Should we be asking for permission to spot preschoolers?
Everyone has the right to decide who touches their body and when (and, inversely, who does NOT get to). Even preschoolers.
I believe we should be making consent to spot part of every gymnastics class, no matter how young gymnasts may be. Here’s why…
It can be tempting to push preschool gymnasts through a skill just to check it off the lesson plan. This, however, will not be beneficial in the long game of gymnastics. Without proper progressions and solid foundation skills, they may be able to complete a higher-level skill, but it won’t be pretty (or safe). If we want them to tumble out of a front tuck someday, we need to teach them perfect forward rolls in preschool.
You love your involved parents, but sometimes it can get a little challenging to coach a class of two-year-olds while managing parents too. There are some simple strategies to make every coach feel more confident about teaching one of the hardest classes in the gym! *This post is meant to give you a giggle and be helpful. My intention is not to offend anyone with stereotypes! :)
Creating engaging, age appropriate parent tot stations is a challenge. Sometimes, it can seem overwhelming to create stations for such young gymnasts...and their parents. But what if you bought some lesson plans that included parent tot modifications for each week? Done! In one week, I’ll be releasing a new batch of Happy Gymnastics lesson plans (Yippee!) Parent tot stations and modifications are included with each plan.
