My child is no good at gymnastics…. When do we quit?

I was asked this question in the gym recently and yes, it is a super valid question to ask. You want to get value from your time and money invested in activities and to see that your child has found ‘their’ affinity with something (you see what we did there ?).

Written by Jennifer Page

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Although my ‘in-the-moment’ answer was mainly about checking how they enjoyed their gymnastics rather than being good at it, it got me thinking … we seem to have this deep sense that we have to be ‘good’ at things. Not just sports, but singing, painting, even maths! And if we aren’t ‘good,’ we feel bad about it. We shut down anything positive there might be there for us.

And really, what does ‘good’ even mean?!

Does it mean better than others? I think you might start to agree with me here that comparing ourselves to each other isn’t the best life plan.

Does it mean doing something to a high standard? Maybe. But then there’s always a higher standard you aren’t at yet at to feel bad about.  My argument is that the person who isn’t ‘good’ at gymnastics by these standards, actually WINS.

If you find something challenging and have to work at it, you learn more and the eventual mastery is much more impactful. If your child finds physical aspects like coordination, or balance, or strength tricky to master, then actually they NEED to be doing activities such as
gymnastics much more than anyone else. Learning how to move and use your body is a life-long impactful skill we all need.

There is no rush.  But do fuel it with an activity you enjoy, in a supportive place, that makes all the difference.

We LOVE gymnastics, cheerleading and parkour here at Affinity and would love to share that with you. Do go ahead and check out our timetable and let us know how we can best support you.

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