Parents I know it's normal, but I can still be frustrated

[NGL780309]

I know this is normal and I know plenty of you will have a similar story, but I just have to vent and let out my frustration.

I posted a few weeks back that DD was struggling with her kip. Basically she made some very easily and then couldn't do any for a long time. Finally last week the kip came back and I posted my proud brag on here. She made them 2 practices in a row and now she's back to NONE! She couldn't make one the entire week of practice and it was so frustrating!

I know I shouldn't be frustrated and she'll get it. I know she's only 6 and won't compete Level 5 until January of 2012 at the very earliest. I know she's only been working on it for 2 months and that's a very short time and I'm expecting too much, but I'm still frustrated either way. I'd feel less frustrated if she at least made 1 or 2 out of the gazillion attempts, but no, not even 1. AHHHHHHH!

Despite that frustration she has had a very good week at gym. Well I forgot to add that her teammate split the beam really badly on a cartwheel on Monday and then my DD got scared to do any cartwheels on the high beam. She was on the beam with that girl when she fell and it scared my DD. The strange thing to me is that my DD has split the beam on a cartwheel the same way and got right back up after some tears and did another cartwheel, yet watching her friend scared her more. Weird.

Okay, back to the positives. DD's tumbling has gotten so good! She's been doing 2 and 3 BHS for awhile, but they are just now starting to look really good and powerful and clean. I actually couldn't believe it was her. She still throws in a junky looking one sometimes, but huge improvements there. She also is getting better and better on her FHS. Her dive roll is actually "diving" finally. And best of all, they vaulted on the table last night and she looked really good. She had a spot, but seriously 2 weeks ago she couldn't even vault with a spot. She'd just crumple on the table. And despite her kip woes, her bars are looking great. She has a really nice squat on with her knees together and she's connecting everything on the low bar as long as she has a little spot on the kip.

One of teammates finally seems to have gotten her kip to stick. She did them at one practice 3 weeks ago and then nothing. Then she did only 1 last week. She couldn't do any on Monday and finally she made a lot the rest of the week. So maybe there's hope for DD!

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

She WILL get it. The kip is the first "real" big skill the girls need for bars. It comes and goes for a few months and then all of a sudden, you turn around and she'll be doing them consistently each and every time. If I remember correctly, I remember when my DD did her first kip... it was spring time, there were cheers all around from the coaches and her teammates... then... nothing....!!! Argh!!! Needless to say, she had them consistently by the time competition season rolled around that fall.

 

[justanothergymmom]

Normal...yes, and frustrating...YES! To be even close to a kip at her age is amazing and to have even made some, even more so. It WILL come back. Hang in there...

 

[mariposa]

I hate to tell you this, but my DD got her kip when she was 6, made some really pretty ones and had it consistent for awhile. Then they got not so pretty, then she "lost it", then it came back. She still comes home now (at 8) and will say she lost her kip! Grips messed them up for awhile, then she gave up on grips. It has been an up and down battle. It can be frustrating, but that is gymnastics!! I have found that not watching helps a TON. I only know what goes on if she complains about it, which usually she doesn't. Hang in there, gymnastics is a bumpy ride!!

 

[NGL780309]

I have found from most people I've talked to that kips can take awhile to get really consistent, so I know she's not all the unusual in terms getting it and then losing it. I'm just not a patient person by nature. When she made them so quickly it was very exciting and then disappointing when they were lost again for a few weeks and then I was super excited when her kip was back and I thought it was for real this time and now it just feels like she's back at square one. I'm just trying to focus on the positives. It always helps to know that she's not alone. In the end when she finally does get it forever, it'll be something for her to look back on and be proud of.

 

[lhmom]

I know what you mean. DD still has another year of L4 and I am thankful for that, especially watching her work on the kip. It will probably take her another year to get it consistently. Good luck to your girl! Sounds like the rest is coming along nicely.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

I can definitely imagine how frustrated you are. I know it will take time, but I am sure she will eventually get it for good. Congrats on all of her other accomplishments though, it sounds like she really is making great progress despite the kip issues!

 

[mtbmom]

I agree it is FRUSTRATING... Took my DD a year to get an ugly kip. It took 6 months at the new gym to get a consistent, pretty kip. It is a very tough skill. Mariposa gave great advice not to watch. I'll add to that do NOT ask her if she got it. Believe it or not, that adds a lot of pressure. Just wait for her to tell you the good news.

 

[Sunobo]

Dd's kip comes and goes depending on how tired she is that day and if bars is first or last practice of the day. Some days it's pretty and some days it looks like she just learned it. She tends to rush her kip according to what her coach told her. Anyway, it can be frustrating but I learned after it taking 3 years for dd to get her FHC that eventually it will arrive for good and until then she just applauds the successes and learns from the misses.

 

[NGL780309]

I agree it is FRUSTRATING... Took my DD a year to get an ugly kip. It took 6 months at the new gym to get a consistent, pretty kip. It is a very tough skill. Mariposa gave great advice not to watch. I'll add to that do NOT ask her if she got it. Believe it or not, that adds a lot of pressure. Just wait for her to tell you the good news.

I never ask her about it because I'm always there to see bars. They always do it last and if I miss part of practice it's always the first 2-3 hours. We live to far to go home so I usually drop off, get dinner, go the park and then come back. I've tried very hard not to make a big deal about it even when she gets upset.

 

[DbacksMom75]

Been there...done that! lol
This past year dd has been working on getting her robhs and standing bhs. She would get and hit it consistent during practice and then it would be gone. About a week ago it just clicked! I think with the younger ones it's just repitition until it becomes muscle memory and they feel confident doing it.
I got frustrated to but they get it eventually!

 

[Megley]

Gymnastics in general is frustrating. This won't be the first skill you and she will be frustrated over. Some skills just take a long time to get and the kip is one of them. My dd "got" her kip when she was 6, but it took a good six or seven months for her to be able to straight arm kip right into a front hip circle, as well as do a long hang kip into a decent cast, for Level 5 bars. I'm not particularly patient either, but there's really no rushing these skills. Better for her to get the skill correctly and have it take a little longer, than to have to spend a bunch of time trying to fix a bent armed kip. She will get her kip in time and then you will be on to fretting about the next skill - probably the free hip, another frustrating skill that takes a long time to get.

 

[NGL780309]

I think the kip might be here to stay! I'm hesitant to type that and jinx her, but after finally getting it back last week, she has made almost every kip this week. She may have missed 1 or 2 total, but she has been doing so well on it since I last posted. This has been a huge relief to mommy and she has been very excited. They are varying degrees of pretty at the moment, but I don't care! Because she was already connecting the low bar portion of the routine wih only a light spot on the kip she has been able to connect it by herself now pretty easily. On a few she paused a little before her FHC, but most looked very good. So hopefully you won't have to read another post with me whining about he kip! I will now move on to whining about her vault.

 

[lilgymmie7]

I think the kip might be here to stay! I'm hesitant to type that and jinx her, but after finally getting it back last week, she has made almost every kip this week. She may have missed 1 or 2 total, but she has been doing so well on it since I last posted. This has been a huge relief to mommy and she has been very excited. They are varying degrees of pretty at the moment, but I don't care! Because she was already connecting the low bar portion of the routine wih only a light spot on the kip she has been able to connect it by herself now pretty easily. On a few she paused a little before her FHC, but most looked very good. So hopefully you won't have to read another post with me whining about he kip! I will now move on to whining about her vault.

YAY DD!! I wish I could see my DD's bar work now. She keeps telling me the cool things she is working on. I always called her the 'handstand queen' and I did catch an awesome straddle cast hs on the bar. Your DD just opened so many doors by nailing that kip. It's amazing how these girls evolve.