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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>pigpokey</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/14306168"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">At DD1's age you do not need to do a whole lot to prepare her for more dance and gymnastics.<br><br>
As for gymnastics, if you think she may want to enter gymnastics later (and really there's no particular reason to enter before age 5), you might get a trampoline for the backyard, a bar that she can do pull ups on, and work on her cartwheel and handstand. If you can find a folding mat on craigslist that's good. I suspect a Wii Fit might be a good brain trainer for a pre-gymnast. If you can fill a room or a garage with mattresses, not only will she get fit but she'll be the most popular toddler on the block.<br><br>
You may think working on a pull up is a dumb thing for a 3 year old to do, and yes that's ambitious, she would start with hanging for a year or so, maybe make a game of seeing how long she can hang in a chinned position versus a straight hang. But the thing about gymnastics is that most of the skills require strength beyond most of today's children. You can't get past level 1 until you can do something that is really crazy -- chin yourself, lift your legs up over your head while you're still chinned and end up on top of the bar ... I dream of the day I can do it. Even basic tumbling moves, if she should go in a tumbling direction, require fantastic arm strength.<br><br>
A 1 hour rec class once a week is a money maker for the gym, but of minimal benefit *in terms of gymnastics progression* to all but the most physically gifted. It's hard to pick up the strength once a week for an hour.</div>
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Ok, I don't think the strength requirements are crazy, I think people in general are not strong enough. If your arms are not strong enough to hold yourself up, in both a hang(doesn't have to be a chin up) and a handstand, then I think you're not strong enough. That's my goal for my child too. Handstands are easy to work on at home, just make sure the elbows aren't bent, and do it against the wall. Don't arch the back, and don't look down. Once your arms are strong enough for handstands, then progress to cartwheels. Same with chin ups, work on hangs until they can hang for a few minutes then they have the hand strength for chin ups.<br><br>
I did all this type stuff at a local park, which had a little balance beam and various climbing/hanging type things. Just make sure you're there to help them, I see a lot of moms that always tell their kids to not try it, it's too high, too hard, you're not old enough, etc. Babies start out with very strong hand grips, so I wanted to make sure she kept that strength. So I was letting her hang and climb as soon as she was able to. She even climbed bars too high for me to reach by two. But I was always there spotting underneath her until she looked solid. And do it yourself, I walk that balance beam and work on my hangs too. I do leg lifts from a hang, so that works the abs and the arms.<br><br>
My dd has been doing the once a week for an hour recreational gymnastics since she was 3 and has progressed a lot. But, it really depends on the instructor. I spent a bit of time looking for someone who could teach kids, and not just be a glorified baby sitter. And I talk to her a lot about what she's looking for, how she's getting it, etc. For instance, she looks for the hollow body position, to see which kids "get" it, who needs work etc. It helps with handstands, rolls, flips, etc. She makes it fun, since they are the younger kids, but she also is looking at their development.<br><br>
If you think she could be a gymnast, Olympic champion Shawn Johnson started at 3. So it's not really too early. But apparently she was always bouncing and jumping around the house anyway.<br><br>
If you get a trampoline, keep one rule: Only one person at a time. That the way kids get hurt, when there's too many kids on the trampoline at once.<br><br>
To me, gymnastic classes are to learn gymnastics. I really don't want her socializing in the class. I did a lot of library story times for her social interaction and those were free too.
