Tuesday, May 29, 2007

gymnastics

Hello Anonymous

Have you seen this with your gifted daughter?

In gymnastics Z does not enjoy herself as much nor will she try very hard if the class material is too easy. When she can coast, at least in that class, she does.

But when she is challanged she gets really energized. She was given the choice to be in an easier class with a friend or go into a more difficult class where she would be behind everyone else but where she would be expected to catch up and she easily chose the harder class.

Another example of her "rage to learn" in gymnastics is that last year she was taking a one hour class twice a week and after each class she would be so upset that it was over. She would complain "That wasn't an hour! That only felt like 15 minutes!"
So I changed and let her take the two classes back to back, so she was doing gymnastics for two hours straight (she was also with kids two year older than her then). She was really happy with that arrangement.

We took a break over the summer last year and when we came back I only put her in for one hour a week. But she would love to be there three days a week if she could.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are some similarities between our daughters. She loves the challenge that gymnastics gives her. She's talented, but not so much so that she can coast. They don't allow coasting! After one skill is mastered there are many, many more to learn! My daughter was in an advanced class when she was 7 and one day during the month of April she announced that she wanted to quit because it was "too easy". I was shocked because I thought she really enjoyed it. I told the gym owner that we were finished at the end of the school year and explained why when she asked. They asked her to stay through the summer, but invited her to be in an advanced class that was taught by the head coach. My daughter was thrilled about this so we went ahead and did it. At the end of the summer she was invited on to pre-team. She hasn't complained about it being too easy since! I'm not sure how old Z is since I just found your blog a few days ago through Mariposa's, but she could be at the same point my daughter was.

It's very helpful to read about the experience's of other Mom's with gifted daughters. It is so hard to talk to people because they look at me funny when I make comments...like her reading Shakespeare etc. I know you can relate! My daughter's 9 BTW. Thank you for blogging.

6:07 PM
Cher Mere said...

Hi Gym mom

Z goes to a non-competitive gym with a large variety of teaching styles in the teachers. She likes the one that teaches the more advanced students.

Z just turned six. She started gymnastics when she was two. She took a year off for dance and then this year she wasn't too serious about it. But now that she is in the advanced class she is more excited about it.

6:52 PM

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