Should I keep her in these non-skating activities next year?

[jlspink22]

My daughter (5) takes 1 private/1 group lesson a week. She goes to public skate 1-2x on weekends.

BUT she also takes 1 dance class (with ballet) and 1 gymnastics class a week, which costs an extra $1500 a year or so. My husband thinks we should drop one (gymnastics mainly) but I think both are good exercise and benefit her skating (which she likes the best). Then sometimes I think maybe I should trade one class for an extra skating lesson since that is what she really likes. What do you all think?

[Neverdull44]

Is she in Kindergarten, and how tired is she?  I had my daughter in a competitive dance school through grade school, and it was too much for her.   She was dancing about 3 days a week and on Saturdays, and on weekend competitions.  She was too tired for school, and her grades were suffering.

I'd ask her which one she wants to skip.

If you were asking me, I'd skip the gymnastics.  While it builds a strong core, there is a real chance for falls & injury, especially once she gets more advanced.  Some gymnasts develop really big shoulders and arms, which are not all that attractive for figure skating.   But, this is just my personal opinion.  But, Surya Bonaly was a gymnast, and one heck of an athlete and skater.  In the end, I think it depends on what she wants and how her school fares.

[axelwylie]

Definitely ask her which one she wants to skip.

I am a former competitive gymnast and have a strong core. But I also have the large leg muscles, arms and other things that are stereotypical of gymnasts. Gymnastics helps with the endurance and has routines that are somewhat similar to skating programs (requiring spurts of energy in a few short minutes).

With all that said, the injuries from gymnastics can really play a role too. I don't know of a single gymnast who hasn't been injured from the sport. For example, I have a bad back and cannot do too many jumps during practice - all thanks to gymnastics.

[twinskaters]

Where I am, gymnastics is way more expensive than dance so that might factor in! Also I think dance is more beneficial to skating, though I may be biased by all my years of dance. But I would ask her to weigh in.

[Loops]

I have to say I agree on the dance vs gym.  There are definitely benefits to both, and the strength and flexibility developed from gym is amazing.  But injury risk is very real, and if it's not her preferred activity then I'd consider dropping it.  If she's learning a wide range of dance styles (so not just ballet, although I'd posit that's the most important of the disciplines for skating), much of the acrobatics she'd learn in gymnastics might be covered as she progresses.

But really, she's the one strapping on the shoes so to speak, so I'd ask her, and give her feelings the most weight in the final decision.

[Neverdull44]

My daughter's dance school had acro-dance, which covered cartwheels, flips, backbends, arials, split jumps, etc. 

[jlspink22]

To answer ?s

(1) She is in all day preK/nursery school now, kindy next year. DH takes her to Dance (1 hr of ballet/tap) on Monday.  Wednesday, I pick her up mid afternoon to take her to skating @ 3 - then back home for dinner/homework (yes I know!)/rest - and gymnastics @6:30. The rink, dance studio and gym are ~20 min from me and in a 5 mile radius of each other.  The group lesson is on Sunday so we usually stay for public after that and sometimes go (to PS) on Saturday because DH works.  She is OK with this current schedule and even asked me when she can take more swim lessons (we did a couple 7-week LTSwim sessions last year).

(2) I asked her which she liked better and she said both - probably because she has done gym since 18 months and dance since 2.5 so she doesn't know any differently.

She has 1 more year of gym before they can try out for Team (USG or USAIG,) or the rec track, so I thinking I could end there. She said today she wants to wait til kindergarten to decide but I told her she can only do 1 "sport" (skating or gymnastics, i know some consider comp dance a sport).  Their dance school does have modern/acro etc for 7/8 and up crowd and the rink offers off ice classes for the freestyle level kids, so there is always that she can do later.

[Neverdull44]

Each sport has a preferred build.  Skaters can be taller than gymnasts.   

This is my own experience, and every parent has to do as they feel is right for them and their kid.   With my first child, she did everything during her elementary school years.  Competitive dance, horseback riding, and some skating.   Go, go, go.  She was soooo tired in school, and this set her back.  I overfilled her glass, and she had no time to just be a kid and hang out with her friends.   Now, she's 14 and burnt out on dance.  Never going back, burnt out.   She'll come skate, a little.   But, she loves to horseback ride.   So, once a week she rides a horse and one weekend a month she helps out at an equestrian center for special needs.   Riding is 4x as expensive as figure skating, so that's why it's once a week.    It also has one of the highest incidence of becoming paralyzed, like gymnastics.   Baby #2 came and he does mite hockey and a learn to skate class.  He skates two to three days a week.  With one in 2nd and the other in the 8th grade, I can't be gone ever single night with activities (spouse travels and I'd have to take both with me).   They need time to be kids.  Take a cue from her, and watch her closely.   Her needs are going to change as she gets older and school becomes more demanding.

Skating, dance or gymnastics is really tiring. I can skate hard for an hour a day, but I'm sometimes "too pooped" to do much afterwards but Facebook and check skating forums.com.   

[jlspink22]

I can't be gone ever single night with activities (spouse travels and I'd have to take both with me).   They need time to be kids.  Take a cue from her, and watch her closely.   Her needs are going to change as she gets older and school becomes more demanding.

I make sure to not have something every day... weekends- other than skating- she gets to sleep in & then come home and veg out if need be. Being an only child, she mostly socializes at dance/gymnastics/etc. Seems like even going to the park is a project because I have to coordinate with other parents or arrange a time to take her.