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kitkat 01:39 PM 08-11-2010
Do you allow your dck to do somersaults while in your care? I'm guessing most of you don't. I'm just looking for a little support because I feel like I'm always the mean one with lots of rules. I don't allow it because I'm afraid they will hurt themselves. That is something they can do at home, just like playing rough. Dcg is in gymnastics and I know I'm going to have to remind her of no somersaults when she comes back. Arg!
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DanceMom 01:40 PM 08-11-2010
I am ok with them - only in the backyard and well spread out so they don't kick anyone in the head.
I'm pretty sure if one got hurt and I told the parent it was while doing a somersault they wouldn't be mad at me
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jen 01:42 PM 08-11-2010
I do, but I have gymnastics mats and they can only do them when I have them out and am supervising. We have a balance beam as well.
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Abigail 02:31 PM 08-11-2010
Originally Posted by kitkat:
Do you allow your dck to do somersaults while in your care? I'm guessing most of you don't. I'm just looking for a little support because I feel like I'm always the mean one with lots of rules. I don't allow it because I'm afraid they will hurt themselves. That is something they can do at home, just like playing rough. Dcg is in gymnastics and I know I'm going to have to remind her of no somersaults when she comes back. Arg!
If you already don't allow it for safety reasons, I wouldn't flat out change your rules because kids are smart and will say "We didn't get hurt when you let us do somersaults, we should get to try .... too". LOL

Also, just reinforce your decision by giving them other exercise and large motor and creative play time. Let them know you don't have safety mats for extra cushion. I wouldn't let the kids know you're afraid someone might get hurt without letting them know that somersaults are an activity that you need room and a mat for.

I personally say it is part of being a kid--I wouldn't attempt a somersault now! ha ha. I would let them do it during "gym" class or exercise class, but not in the house where they could hit a table and knock over a lamp or anything.
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kendallina 04:42 PM 08-11-2010
I do allow it in spaces that are big enough. It's great for motor development and a good learning opportunity for how we need to be careful and be mindful about where other children are. It's usually something that when one child starts it, they all want to, so we form a line to be able to do it.

I do have some spaces that we use but that aren't really big enough for this sort of play, so I would just tell them that we can't do it here, we'll do it when we go up to the playroom.
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mac60 05:16 PM 08-11-2010
No, if they want to do those things they can do them at home.
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alyssyn 05:25 PM 08-11-2010
No, I wouldn't let them while in my care. Just a safety precaution.
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Momof2Boys 05:32 PM 08-11-2010
Originally Posted by jen:
I do, but I have gymnastics mats and they can only do them when I have them out and am supervising. We have a balance beam as well.
I never thought to do this (gymnastics) as an activity! I am definitely going to have to incorporate this into my daycare!
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SunflowerMama 05:41 PM 08-11-2010
Originally Posted by jen:
I do, but I have gymnastics mats and they can only do them when I have them out and am supervising. We have a balance beam as well.

Where did you get your balance beam and mats? I'd love to find something affordable for the kids. They love doing somersaults and my girls are starting gymnastics in a couple of weeks so I think they would get a lot of use.

We do yoga weekly but adding gymnastics would be great too!
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jen 06:17 PM 08-11-2010
The kids love gymnastics!

I got the mats from discount school supply when they were on sale and the beam from The Beam Store.

http://www.thebeamstore.com/

We do Yoga too!
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QualiTcare 11:29 PM 08-11-2010
my daughter started gymnastics at 18 months old. if her daycare provider told me she got in trouble for doing sommersaults.....i'd think she was nuts.

it's natural for her......if there's a wide open space or a bar, she's gonna be flipping and flopping around.

when i worked with school agers, the girls LOVED making up cheers and showing me their "routines" and i let them. it's what kids do.....especially girls. i don't see it being any more dangerous than monkey bars or soccer. every physical activity involves risks.
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Abigail 12:20 AM 08-12-2010
If you go to DiscountSchoolSupply.com you can find many choices for tumbling mats and balance beams at a reasonable price. I don't have any of these, but I certainly like them!
Attached: Mat.jpg (11.8 KB) balance beam.jpg (21.9 KB) 
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tenderhearts 07:37 AM 08-12-2010
I don't allow them to do it in the house but they can do it outside.
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kendallina 09:40 AM 08-12-2010
Originally Posted by twinmama:
Where did you get your balance beam and mats? I'd love to find something affordable for the kids. They love doing somersaults and my girls are starting gymnastics in a couple of weeks so I think they would get a lot of use.

We do yoga weekly but adding gymnastics would be great too!
Constructive playthings just had a big gymnastics mat on sale for $94...not sure if you can get it cheaper elsewhere, but I thought it didn't sound too bad.
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professionalmom 02:20 PM 08-14-2010
Although I totally agree that we always, always, always have to have safety on our minds, the reality of it is that kids are kids and we can't expect them to not be physically active. And as QualiTcare said, every physical activity involves some risk. I had 2 brothers in my care on the weekends. They were 5 & 7 years old. They ALWAYS tried to rough house with my husband. They treated him like a jungle gym. All my husband had to do was sit there and they would climb all over him and jump off him, etc. I was terrified at first, but at some point, I just let the boys be boys and play. But my husband and I ALWAYS watched them very closely and made they didn't get too rough. If they did, they got time-outs to cool down and relax.

I also agree that it should be an outdoor activity and only when their is ample room so they don't accidentally hurt themselves or someone else.
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Unregistered 06:38 AM 08-15-2010
When a child goes to daycare, there are certain things that are simply not allowed because as the provider, I/we are responsible for what happens to them in our care. I have a child that comes here that is also in gymnastics and thinks it is ok for her to try her hand at cartwheels and summersaults, which gets her a time out everytime. I am responsible for her if she goes thru my tv, hurts her neck on my care, or hits the patio door from bad judgment of space. While I agree kids need to be kids, what they get away with at daycare is going to be different than what they get away with at home.
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Lilbutterflie 11:29 AM 08-15-2010
Originally Posted by professionalmom:
Although I totally agree that we always, always, always have to have safety on our minds, the reality of it is that kids are kids and we can't expect them to not be physically active. And as QualiTcare said, every physical activity involves some risk. I had 2 brothers in my care on the weekends. They were 5 & 7 years old. They ALWAYS tried to rough house with my husband. They treated him like a jungle gym. All my husband had to do was sit there and they would climb all over him and jump off him, etc. I was terrified at first, but at some point, I just let the boys be boys and play. But my husband and I ALWAYS watched them very closely and made they didn't get too rough. If they did, they got time-outs to cool down and relax.

I also agree that it should be an outdoor activity and only when their is ample room so they don't accidentally hurt themselves or someone else.
I totally agree! I'm glad I'm also not the only one with a husband that likes to get down on the floor and play with the kids. We never let them get crazy, but kids are kids! They have so much energy and it's great for them to get it all out! Especially now in this heat, it's been over 100 for about three weeks straight where we live. The kids are going crazy!
I have a very large living room, and I put on some music and have "exercise time". They all line up arms length apart, and follow my lead with exercise/dance. Sometimes I have them get in a line at one side of the room, and they take turns one by one going across the room doing what I tell them to do; like somersaults, bunny hopping, frog hopping, criscross steps, skipping, etc... BUT I have plenty of room to do this, and I am closely supervising by letting only one go at a time. They love it!
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professionalmom 08:09 PM 08-15-2010
Originally Posted by Lilbutterflie:
I totally agree! I'm glad I'm also not the only one with a husband that likes to get down on the floor and play with the kids. We never let them get crazy, but kids are kids! They have so much energy and it's great for them to get it all out! Especially now in this heat, it's been over 100 for about three weeks straight where we live. The kids are going crazy!
I have a very large living room, and I put on some music and have "exercise time". They all line up arms length apart, and follow my lead with exercise/dance. Sometimes I have them get in a line at one side of the room, and they take turns one by one going across the room doing what I tell them to do; like somersaults, bunny hopping, frog hopping, criscross steps, skipping, etc... BUT I have plenty of room to do this, and I am closely supervising by letting only one go at a time. They love it!
It's especially great for the kids who do not have a dad at home! It's so weird though that every boy I ever had wanted to wrestle with my husband and every girl I ever had, had a crush on him! He was a very popular man! And to think that there was a time when he wasn't sure he wanted to have kids. Now that he knows he's great at it, he loves it.
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ninosqueridos 02:54 PM 08-16-2010
Sorry, not happening here. We don't have that HUGE of an area and frankly it's just too much risk. My ds went to the ER at age 3 doing that type of thing, and it was not fun for him or any of us when he had to wear a neck brace for 3 weeks. I certainly don't want that to happen to a dck if I could prevent it - I cannot afford someone else's hospital bills. And yes, I have daycare liability insurance, but still...

My dcp's would probably wonder why I was allowing their child to do flips in my house in the first place. If they love flipping so much, they could do it when they get home.
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