The Parenting Road

By Gail Troussoff Marks

Understanding the benefits of sports and physical activity is the beginning, but making it all happen for your children is the challenge. How often have parents wanted to stay in bed on Saturday morning and plunk their restless children in front of the TV instead of getting out the door to gymnastics class? There are the nagging parental questions of how many activities to schedule, how hard to push your child, or not to push at all. At gymnastics, parents evolve from being a participant with their toddler, to watching from a crowded lobby, to handing the car keys over to their high school student so they can drive themselves to practice. Its a journey that probably endured a number of bumps in the road.
The parents sitting in the lobby today watching their children in gymnastics class are in the midst of the day-to-day experiences those bumps when your child makes you proud one moment and furious the next. Your nerves are frayed but thankfully the instructors patience takes over and soon your child is swinging on the rope with glee. Children are unpredictable and come with unique personalities. Occasionally children who have talked about gymnastics class all week arrive at the gym and refuse to go into warm-up. Likewise, who would have anticipated that the timid child who was scared of the trampoline would now play on a state champion soccer team or that the impetuous girl who couldnt stay with her class when she was three years old would be winning gymnastics medals?
Once your child graduates from the 2-year-old class, your appreciation of gymnastics comes through observing from the lobby. The gym lobby is a place to make friends, to do homework with siblings, or if you are lucky, catch up on some reading. It can be a place to catch ones breath after a delivering a vanload of loud youngsters to class or it can be a noisy sea of parents, nannies and siblings. It is a place where all types of parenting skills are on display.
Gymnastics teaches children basic movement skills that they can use throughout life and in any sport they choose. Childrens energy is channeled in class, giving them an outlet and a sense of mastery. Kids build confidence and healthy habits. So, congratulate yourselves parents on your commitment to building strong, active kids and look forward to the day that you can stay home while they drive to practice.