Worried about DS not progressing at Trampolining class

[Charlee]

DS (4) has started a trampolining class, DP takes him as we thought it would be a good father son activity for them, however DS is badly behaved at the classes run's away or just wont do what the instructor asks him.

All the other childen are now working towards thier trampolining badges but ds isn't even begining because he refuses to do anything he's asked.

Dp has now said after today he wont take ds to the classes and i will have to as his behaviour is very embarassing, which i am fine with but now i do worry its not good for thier relationship.

I know i shouldn't compare ds to the others and it is the first class thing he has been to but i worry that all the others are progressing and ds isn't.

you could buy him a small trampoline for at home if its going to help him.

We used to go to trampoline lessons and we times it once my DC only actually spent 3.5 minutes on the trampoline.

Another child always refused to get off and had twice the time that everyone else did.

If he likes it and its good for him then there is no need to stop. Would buying a trampoline for the garden be an option?

Agree with buying him a trampoline and stopping the lessons. My niece was removed from ballet lessons at a similar age. Apparently the teacher called my SIL into her office and said that she didn't think her DD was 'suited' to the lessons. SIL started to climb on her high horse in defensive mother mode, until the teacher pushed opened the door through to the studio. To reveal a row of little girls doing bar exercises- letting go of the bar in turn as my dear niece climbed past them, clinging to the bar like a little monkey

Perhaps your DP could just take your DS to the park to play/run around instead.

progress in this sort of thing is always going to be up and down.

lol!!!

at HC

Your ds is too young for this, a kick arounf with his dad would be good instead & if he is keen you could let him try again in a year or so.

lol HC. 4 is very young to expect kids to be patient around something as tempting as a trampoline IMHO. either find an unstructured class or buy one for the home. my local council runs gymtots sessions in the gym, where kids get free play for 30 minutes on selected equipment including a bit trampoline, that sort of session might be more appropriate.

Am a bit at the thought that the father-son relationship might suffer from a 4yo's inability to cope with a sporting activity. Surely at this age, the relationship with his Dad isn't something your ds should need to earn by coping with a certain activity? Isn't it up to your dh to work on the relationship by finding ways of having fun together?

If he does enjoy the actual trampolining but dislikes the waiting perhaps you could try a different class? My DD does trampolining. She is 4 and has been going for over a year. But she goes to trampolining at a proper Gymnastics club, so the trampolines are set up permanently in a corner (so no way to bounce off them!) so the others don't have to sit and watch. When they're not bouncing, they're doing a circuit of other fun activities (bouncing off a trampet, going down a big slide, playing with the little ball pool etc)... There's no way she would sit still and wait whilst the others are bouncing - so perhaps see if there is another club that does trampolining, and ask them what they expect the children to do whilst waiting?

Also, don't worry about the badges... it is not until badge 3 that it actually requires them to do anything on the trampoline. The first badge they can get is simply for knowing how to behave around the trampoline and being able to get on and off it safely! At my daughter's club, they tend to start giving badges at level 3, but if there are some children who just need the encouragement, I think they will give them the level 1 or 2 badge so they get a sense of achievement, but really you do need to do very little for a level 1.

Here's what they need to do for a level1:

"Award 1 - 6 out of 7 moves to be passed

1
Waiting turn and good behaviour around the trampoline

2
Mount and dismount to and from a central position

3
Move, or be moved, freely around the trampoline

4
Sitting and bouncing / rocking

5
Standing and bouncing / rocking

6
Lying on the back and being bounced

7
Hands and knees bouncing / rocking"
HTH

I#d get him to chose a different activity - something where he is active for most of the session. Trampoline classes involve so much hanging around witing, it can be really boring when not on the trampoline.

My DD went for a while but I stopped taking her int he end. She would get maybe 8 minutes most on a trampoline in an hour's lesson - felt I was paying for her to stand and watch for to much time. Shame really as she enjoyed the trampoling bit and was doing well, but I refuse to pay for her to sepnd 50+ minutes watching other children bounce. We bought her a trampoline for the garden instead!

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

I thought it would only be polite to respond to let you know the outcome.

Firstly, DS DOES LIKE the class, i have asked him numerous times without pushing it and he says he would like to go next time.

I didn't mean that his relationship with his dad would suffer if he didn't ''cope'' with the class, i mean it would be one less activity him and dp did together thats all.

DP and both my DS's spend alot of time together and my children are often playing football or playing in the park we just thought that since my DS2 was going to aquqtots that DS1 would like an activity and HE CHOSES TRAMPOLINING!

We don't have the space in the garden for anything other than a trampette which we have and DS loves it, hence him choosing to do trampolining.

Yes i did pay for a block of 12 weeks of classes which is a 'term' but this isnt about mney and if he really didn't want to go i wouldn't make him regardless of how much it cost.

Also i'm sorry if i am having a slight sense og humour bypass but i dont see my worrying about my ds remotley funny and if you will heck my previous posts you know i am often joking about things.

Anyway....

Like i said i asked DS when he got home if he liked Trampolining he said yes, i asked him if he wanted to go again next time, he said yes.
So i know you all said it would be stupid but i spoke to the instructor who was very plesent and said that ds is normal and all the other children had been going a while and that ds was doing fine, i expressed my concern about the class being a bit to structured for his age and he said thats also fine and the children only do the badges if they wish to and he was cool with ds just having a bounce.
So dp and i have agreed that all the time ds is wanting to go he can and if he ever expresses a wish to leave he can.

Well thanks again for your replys.

All worries about your kids are real worries, it's just that once your kids are older then with hindsight it's sometimes suprising to see what things gave you so much concern at the time - this may well be one of those things and that is why some people are not giving it complete gravity - if that helps to explain at all.

Anyway, it all seems very cool now, glad you could talk to the teacher & I wish your ds happy bouncing!