DD is interested in gymnastics but I’m hesitant…

[Anonymous]

She's just 6. Let her try it. If she ever gets to the point where you need to have a conversation about whether she should continue on a competition track, you can have that conversation then.

My 11 year old recently took up diving. A lot of the kids are crossover athletes from gymnastics. The body awareness and moves that it helps kids develop, give them a huge advantage, and those kids make progress incredibly quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there any concern over physical development for young children taking gymnastics classes? DD is almost 6 and is interested and my only concern is that if she ends up really liking it and continuing, it would stunt her growth. She’s naturally tall and skinny. Is this not true? Or is this a valid concern? Sorry, I know nothing about gymnastics which is probably evident by this question. I know a couple of adult women who did gymnastics through HS and college and both have the traditional gymnastics body type and experienced infertility….

You seriously think letting your 6-year-old try gymnastics is going to make her short and infertile?? Wow. Your real problem is your anxiety. My kids (same age) are trying gymnastics. I fully expect they will be terrible at it and will never make it to the competitive level (they have some pre-existing conditions that make that unlikely). But I am seriously not worried that they are going to stunt their growth or become infertile. Good Lord, find some real problems to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She's just 6. Let her try it. If she ever gets to the point where you need to have a conversation about whether she should continue on a competition track, you can have that conversation then.

My 11 year old recently took up diving. A lot of the kids are crossover athletes from gymnastics. The body awareness and moves that it helps kids develop, give them a huge advantage, and those kids make progress incredibly quickly.

This. Gymnastics is a great base for many sports, and it is excellent for athletic development in general. If she is tall, she is not going to be highly competitive at it any way. And it would be a few years before the issues you are concerned with present themselves.

I understand the concern. It’s the reason I wouldn’t want my son to do wrestling even though he is ideally suited for it. (Fortunately, he hasn’t expressed interest to date.) But a few years of gymnastics classes are fundamental (just like play wrestling). And, of course, you can avoid gymnastics and still get the eating disorder….

[Anonymous]

I would absolutely let me DD do gymnastics! I did gymnastics recreationally as a child and loved it. It doesn't stunt your growth or make you infertile! (No offense, OP, but that sounds a little crazy.) I'm guessing that .005% of six-year-olds who take a gymnastic class go on to become seriously competitive gymnasts, where you may need to worry about something.

If your six-year-old boy wanted to play baseball, would you stop him out of fear of steroids?

[Anonymous]

So, she never even had a lesson and you are worried about it stunting her growth?
Talk about getting ahead of yourself!

[Anonymous]

My son at the same age took a gymnastics class at a local chain place before it was disrupted by covid.

Now at 7.5 he's into piano and lacrosse. Don't think that what they do now, they will do forever. Do it if you think it's good for them at this age. I thought my son needed to work on his physical coordination and it was a good choice. He's since moved on.

I'd let her do it, see how it goes, and make decisions from there. GL.

[Anonymous]

6 year old girls want to take gymnastics. That's totally normal and typical and healthy. She probably wants to learn how to do a cartwheel and a back handspring and it sure looks like a ton of fun to flip around on the uneven bars!

It's totally understandable to have concerns about a child entering high level competitive gymnastics. 6 year old beginner lessons are not that.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is 6 and we've just done two rounds with Silver Stars, the closest option for us. She has always been a tumbler and a climber (furniture, playground, crawled out of her crib at 18 mos.) and it just seemed to be a natural fit. She is tall and muscular. We outgrew Power Tots and wanted to try this as a way to get back in this fall. It is OK. She gets to experiment with all the equipment, and it's physical activity, but she doesn't seem to love it and the instruction and groups don't seem conducive to bonding or friendship, so she doesn't feel the need to continue (I have no clue who the teachers are, or their names, so just a disconnect all-around). She is most excited about learning handstands and cartwheeels... It's so basic at this age, I would give it a shot just to let her get her toes wet? As for us, we're moving on to soccer for spring with a few friends and my plan is to offer up gymnastics once a year if she wants it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did gymnastics recreationally and my daughter was so good she was asked to do the team two years in a row. Each time we declined for reasons above. But I have no problem with her doing it recreationally.

This is my daughter. It is making her strong and I love that.

[Anonymous]

It won't stunt her growth. Don't put her on team and she'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Look at classes offered through YMCA or parks and rec instead

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is 6 and we've just done two rounds with Silver Stars, the closest option for us. She has always been a tumbler and a climber (furniture, playground, crawled out of her crib at 18 mos.) and it just seemed to be a natural fit. She is tall and muscular. We outgrew Power Tots and wanted to try this as a way to get back in this fall. It is OK. She gets to experiment with all the equipment, and it's physical activity, but she doesn't seem to love it and the instruction and groups don't seem conducive to bonding or friendship, so she doesn't feel the need to continue (I have no clue who the teachers are, or their names, so just a disconnect all-around). She is most excited about learning handstands and cartwheeels... It's so basic at this age, I would give it a shot just to let her get her toes wet? As for us, we're moving on to soccer for spring with a few friends and my plan is to offer up gymnastics once a year if she wants it.

Silver Stars is a great place to send your kids for gymnastics if you don't want them to stick with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's just 6. Let her try it. If she ever gets to the point where you need to have a conversation about whether she should continue on a competition track, you can have that conversation then.

My 11 year old recently took up diving. A lot of the kids are crossover athletes from gymnastics. The body awareness and moves that it helps kids develop, give them a huge advantage, and those kids make progress incredibly quickly.

This. Gymnastics is a great base for many sports, and it is excellent for athletic development in general. If she is tall, she is not going to be highly competitive at it any way. And it would be a few years before the issues you are concerned with present themselves.

I understand the concern. It’s the reason I wouldn’t want my son to do wrestling even though he is ideally suited for it. (Fortunately, he hasn’t expressed interest to date.) But a few years of gymnastics classes are fundamental (just like play wrestling). And, of course, you can avoid gymnastics and still get the eating disorder….

+1000
Really it is terrific physical conditioning, but it is tougher for the taller kids so there's little risk that she'll be pushed toward an intensive/highly competitive path.

[Anonymous]

My high school-aged niece does competitive gymnastics (but she's not Olympic-level good). She has a gymnast's body (broad shoulders, big arms), but has developed appropriately. My sister makes sure she eats healthy and stays hydrated, it's never been an issue.

[Anonymous]

OMG. Your 6 year old taking recreational gymnastics once a week and learning a round-off is not going to stunt her growth or give her an eating disorder.