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Need advice on whether to put DD in 3 y.o. gymnastics class or Parent / Tot Gymnastics class @ the new gym? Here is the background:DD started in gymnastics @ 18mo. She is a very active, exuberant child that attacks life w/ a passion. The gymnastics studio (ECG) was awesome. Then they changed ownership. The AWESOME instructor left last Dec. The new instructor is young and does not have the same commanding presence to keep the attention of the 2y.o.'s and make them mind. However, they moved DD up to the 3y.o class when she was 27 mo. old (March). She was THRILLED beyond belief about being in the "BIG GIRL class." However, w/o parents in there and the instructor not having the authority to make them listen / behave and follow instructions, the class has gotten wilder and wilder and wilder. And my child is an excellent ring leader for some of the bad behavior. Summer class was horrible and the fall that just started was shaping up the same way. The instuctor deters DD's exuberance by putting her in the back of the line and if she is not listening skipping her. Well last night was the FINAL STRAW. The owner cancelled our Monday class and we had to switch to Tues @ 5:15 (impossible time) and then DD is being treated badly while all are wild. So we dropped gymnastics. We live in a small town and this is the ONLY studio in town. There is one in a neighboring larger town (30 miles) away. They just started the fall and do have SAT classes openings. HOWEVER, the normally DO NOT move a child from Parent / Tot to 3 y.o. class UNTIL they are actually 3. BUT have agreed (reluctantly) to try her in the 3 y.o. class. So ... should I do the parent / tot class and monitor her behavior closer so I can get her back on track in gymnastics ( possibly hurting her self esteem since she has not had to have Mommy in her class since March) ????? ( BTW we just changed from Montessori to another school so she could be in a teacher led environment and the transition has been easy because she interpreted that she was going to "big" school... NOT my words -- hers!) OR do I try her in the 3 y.o. class and hope the different environment / different instructor will bring about the better behavior????? SHE STILL LOVES GYMNASTICS and is really good when she is doing what she is supposed to do!!! ( I overthink everything .. so thanks for your patience!)
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My opinion would be that her previous instructor obviously thought she was capable of succeeding in the 3 y.o. class, so why put her back in the parent/tot class? Is it just her behavior? Truely, kids will take advantage of a situation, and if her behavior became unruly simply because of the new instructor, the change of venue just might put her behavior back on track. I've got no experience in gymnastics classes, so I'm not sure how it's run, but perhaps you could observe her in the new setting and see how things go.Good luck!
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Follow up about last Saturday class. I wish it was good news but actually DD was HORRIBLE. Behaved worse than I could have even imagined. I felt like I was watching some-one elses' child. (because surely mine would never act that way):o After 15 min of watching, her defy the instructor, refuse to participate in exercises and then kick another student doing rings.... I removed her from class. We will be taking a break for now. Funny thing is that evening she got her gymnastic photo w/ her wearing her leotard and showed it to all of us. Tumbled the remainder of the weekend and even did some of the exercises that the instructor showed her. I know she loves it. The only clue she gave me for her behavior is Sat night she ask if she could go back to Ms. Lauren's class ( old gymnastics studio ). I guess we are "testing boundaries" or "terrible 2's"... something. Whatever we definitely need to move thru this phase b4 seeking another class environment.