Noelle,
You loved your first gymnastics class. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to keep looking for a school for you.
You’re two, right? We wanted to do open gym with you and just let you lead and find your interest and play with the equipment. That’s how two year old’s learn.
It doesn’t look like any school offers that, so we signed you up for the trial class.
It’s too bad that they make the class all about “staying in line” and “sharing” and “show your Tada!” and “do the stations in order” rather than just letting you follow your interests and experiment and have fun.
The “good job!” and “good girl!” stuff got REALLY tiring too.
Every. Twenty. Seconds.
Did that confuse you? It confused me too—we didn’t sign you up for a “job,” we signed you up for gymnastics. And doing things a certain way doesn’t make you a “good girl” or a “bad girl.”
It would be nice if adults who teach children would spend even 1% of their time learning how to do so. The world isn’t short on great books or great advice.
We’ll keep looking.
Love ya,
Dad
She is a natural for gymnastics…I hope you find something. Do they offer private lessons instead of group where you could find more of what you are seeking? I’m sure liability plays into a lot of the structured piece. Love the pics…can’t get enough! Grandpa said you can’t hug your iPad….says who?
I’m sure we could do private lessons somewhere, but those tend to be very expensive.
You may want to look for a creative movement class or, if you have a Romp N Roll in Atlanta, a more free-play “gymnastics” class there. It’s a shame that so many little kid (and big kid) activities are so rigid in their organization and execution.