Should I let dd 6 do gym till 8 at night?

[muddyprints]

Dd1 is 6 and has done gym for a year at a recreational class. She has taken baga proficiency badges 8,7,6,5,4 and has really enjoyed it. It's 1 hr a week. She can handstand, cartwheel, forward roll and backward roll, forward roll on beam, pull herself over bars and forward roll off them slowly, can't vault.
We were told that if she completes all badges and all 4 groups ( she is in 3rd) then the group were linked with a gym club but there is a 6 month waiting list so I planned to put her name down next year if she still likes it.

Coach has asked us to take her to the gym club this week to try for a development squad. 2 hrs a week.

Problem is its 6-8 on a school night. Option 1 is 10 min drive but I would have to take 3 year old sister half the time, option 2 is 30 min drive but wouldn't have to t ale sister.

I will take her for the trail but is it too late for 6 year old who is always tied anyway or should I say no and hopefully she can join club from waiting list next year but would be too old for 1st squad by then.

Thanks

8pm is very late but my dd is 6 and she manages. She does karate till 7.30pm and the class rarely finishes on time. It is a Thursday night so that does help as she's only got one day left at school.

If she loves it I'd give it a try. Well done to your little girl, it sounds like she's doing well.

I'd give it a go, and if she finds it too much move her back to the group she is in now, if that is possible?

AS a gymnastics coach I would say firstly do not send her for a trial unless you are willing to do it.
I don't know how much experience you have of gymnastics but squad training is different to rec training.Lots more emphasis on conditioning and stretching and doing each move perfectly (or that's the aim lol) .My experience is the younger they start squad the more likely they are to drop out we have cut right down on the under 7s because of this.I would really be inclined to wait another year and the try out if it were my daughter.
It sounds as thought your DD is reasonably strong and has control.Control and focus are the hardest things to teach in little ones really.Strength and flexibility you can develop in almost any child who is willing to commit to often boring and " uncomfortable" training .Less easy to teach is neatness and control

Thanks all, dd wants to go but I think it's too full on I won't take her as she loves her gym and I don't want to put her off.
She is strong and quite flexible.

Sorry dd2got up and I posted by mistake.
I have already booked dd into regular gym class till April so she won't lose her place.
She is always upside down at home and hanging off the swing so she needs something to distract her.

My 7 year old swims in a swimmng club for an hour each time 3 nights a week.

2 nights are quite late, 1 we get home after 7.30, the other after 8pm.

For each session I have to take both my 1 year old and my 6 year old. All 3 DC manage fine with this.

I think you have to go with it OP, she may never forgive you if it turns out to be what she wants to do. She sounds very good and obviously this is why her coach wants to encourage her further.
One day you may be having to choose conventional schooling or other methods if she becomes so proficient she needs hours of practice a day

I would say it is too late

Dd is now 12 and has danced since she was 6. However up until the age of 8 the latest time she danced until was 6.30pm as it was too much otherwise.

At 8 I allowed her to take extra classes that ended at 7.30pm meaning she was home at 8pm

She's now at a full time specialist dance school & I sometimes wish we'd let her do a bit more but I don't regret the time restrictions ascot would have burnt her out at that age.

Am going to take her for trial and see if it's what she wAnts to do. If it is then I'm thinking of going to the closer club and taking dd2 when dp is busy as I've worked it out its only 14 times a year and will save us 20 miles a week and a lot of traffic and time. That way we can be home by 8.15 and they can go to bed.
If I think it's too strict, regimental, no fun, expensive then we will stick with rec class.
(Smile)

My 6yo ds does football training one night a week till 8pm. I think it is too late for him but he copes and enjoys it.

If it was just dd1 I would definitely let her try, I'd go to the closer one and be home by 8.15. After a few weeks I would leave her there the 2 hours so wouldn't need to sit around.
It's just dd2 is just 3, if I go to he closer one then 14times a year I will have to take her out till 8.15, she will be tired and restless, she will fall asleep in the car. If I go t to the further one I don't have to take dd2 but it's 10 miles further, probably half and hour longer drive in traffic, il be out 5.15 till 8.30 and can't come home I between so would be sitting there every week.
Wish we had a bit of help from grandparents, oh wel.
My mom took me here there and everywhere as a kid, mainly by bus, so I'm not moaning about the effort, just don't want to drag dd2 round anymore than necessary.

I took dd1 and she loved it and it was worth the travel, we were out 5.15-8.30 but not taking dd2 meant I could relax and watch dd1 which was nice for a change.
She was asleep by 9 after a quick shower and up at 6 this morning so not enough sleep but seemed fine.
She has been offered a place in jan so I'm really pleased.

That's great it worked out well and nice that you could enjoy it too.

I think many kids can adapt quite easily to late nights. I've got an 8 year old who is out till late 3 evenings a week doing very physical classes. Two nights she is back at about 8.45, and the third night at about 9.20 pm. She is fine with it, although she has older siblings so has always gone to bed quite late. She doesn't have to wake up until 7.30 am so does get enough hours' sleep. She has done late classes since she was about 5 or 6 and it has never been a problem. Same with her brothers.

She doesn't have to get up till 7.30 for school but naturally wakes up earlier so she can't be too tired.
I have lots of time with dd2 as she is still at home all day so it's nice to have some time just for dd1 .

My ds has been in a gym club and competing in tumbling since he was 6. He does 3x3 hour sessions per week finishing at 8. We get home at about 8.20.

He is 10 now. He has always coped well. I feed him his tea at about 4, leave for gym at 4.30. Usually a banana on the way. He has cereal as a snack when he gets home and then to bed.

He does get tired, he has to run 10 laps round a full size track before his sessions start as a warm up. But he has a few early nights to recharge.

He does really love it and that's the most important thing.