Anonymous wrote:I'd be horrified if my dd decided to become a cheerleader. What a trashy and degrading thing to do.

What if I told you that my SON cheerleaded (is that even a word?!) for...hold on to your hat...Harvard? And that he got to travel to a bunch of places and meet a bunch of people he probably otherwise would not have?

Or is it just trashy and degrading when the girls do it?

Anonymous wrote:I'd be horrified if my dd decided to become a cheerleader. What a trashy and degrading thing to do.

Be careful! Children have a tendency to gravitate towards 'forbidden' activities, relationships, lifestyles, chemicals, substances, clothing, beliefs, you name it.

Have fun reconciling your bank account AND your previously-held admonitions! Start mapping out short cuts to cheer practice!

And, FYI...this ain't YOUR high school's cheerleading squad. Many girls and guys cheer competitively as co-ed teams.

I'm so sick of soccer and basketball and would love to have a cheerleader in the family, even if it is just for one season. Way more fun to watch, IMHO!

Anonymous wrote:I would want to talk to her about how she feels about being on a team whose main purpose is to cheer and support others, usually boys. I would try to steer her toward gymnastics or acrobatics. But I would not forbid it.

I was a cheerleader, and we cheered for both the boys and girls teams (well, basketball, because there was no girls' football team). Also, I looked at cheerleading as a sport -- we went to Nationals.

To the OP: I also has some hesitation when my daughter expressed interest in cheerleading, but I decided to let her follow whatever path she wanted to, with my guidance along the way. She has not yet decided whether cheerleading is her thing (she has tried cheerleading and gymnastics), but really, it's going to come down to what she's interested in. I'm not sure why you think cheerleading is trashy. Explain?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be more concerned with injury. Not sure why you think it's trashy. Plenty of girls and guys are cheerleaders.

This. But there are tons of injuries. I also won't let my son play football for the same reason.

This, for both cheerleading and football.

Well I guess it depends on what "kind" of cheerleader. Not a huge fan of the "rah rah" kind that dances on the sidelines at football games, but my daughter showed me some videos of the "all star" cheer type and wow, those girls are ATHLETIC. No different than gymanstics, IMO.

Anonymous wrote:I would want to talk to her about how she feels about being on a team whose main purpose is to cheer and support others, usually boys. I would try to steer her toward gymnastics or acrobatics. But I would not forbid it.

+100

Nooooope.

If that was her interest, yes, I would. Cheer squads are generally very athletic with a lot of gymnastic and acrobatic moves.

I was an athlete so I'd prefer she actually play rather than cheer. That just wasn't my thing and I can't relate. But if that's what she wanted to do I'd support it.

Anonymous wrote:I would want to talk to her about how she feels about being on a team whose main purpose is to cheer and support others, usually boys. I would try to steer her toward gymnastics or acrobatics. But I would not forbid it.

+1

Anonymous wrote:I would be more concerned with injury. Not sure why you think it's trashy. Plenty of girls and guys are cheerleaders.

This. But there are tons of injuries. I also won't let my son play football for the same reason.

I think the bigger problem for your child is her nasty and judgemental mother.

I would want to talk to her about how she feels about being on a team whose main purpose is to cheer and support others, usually boys. I would try to steer her toward gymnastics or acrobatics. But I would not forbid it.

I would be more concerned with injury. Not sure why you think it's trashy. Plenty of girls and guys are cheerleaders.

I'd be horrified if my dd decided to become a cheerleader. What a trashy and degrading thing to do.