4 year old son doesn't want to go to Gymnastics anymore?? Help!?

Question

Our four year old son (just turned 4 last week) is having a fit about going to gymnastics. He seemed like he was enjoying it so much and recently has went into total temper tantrum about going. He is a very good boy normally so the temper tantrum comes to us at such a surprise. He likes to go to the "daycare" at the gym my husband and I work out at and walks in and runs to the other kids and caregivers but when it comes to gymnastics... he will come up to us the day before and say, "I don't want to go to gymnastics" When we encourage him and say, well let's just finish your session (eight weeks more) he throws a total fit. What do we do?

You all are great! I agree, and didn't choose this sport for him. We just moved to Wisconsin from Florida and I thought that if he had somewhere to run around and get out of the house, then he would be happy. I thought if he didn't want to go, then I would take him out as most of you stated.... but I didn't want to seem like I was spoiling him. So thank you for your help.

Answer 1

r u kidding?? he is 4.......gymnastics is ur dream for him, not his dream for him...........if he doesn't want to go then.....dont make him.....also, it is idiotic to have kids that age in a program that long.....they should have 3-5 sessions maximum......older kids, sure...hey its a 10 week commitment....u need to stick it out......allow the kid to be a kid...u sound like u have instincts about him as far as not wanting him to be spoiled, and these are real, but he is only four...so let it slide...............its God's Plan.......let us pray......

Answer 2

Maybe the class in mostly girls and he is starting to sense that it is not a "boy" thing. If you want him to go to develop coordination and balance, try TaeKwonDo or some other martial art instead. There are basically two types of teaching styles, those who focus on the fighting aspects, and those who focus on the discipline and mental aspects, as well as the physical fitness side. When our son was very small, my wife took him to dance / gymnastics classes with his older sister. About the same age as your's however, he stopped wanting to go, and the studio he was attending also housed a taekwondo school. We started taking him there, and he stuck with it for about ten years, and advanced to Brown belt before high school baseball and golf took up all his time. But the discipline and physical abilities he learned are still with him. And he has NEVER been in a fight outside of his TKD classes. They stressed more than anything else the ability to walk away. AND he NEVER had a problem with bullies - they knew better.

Answer 3

Try to find out if there is a particular reason he doesn't like it. My 5-year-old son was told by his classmates that gymnastics is for girls. Kinda stopped his interest cold.

I think it's pretty sad to see little kids being forced into stuff like this if they really don't want to do it, but you also have to determine if the kid is serious about never wanting to do it, or if they just throw a fit but actually like it when they're there.

It could be that your son likes the laidback atmosphere of the kiddie gym while you guys work out, but doesn't like the structure of more formal gymnastics lessons.

Try to find out if something is bothering him about it, see if you can make it more fun for him, but you could just be swallowing 8 weeks of gymnastics costs. Talk to the center, see if you can get your money back, or see if they offer lessons for something else he might enjoy, and if they would allow him to transfer.

Answer 4

My mother always told me, if you don't want to go to dance then you don't have to go. She never forced me and I believe in that. If he's miserable, he's not going to put any effort into the classes and end up failing at what he was once good at. However, he does need to learn that there are some things he will not have a choice in, like school (when he gets old enough)
On the other hand, I would try to find out why he doesn't want to go anymore. Did something happen? Was someone mean to him?

Answer 5

Maybe find out if something happened. Kids at this age can be sensitive about social blunders. Maybe something happened that scared him, or made him embarrassed.

If he doesnt have a real reason, maybe explain to him that he can sit and just watch for a few times. It might remind him how much fun he had with all the other kids.

Answer 6

I'm not a doctor, but she sounds just like my daughter, who is now almost fifteen. Some kids are highly energetic, especially visual, kinesthetic kids who learn through movement. The best advice I ever got on my daughter (after a whole hoard of people insisted she was ADHD) was "wait five years." All the best.

Answer 7

I assume he's not forced to sit and watch TV all day while at home/preschool/daycare, and that he does get exercise, so why is he enrolled in gymnastics? If it was your idea, good for you for trying to keep him active and occupied, but apparently he's had enough. Don't take him anymore--just let him play with his friends or (gasp!) maybe even spend some time at home with his parents...

Answer 8

Take him out and get a refund or credit. Perhaps he'll want to go back at a later date, but I wouldn't force him to go. Explain that if he quits he can't go back in a couple of weeks. Kids at that age get bored very easy.

Answer 9

Maybe he's having some kind of problem with one of the other kids or the caregivers...Try to get him to talk about it. I would respect his wishes in the long run, but try to get him to give you a reason

Answer 10

Sounds like something may have happened at gymnastics-- I would give him a week off and see if he wants to go next week... If not, give him that week off and ask him the following week-- if you aren't staying to watch him, ask him if he'll go if you stay and watch...