I'm often asked, "Is my child too young to start The Little Gym program?" Many times a parent of a young non-walking child or toddler will have this concern. Afterall, if the child isn't fully mobile, what good could all this gymnastics equipment offer.
It's a great question, but simply stated, The Little Gym curriculum goes well beyond physical development. I've often said, it's never to early to introduce social interaction. Having been around young children as a teacher, coach, and parent, I have witnessed the full scale of personalities ranging from the shy introvert to the gregarious extrovert. What I love about our program is that we don't discriminate. We encourage the timid toddler to find his/her own way in a nurturing approach, while at the same time offering challenges and opportunities to tame the "wild beast".
What better format to learn relationship building, behavior, and how to have fun safely, than in the warm surroundings of proud and positive parents, a confident, experienced, and informative teacher, and a space full of wondrous opportunities to explore.
We spoke last week about a concept called, "Parallel Play." This is the first interaction a young person encounters when playing alongside another child or adult. At younger ages, the child does not yet recognize how to play with another...only the object he/she is focused on. But through parallel play, you offer the "opportunity" to socialize, and learn key concepts of sharing and working together. Mind you, these are not concepts fully learned initially, but through your encouragement at home, and the many situations we create at "The Little Gym", we together form the foundation of high-level social development.
Which incidentally, our children carry with them into future endeavors of education, profession, and life!
Thanks for reading...Mr. Joel