WIBU to lie about DD's age?

[StylesFamily]

DD wants to start gymnastics. She has just turned 16. She would have to be in the adult gymnastics class, which is not structured and you just go around and pick what you do on your own. She could do the teen class 13-15 where it is still structured and do that for a year and then she'd know enough to practise on her own.

WIBU?

Lying about her age would also invalidate her insurance with British Gymnastics. All gymnasts at our club have to have membership with BG.

@Fliptophead you don't sign up... It's pay as you go?

I'd ask it might e just a guideline but my daughter does gymnastics and I would lie because of the insurance, do you have any Cheerleading clubs near you? They're brilliant for beginners and do loads if gymnastics

*wouldnt lie

Doh

I'd second cheerleading if the gymnastics route is problematic.

I am not sure if it is the same in Gymnastics but in Danc eyou have to join certain associations to be able to take part in competitions etc...

How would you be able to do that if you lied about her age?

There will still be instruction even if unstructured. She should just give a class a try and see.

Erm no, you can't do this. If she has an accident with another kid who is the right age then wouldn't that invalidate the insurance for the other child too?

What is something happens, it could mess up their insurance or cause other issues.

I'd ring and talk to the trainers to see what their advice is. Sometimes it just sucks that you get to an age where you can't do the thing you want to. It's a lesson to learn.

Blood worries, how on earth do you learn anything from that?
I don't get this obsession with insurance in this country. I doubt anyone starting the year as a 15 year old would be kicked out on their 6th birthday. Not as if a 25 year old wants to exercise with young teenagers. Personally, I'd put her in the class if only for a few months.

Erm perhaps it's because some things do carry risk of serious injury or any injury at all.

Of a 13 yr old was hurt as a result of a kid who shouldn't even be in that class due to their age then that club could be in serious trouble.

Talk to the gym.

I ran adult classes for a while. Tbh not many are unstructured these days as you get innundated with trickers and 20 year old lads youtubing and it's an accident waiting to happen.

Even when i did run unstructured classes there was still a formal warm up, and there was a minimum of two coaches available to ask if you needed help.

Call the gym, ask what the set up is. Ask if it's suitable for a complete beginner. If it's payg she can always pop along to a class and of it doesn't work out nothing lost.

It's also worth phoning round all the gyms nearby. Some don't advertise.

But don't lie about her age. Worth asking if she can join the younger class to start with though

Talk to the people running the program.

As your DD is older and more mature, it might not be a problem for her to join a younger class, whereas a younger person trying to join an older class would be.

If she can't join a class, there may be a coach who is willing to teach her privately until she is good enough to move into the adult class. It probably will be expensive but at 18 she is old enough to get a part time job (if she is in full time education) to help pay for classes.

Do not lie about her age. It will come out at some point as other students and the coaches will ask where she goes to school, who her friends are, what she does on the weekend. She is going to be lying the whole time which will be horrible.

I don't see why not. Knock a year off, so what? There's no difference between a fifteen and sixteen year old. She wants to do it, so let her, just make sure to remind her not to drop herself in it. People here are always honest in the extreme. It's unnecessary. Little white lies make the world go round and lives run more easily.

@TheMysteriousJackelope she is 16 and still in year 11!

Styles My wretched glasses caused me to read her age as 18. People can still work part time at 16 though, even if it's just over the Summer break.

My comment still stands though. Ask if she can join the younger class - I would guess that as she is so close to them in age they won't mind. If they say no, ask about private lessons for a few months.

My dc's gym club they have to join I think it's British Gymnastics which gives them insurance. I would imagine that it may well be different if they're over 16yo.
The club would be really unimpressed to find you'd lied due to that-and I would think there's a reasonable chance there is a child there who comments that she's older because children often know school years even if they don't know ages. It can come out so easily "oh do you know X," "I think they're in the year below me" "So you're year 11..."

If you really don't think it would be an issue, then ask. If you think it is an issue, then it's not appropriate to put her in.

There's no difference between a fifteen and sixteen year old. whereas that is true for a lot of ages I would dispute that for between age 15 and 16. other than the insurance issue, which I think would be a big one for most gym clubs, they may split the age at 16yo because of child protection. I know clubs that do split at that point because things do change at 16yo - like performing arts chaperone regulations finish at the end of year 11. A 16yo in year 12 is not meant to be in the same changing room as a 16yo in year 11. Sounds loopy? Indeed, but it's legal requirement.

I don't see why not. Knock a year off, so what? There's no difference between a fifteen and sixteen year old There is when it comes to insurance.....

Well if she's in Y11, then there will be others in the 13-15 class who are also in Y11, and some of them will probably already have turned 16.

I can't imagine any club saying "Happy 16th Birthday, by the way you aren't allowed to come here any more"

The club will have to have insurance for her and that will be invalidated if her age is wrong.

However, if you spoke to the club they might well let her do the teen class based on her lack of experience, in fact they may well suggest it.