do this I also watch the other girls too. I think it really bonds the parents too that come at the end for the last 30 min or so and watch. I know I get just as excited when one of the other girls do well as i do for my own DD.

So am I board? No more than any other parent watching their child do any other sport. The boring part for me actually is the meets. spend half a day at the meet for about 5 min of actual time for your DD to be on the floor. There is alot of down time there. And the awards cermonies can some times be longer than the meet - especially when they give awards right down to last place (don't get me started on my soap box on that one)

Over all I find it very exciting

 

[Gymdad2]

Cher,

You are so right about the meets! By the time you drive for an hour or more, wait through warmups, watch as you say about 5 minutes of competion for your dd, sit though multiple levels of awards to maybe see your dd on the podium for a few seconds, and then drive that hour or so back you have spent an entire day. So why do we do it?

 

[flipper's fan]

Because those 5 minutes are too good to miss.