A 2.5 year old doing skin the cat gymnastics move?

[MrGreen]

This probably isn't the right place to be asking this question but I'm going to anyway....

Our daughter is really strong. She's a lean 2.5 year old that is muscle and bones. She really seems to enjoy activities that involve strength. She will wall walk her feet halfway into a handstand. She does donkey kicks and just two nights ago kicked into an unsupported handstand for the first time. She surprised herself, and held it for a half second before tucking her head into a forward roll. We tried to get her into a gymnastics class but because she's home with us all day she doesn't do well in a class environment yet so it was not safe for us to continue. Maybe when she's a little older.

She has a trampoline with rings and we've taught her the movement to do a skin the cat. She routinely pulls her toes to bar so a skin the cat is just a step further. Originally it was just a novelty when my wife and I would each hold a hand and our daughter would kick her legs up. Now she does a skin the cat completely at her own discretion. She'll hold the pose at the end where her arms are pulled behind her before dropping to the trampoline.

I'm slightly nervous about her hurting herself with the range of motion a skin the cat puts on the shoulders. We've never seen her say it hurts or make any kind of face that indicates discomfort or pain. I assume she wouldn't do it if that was the case. I may reach out to her gymnastics instructor to ask if we should be allowing her to do this but I figured I'd ask here just because. Maybe someone on the boards has experience with this. An internet search only yielded that it's a complex movement that requires significant strength and that toddlers generally do not have the ability to control the movement but that doesn't seem to be the case with her.

[reeshau]

If she's that into it, but isn't ready to be in a group, then maybe it would be worth the splurge for some 1:1 coaching time.  All our local gymnastics places offer that as an option.  The nice thing about it is that you could focus on the moves she does, to make sure she does them well, or maybe fill in some gaps of intermediate steps to make sure she doesn't hurt herself.  It could also acclimate her to the gym environment (with classes going on around her) that might help as an intermediate step to group classes, too.

It is very important for her to learn the proper forms, even though she seems like a natural.  (Tucking her head into a roll?!?)

[Freedomin5]

Yes, agree that 1:1 instruction, with a parent nearby, may be a good way for her to get used to being in a gym environment.

[waltworks]

She does not weigh enough to injure her joints with her own static body weight, you're good.

-W

[Laura33]

She's fine.  Kids are 95% rubber.  Let her explore her body's limits; the likelihood of permanent damage from anything other than a huge fall is very very small.

[MrGreen]

She's fine.  Kids are 95% rubber.  Let her explore her body's limits; the likelihood of permanent damage from anything other than a huge fall is very very small.

That was kinda my thoughts because I want her to be strong and know what her body is capable of but the extensive shoulder rotation gave me slight concern as an unknowledgeable person. I'll keep letting her cue us on her abilities.