When most parents of toddlers think of gymnastics, they assume that it’s only for older kids. The reality is that children as young as 12 months old can be enrolled in Pre-school Programs in Fairfield CT and the decision as to whether or not a toddler is ready can only be made on a case-by-case basis. Parents can read on to find a few tips for how to tell if their toddlers are ready to start pre-school gymnastics programs that might make this difficult decision a little bit easier.
Ask About Parent Participation Classes
Very young children shouldn’t be enrolled in independent classes but there are often parent participation gymnastics programs that allow parents to get their kids started learning gymnastics at as young as 12 months of age. Most toddlers really aren’t ready for independent classes until they’re around three and half years old but parent participation classes can help to ensure that they’re ready to take that next step sooner, rather than later.
Evaluate Potential Risks
Very young children should never be allowed to use gymnastics equipment without parent supervision. However, once toddlers begin to develop their coordination, enrolling them in gymnastics Pre-school Programs in Fairfield CT can actually help to reduce their risk of injury later in childhood. Learning gymnastics helps children develop more body awareness, balance, and physical coordination so older toddlers can really benefit from starting early.
Ask the Child
Older pre-school aged kids can often offer insight into whether or not they’re really ready to enroll in independent gymnastics programs, themselves. Parents of children who experience severe separation anxiety or social anxiety should recognize that they might have to wait a little bit longer before enrolling them in any kind of pre-school programs. Convincing these more hesitant kids to step out of their comfort zone can be very helpful in terms of teaching them independence, though, so don’t just give up and put it on the back burner indefinitely.
Find the Right Program
Children in different age groups require different levels of supervision and parent involvement so it’s important for parents to find a program that actually fits their children’s needs. Contact Next Dimension Gymnastics today to find out about preschool programs for kids ranging from 12 months to six years of age to get started today.