We are in the same boat, OP. Parents are not allowed in the building “because of Covid.” I would not want to distract the class, but it would be great to at least peak from the hallway occasionally. I do think that at this point covid is used as an excuse to keep the parents out. I don’t want to go as far as claiming abuse, but it’s probably easier for the teachers if the (nosey, and intrusive) parents stay away. Still, competition will probably work its magic and force (most) studios to let the parents in.

Anonymous wrote:Creepy
What are they hiding?

They don't want parents there because they constantly interrupt and are a major PITA. If you don't like it, take your kid elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:Is Hills requiring masks for the gymnasts, couldn’t tell from website.

No they are not. Some kids wear them, most do not.

I live elsewhere, but during the pandemic my Dd left a gym that was run like this. Not letting the parents in was initially because of state restrictions on how many people could gather per square foot in an indoor place. But then he state allowed people to gather freely indoors and the gym kept up the restrictions. Then they dropped the competitive program DD was in and she switched to another gym.

In hindsight, her old gym was overcrowded and mostly focused on making money by warehousing kids in giant, poorly organized recreational classes. There was constant coaching turnover, old equipment, and smelly, crumbling mats. The gym was poorly managed before the pandemic but the pandemic exposed all of its weaknesses to me. The parents were just one more thing that the gym couldn’t manage and they were happy to reduce questions from parents about moving up levels, class sizes, number of turns, etc. The gym now is only for recreational classes and basically thrives on kids birthday parties, fees for indoor playground/open gym, and intro rec classes. The lower level of the classes they offer mean they can have more kids per class because they don’t need spotters or coaches watching every move to make corrections, so they can pack kids in. There would never be room for all of the parents and they know it!

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d find a new place to learn gymnastics. I wouldn’t want my kids anywhere the parents aren’t welcome.

+1

There's enough other weird stuff with gymnastics that still not being allowed in at this point would give me serious pause. I'd at the very least ask management what the plan is going forward.

This.

Really? At rec level gym for elementary schoolers? The weird stuff was older kids, at a higher level, and ihe s$x part wasn't happening IN the gym. The yelling, berating, and expecting too much of the elite athletes does happen in the gym, but for such young children that shouldn't be happening.

The gymnastics instructor who posted saying the children are learning much more is right - parents just can't leave well enough alone - so they need to be barred. I bet soccer and baseball coaches would love to have parents off the field/stands given how they often act up.


You aren't at school every day with your child - gymnastics is a school, so is ballet, karate, etc.

If you don't like the gym, find a new one.

This...so much this. Separation in school/lessons is developmentally imperative after 3 years old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d find a new place to learn gymnastics. I wouldn’t want my kids anywhere the parents aren’t welcome.

+1

There's enough other weird stuff with gymnastics that still not being allowed in at this point would give me serious pause. I'd at the very least ask management what the plan is going forward.

This.

Really? At rec level gym for elementary schoolers? The weird stuff was older kids, at a higher level, and ihe s$x part wasn't happening IN the gym. The yelling, berating, and expecting too much of the elite athletes does happen in the gym, but for such young children that shouldn't be happening.

The gymnastics instructor who posted saying the children are learning much more is right - parents just can't leave well enough alone - so they need to be barred. I bet soccer and baseball coaches would love to have parents off the field/stands given how they often act up.


You aren't at school every day with your child - gymnastics is a school, so is ballet, karate, etc.

If you don't like the gym, find a new one.

Is Hills requiring masks for the gymnasts, couldn’t tell from website.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The same people saying that its better for the kid's mental health to not have parents present in a gymnastics center would be appalled if they were told they could no longer attend their kid's baseball or football games for the same mental health reasoning.

Where did anyone say that. There was almost a stands clearing fight between parents at a 1st grader football game last weekend. Would not be an issue if parents weren't allowed.

Not surprised. First grader football? The parents just have the head injuries from their lack luster football days

Anonymous wrote:The same people saying that its better for the kid's mental health to not have parents present in a gymnastics center would be appalled if they were told they could no longer attend their kid's baseball or football games for the same mental health reasoning.

Where did anyone say that. There was almost a stands clearing fight between parents at a 1st grader football game last weekend. Would not be an issue if parents weren't allowed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My guess is, this being this area, is the parents were acting like competitive jerks.

This is a gymnastics problem, not a “parents in the waiting room” problem.

My child takes private music lessons at an academy with many music offices. Some parents wait. They sit and read a book in the lobby or work on computer/phone. This shouldn’t be a problem. If it is a problem, it is to do with the culture of your particular sport

Private music lessons is in no way the same as group training for sports.

Yes it is. It is a referencing a parent sitting in a waiting room, waiting on their child to finish a practice or lesson. Same thing

No it’s about parents sitting together in the waiting room and watching all the kids participate at the same time and commenting/gossiping/being catty about kids who are not their own. Not the same.

This sounds like your problem. So don’t talk or participate with gossip. Just sit and mind your own business or wait in the car. I don’t see why the gymnastics place would care about parents’ small talk- unless they are being loud enough the kids can hear through the windows and walls

It is load, distracting, hurtful, the kids absolutely hear the snide remarks.

This is a interpersonal problem at your place then. Probably par for the course with dance and gymnastics. They seem to attract “those moms.” There is no indication this is a problem or OP’s gymnastics center though- she said the place is saying due to covid.

I watch my kids play tennis and swim- not every time, but probably half. So do other parents. Hardly anyone talks at all. Most read or look at their phones. This is what normal parents do.

Our coach has mentioned that the gymnasts are doing better without the distraction of having the parents there. Our waiting room was an absolute packed nightmare before the pandemic, just way too many people crammed in a small space, so it's probably one of the last places I would feel comfortable going from an infection control perspective. For our place they are still requiring masks for kids over 5 and doing temperature checks on everyone who walks in. Parents and siblings being there would increase the number of foreheads they need to scan and would mean a staff member needs to enforce mask-wearing on parents. Whether any of that is still necessary is another question (certainly the temp checks are a joke), but it is all part of the agreements we signed last fall so I can see why they are sticking to it. Maybe things will change when we re-up this fall. They are a business, and I imagine part of their calculus is catering to what they believe is the COVID-caution level among their customers.

They may also be taking advantage of the pandemic to keep this going longer than is necessary, not for nefarious reasons but just because of the crowding and the distractions. But at some point they will need to let people back in; this is the last sport that needs to be keeping parents at arms' length. That said, I hope that it has forged a culture change where most parents are dropping in once a month or so to watch rather than sitting there through the entire lesson every week.

The same people saying that its better for the kid's mental health to not have parents present in a gymnastics center would be appalled if they were told they could no longer attend their kid's baseball or football games for the same mental health reasoning.