Parents Why Mommy can't wait until you hit puberty.

[cbifoja]

Total vent here....but I am so done with gym!

I'm tired of the long hours, the late dinners, the messy house that comes from lack of time at home. I'm sick of sitting in that lobby (don't start, it's not an option to not be there), the second job, the parents who drill me about what level their kid is or isn't (Why me???? I don't decide these things!).

I'm tired of dropping over $200 every two weeks for this or that gym related expense. I'm tired of rips, lost grips, washing leos, pulled muscles, and tendonitis. I'm tired of booster meetings and fundraising and organizing this or that. I'm tired of checking mailboxes, lost and found, and cubbies for notices and lost socks.

And it's not even meet season yet!!!! Then I'll be tired of sitting through an hour of open stretch before twenty minutes of warm up only to watch a one minute routine while sitting through 30 other routines in an uncomfortable chair or backless bleachers....praying and sweating through a beam routine (and me, an atheist!) and tensing during her giant (can my mind actually WILL her over those last few centimeters over the bar?). And trying to find a reasonably priced meal or hotel room in a strange city close to the meet venue. Oh, and you DO have an indoor pool, right?

I'm just a Grumpy Gurtie today.

 

[gymmomtoo]

wait until meet season and you'll love it again (at least I do!).

 

[MaryA]

You are assuming she will quit when she hits puberty?

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

I can totally relate to what you are saying! Can you explain what puberty has to do with it?

 

[cbifoja]

LOL....yeah, everyone says that a lot of gymmies lose interest when (as my daughter says) "they get puberty" so I guess I'm just kind of waiting to see if that happens with mine.

 

[MaryA]

Well, my DD is right in the middle of "getting puberty" and she shows no signs of being done with gym, but I suppose it still could happen.

 

[my4buffaloes]

The things we do for our kids!

 

[bogwoppit]

Mine both had to quit around 13, mostly for injuries. Do not wish for that!!

 

[gymmomtoo]

Personally, I like spending the money on the hours she spends at the gym. That's time I don't have to worry about boys or other things she might be doing

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

Personally, I like spending the money on the hours she spends at the gym. That's time I don't have to worry about boys or other things she might be doing

HAHA!!!! When people ask me if we do "so much gymnastics" because we want dd get a college scholarship... I tell them "no. I just want her to be too busy for girl drama and boyfriendss through high school!"

 

[cbifoja]

Well, my DD is right in the middle of "getting puberty" and she shows no signs of being done with gym, but I suppose it still could happen.

It cracks me up when my daughter says kids get puberty....like it's the flu or something! LOL

And I'm happy for you that your gymmie is still loving gym. I really don't hope that any gymmie begins to hate gym. I realize that puberty may or may not make a lick of difference and I would probably miss a lot of the positive things that come from gym when/if she does leave the sport. Like I said, I'm just grumpy and unpleasant today.

 

[cbifoja]

Mine both had to quit around 13, mostly for injuries. Do not wish for that!!

Oh no! I definitely don't want her to injure out of gym. I really don't even want her to quit given how much she still loves it. I'm just busy throwing myself a pity party today. THIS is what happens when I take a day off of work! I start thinking "what if" and "if only". I should go to work!

 

[cbifoja]

Personally, I like spending the money on the hours she spends at the gym. That's time I don't have to worry about boys or other things she might be doing

Not an invalid point! I'm not ready to think about what she might be doing with boys! She's still in the "wanting to beat them in contest" phase of her relationship with boys.

 

[LizzieLac]

"Getting puberty" has done nothing to make my DD want to quit gym. It has made her moodier (if that was possible), more of a slob around the house, more interested in clothes...and, I think it has made her a better gymnast! She got stronger and got a bunch of new skills. Life is just a bumpy road I guess.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

I feel for you. Hope this feeling passes for you!

 

[2G1B]

"Getting puberty" has done nothing to make my DD want to quit gym. It has made her moodier (if that was possible), more of a slob around the house, more interested in clothes...and, I think it has made her a better gymnast! She got stronger and got a bunch of new skills. Life is just a bumpy road I guess.

Wait, you mean that they get even messier and more interested in clothes??? If my girls get any messier or any pickier about clothes I might lose my mind!

 

[MaryA]

I don't like the amount of money we have to shell out, or never having a normal family dinner. And I have a love/hate relationship with meet season. But I do like...

Washing leos. I have to say I love seeing the line of colorful gym leos followed by a line of black dance leos hanging on the line in the basement. I was a fairly sedentary, bookish kid myself and these colorful reminders of my girls' active lifestyles make me happy.
Friday night "happies" with other gym parents before we head over to the gym to either collect our children or watch them during open gym.
The girls who have already "gotten puberty" and are such great role models for my daughter. I also appreciate that my daughter (only halfway through "getting puberty") has the opportunity to be a good role model for younger girls.
The fact that even though my daughter is not someone for whom gymnastics skills come quickly and easily, she is still there, every day, with no complaints, fighting for each new skill. Imagine you are an employer. Wouldn't you want to hire someone with that kind of work ethic?
The time management skills she has developed. She uses every spare moment at school to get her homework done.
The friendships she has developed. You can ask her about any girl on the team and ask "are you friends with xxx?" and her answer will be "yes" no matter what the level. She sees all of her fellow gymnasts as friends.
Catching quick peeks of the latest skills when I "accidentally" show up a little early for pick-up.
Getting to be a fly on the wall on the nights I drive carpool home... getting to hear the ups, downs, and general silliness of a carload of 10-13 year-old gymnasts.
Overnight hotel stays with just my daughter and I before or after a meet.
Buying her an insanely overpriced t-shirt from a really fun meet, or retiring an almost-worn-out overpriced meet shirt (or a "free" meet shirt) into the bin that is nearly full of them that I hope someday to have made into a quilt for her.

Don't get me wrong... I also fantasize about my daughter quitting gymnastics, but when she finally does, that will be a bittersweet moment for sure.

 

[BlairBob]

300$/Month babysitting fitness service for junior high and high school girls. Luckily there are typically only a handful of boys their ages in the gym as well.

M-F 4-8. Just gotta watch them on the weekend.

 

[UnoMas]

Lots of puberty going on here with tendonitis due to (another) growth spurt and no sign of quitting for my almost 13 yr old DD!

I feel your pain, though....I get tired of it all too but I see what wonderful kids my 3 gymmies are (a lot if that I attribute to gymnastics!) and then I take a deep breath, write out another check, and get back in the car(again!)

 

[skschlag]

300$/Month babysitting fitness service for junior high and high school girls. Luckily there are typically only a handful of boys their ages in the gym as well.

M-F 4-8. Just gotta watch them on the weekend.

I used to think the boys in the gym had it made come high school (well, if they had any time). I mean, really, a gym full of cute girls, what more could a boy want?

But now, I am realizing that because they all live at the gym, and see each other non-stop, that in a lot of ways they are like family. I know there are the occassional "crushes" but in reality, I think they all are just too familiar....