5 Year Old Anxious About Change in Gymnastics Teacher

It could be that she is missing you with being in school all day. Thats a big change for little ones. Just having you there thou not interacting with you makes her feel better.

How is she with other males? My 4yr old has always prefered to be around guys.. the bigger the better!! Some smaller men ( like my brother) and women he is shy around. I have no idea why that is. But it could be something like that for her also.

Just keep giving her positive feedback about being able to go by herself and what great teachers she has.

I teach gymnastics and usually males have a different style than females when teaching. Females tend to be more nurturing and more into the imaginative exercises and drills. They also tend to have softer voices and sometimes just more "comfortable" feel. Male coaches tend to be more joking and can be more energetic. I've noticed that female gymnasts tend to like women coaches when they are young, but when they get older they like male coaches because they feel safer with them spotting the more difficult tricks.

Pull your daughter out if it's upsetting her. Lots of kid leave because they don't mesh with the coach. Maybe you can try again if she's older, or try a different gym. What you don't want is for her to start hating it.

She is probably just used to women being in that care taking/teaching/guiding role. It doesn't surprise me that she can't verbalize it because of course she probably doesn't really know how, she probably just feels weird or funny because it's MEN coaching her now.
Though, have you stayed and watched the practice since the new coaches came on board? My daughter was a competitive gymnast for almost three years and sometimes (not always!) the guys can be "meaner" (in other words, louder and more demanding) than the female coaches.
Since she has been enjoying it, I would keep encouraging her to go, and keep talking to her about her feelings. But if she continues to cry and sit out, then yes, by all means take a break for a while. Gymnastics is a grueling sport, and the motivation absolutely must come from the child. If she really loves it she will want to go back :)

She should feel comfortable. Have you spoken to the teachers? I would ask if you can come a few minutes early and speak with the coaches and ask them to talk to her with you there. That way she knows you "OK" her be with these teachers. It will also help the teachers know of the situation and they can help. This is what our gym does when there is a situation like this.

It is al ot of change in her life. New school, new kinder teacher, new expectations at school and now new Gymnastics teacher.

Just listen to her and let her know you understand, but you know she will do fine.. That gymnastics is a time to have fun and just do her best.

As long as you are confident, she will be too.

When I was about 6, I really wanted to take gymnastics. So somehow my parents managed to put me into a class. But once I was there, I was TERRIFIED. I didn't know anyone (I was always very shy), I didn't know what I was supposed to do, or what was expected of me. I freaked out and bawled my eyes out and begged my mom to not make me go out there and do the warm-ups with the other kids. She MADE me. I cried all through the stretches. And you know what? I was fine. I learned. I adapted. I had fun. And the next few classes I felt more and more comfortable. My mom was not a perfect mother by any means, and I hated her for this at the time, but looking back I know now that she did the right thing in making me get out there out of my comfort zone a little. If she had let me stay in my comfort zone, I never would have done anything but read in my room!

I think your daughter is too young to make the decision for herself whether or not to quit. It's okay to tell her that she needs to stick it out for a few months, that she participate with the class. Go around the corner for 10 minutes so she can't see you. If, after a couple of months, she is not getting more comfortable, then perhaps reevaluate.

She may feel the male instructors will be too demanding or critical, many children do, women are perceived as "softer." It may not be any more specific than that.

As parents we have to be our children's "cheerleaders," so to speak, and encourage them to rise to the challenges life will offer ~ the reality of life is that it will change, sometimes not in ways we like, but it always does, nothing remains the same forever. Tell her that this is the same class she's always gone to, only the teachers are different, her friends there are still the same, that all she needs to do is the same she's always done, and that you're proud of all she has learned to do there. Your grace and encouragement in facing the situation may be what she needs.

Our guys are much more passive and quiet than the girls. The girls are more like moms and if the kids are acting up they often sound just like their moms. I think it may just be the change. If the kids in the class like the teachers then I don't see anything to worry about. If the whole class is acting intimidated then it may be time to talk to the owner. Otherwise just keep letting her go.

I work in a dance studio/gymnastics business and I often see parents hanging around with the kids and it makes it harder on them sometimes. I think if this week she is pretty upset you should just drop her off next time then leave, or actually just get out of sight and wait to see what happens. The teachers need to be able to get the kids to see them as an authority figure and the "boss" at gymnastics. They need the parents to let them take control of the class and let them deal with the crying kids so the kids can learn to trust them.

The parents who hang around and try to comfort their kids into going to class are often the ones that NEVER adjust and have fun, the kids just can't make that bond with their teachers if the parents don't allow that to happen.

My 5 year old daughter feels the same way about males other than her Dad or other family members. Last year she had a friend at school that invited her over all the time and my daughter would not go because her Dad was the one at home and not her Mom. She has never had any negative experiences with men so I never quite figured out what the problem was. I guess she is just more comfortable with females. Sounds like this may be the case with your daughter too.