My Little Gymnast

It's always been my secret desire that one of my children would take an interest in gymnastics. I was a gymnast in my younger years, and I can't help but to hope that one of my daughters will share my love for the sport. It's not going to be Emma. She despises any kind of organized sport that requires her to practice and be coached by an adult. Don't ask. As a result, I have no choice but to pin my hopes on Harper. I know, I know. This is a lot of pressure for a 2 year old, but she'll be turning 3 in two weeks. I'm not one to force my girls into sports or activities in which they show little or no interest. I merely offer gentle encouragement.

Harper currently takes a gymnastics class at our local recreation center. While this class isn't likely to produce Olympic gymnasts, it does introduce children to the equipment and basic gymnastics. Her instructors have told me that Harper displays a natural ability for gymnastics. What this means at her age is that she displays poise and balance in the form of walking across the low beam and doing forward rolls unassisted.

If she continues to show a growing interest, I will enroll her, in the fall, at a local big-time gymnastics facility located 2 miles from our home. I'll continue the gentle encouragement and maybe even kick it up a notch. And who knows, I'm not expecting a Shawn Johnson, but you just never know...