Gymbaroo is such a crock.....

[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[mummabec]

I found the same thing!! :hugs:

[Pregnor]

Same, my ds never seemed to fit into the right age bracket, and just kept trying to run away constantly

[rosymum]

I agree, it's a crock...:eek:

[trishalishous]

yup, we are finding this even with the babies rhyme time. theres no way DD will sit still, she needs to be entertained and moving around.

[krystallxx]

I thought it was crap too and all the yuppies there made me sick.

[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[BabelFish]

Wow that's full on - we had the same thing with some swimming lessons recently. They were absolute CRAP and they're refusing to give us any of our money back.

I'm taking it further.

However, with Gymbaroo - don't you get to do a class (or two) first, before you pay? I thought that was the deal ...

[TinyLittleTootsies]

I *think* it is a franchise, so different for each centre.


The woman who runs the one I went to is fantastic. She let me trial too.. not sure why you couldn't do this? I thought they all let you.

Anyway I did the classes from 2years and up though, so maybe it is better then. DD loved them and they were great for her, and she is advanced. They were so fast paced that it did not matter. We also were allowed siblings in, so I only paid for one DD and then just had my younger DD do it with us. She also loved this class, so maybe if I had my younger DD in a baby class I would have been annoyed, as the toddler class seemed good for her, she learnt how to do some of the toddler things too.

It is a pitty that all of your experiences seem so bad.

re the yuppies.. one in the class but mine were more full of hippies. :laughing:

[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[MyPossum]

This makes me grateful that we are having great experiences with activities for my 10.5 mth old!

We are doing swimming lessons, go to library story-time and tumbletots (which is in melbourne, but basically the same as gymbaroo).

Tumbletots is running an introductory term for babies for just $3 a week! It's been great and besides a couple of minutes at the start and finish, it is free playon equipment etc.. Love it!

Our library story time is based around bubs sitting with parents, but if they want to move around then so be it - no-one frowns at them..

sorry to hear that it's not all like this...

[BabelFish]

In that case OP I think you should possibly take it further - if they're franchises there still should be a head office or an overarching management set-up or something like that...

[Gothel]

OP can you ask about moving up into the next bracket? The one i went to had different classes for different ages. Maybe they have put you in that class because of age but you lo is ready for the higher class.

But totally agree re patronising attitude etc. I found the same. Balls in kmart? No way. Who woulda guessed it :laughing:

[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[TinyLittleTootsies]

Yep, sounds like it! The woman who owns ours also lets you switch classes if it is not suitable. The thing is as well, the gymbaroo website says that you put your baby into the level you thing it is capable of. 14months is really too old to be in the babies/crawlers class! DD2 was going to be in the walkers class when I was thinking of signing her up at 11months!! Even in the age specific classes, there were a few children who were in higher age groups because they were developed faster. We had a few under two's in the two's, as they were walking and talking sentences. Seems really odd that they won't let you put a walker in the walkers class!!

[TinyLittleTootsies]

i wrote my last post right after you wrote your reply about them being dodgy.. did not realise it didn't send, then automatically sent when I just signed in lol.

If it is only the other woman who has told you that her baby couldn't go up, then I wouldn't be taking her word for it? I thought you meant that the owner/leader told you that. They let them go up as soon as they are walking here.

[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[TinyLittleTootsies]

oh she is only crawling haha, I was thinking that she is walking and they wouldn't let you up.

Oh bummer, then I don't know what to do. It is annoying for you, because I know how great they can be and it is bad that yours seems so not up to scratch! I would, like a pp said, see if you can go above the centre and talk to someone higher.

[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[One of THOSE mums!]

I went to one gymbaroo class here in melb and never went back.
My playgroup which is only $3 a week has a greater range of equipment and activities.

There are so many cheap activities for kids. I would rather pay $10 and spend a few hours at a play centre, than $20 for gymbaroo.

[TinyLittleTootsies]

Thanks I will do!

Haha I'm just laughing to myself still about the instructer telling us we can buy balls at kmart.

Oh boy.........


haha that would really peev me off. Actually some times now that I think about it, they can say things like "kids love this, try doing this with them" and I liken it to maternal health nurse advise... common sense to most but maybe it is helping someone out there lol.

Side note... I have not found a playgroup that is like the ones you are all talking about... hrmmm :(

[One of THOSE mums!]

Where in melbourne are you?

[TinyLittleTootsies]

wessssside ;) aka.. the west. I know you are an east Mummy :p

I am sure there are some around, just gave up looking after getting hopeful all last year about finding a group that would be good for me and the girls. I think maybe I am trying too hard to replace my really close mummy group before I moved here.

Anyway... sorry to go off topic OP!

[bubbella]

I have exactly the same problem at the moment in Sydney. I have paid for the full term as last year found it to be perfect but over the Xmas break DD started crawling properly and became extremely active so it's now impossible to keep her still during the sessions not to mention the class for this term is jam packed with babies ranging from a few weeks to over one year. It's not enjoyable anymore and the class definitely does not cater for kids who are crawling and won't keep still. Ugh and no refunds either, should have known!!

[Shanaynay]

Try kindygym at your local pcyc. Less than half the cost of gymbaroo and tons of fun. Highly recommend.

[Areca]

That's sad.
All my kids have done Gymbaroo for a couple of terms and it was fantastic. It wasn't $20 a class either (about $13 I think...it was the same as our kindergym class which was run at a Gymnastics centre).
I have been thinking about putting my DS back in to Gymbaroo but he is a 16 month old crawler so I've just been holding off until he is walking and then I'll see.
My kids have done both Kindergym and Gymbaroo...Kindergym was for when they were walking and my DD1 did it for 18 months until she got bored but the two are quite different.
I'd complain to head office. You get 1 free class at Gymbaroo and ours used to have a system where you could pay for three weeks at a time, instead of a whole term. Any classes missed you got to go to a make up class. They were very informative but not patronising in any way.

Oh and where I went as soon as the child could take a few steps on their own they went up to the walkers class.

[Mum2Angus]

Hi. I just came across this thread and I wanted to say that my DS and I LOVE gymbaroo. It sounds like some classes are set up differently, but we have non mobile babies, creepers and crawlers, fairy penguins etc... DS will be 1 in the last week of this term and although he is not walking, I will enrol him in the Fairy Penguin class because he is VERY active. He loves all the equipment and I love the way it is set out and how they do vestibular activities etc. I guess having worked as a special education teacher for children with autism and working alongside an Occupational Therapist, I can really appreciate the sensory development of children. Before working in this field I never really understood how we can all have sensory development issues.

DS is very active and boisterous, so he doesn't really like group time, but I think it is really good for him to learn to sit still for a little while. It depends a lot on the teacher too. I prefer having classes with the manager who was a primary school teacher and has a lot of training in all areas of development. However, she is scaling back, so many unqualified people are doing the classes.

DH and I think gymbaroo has been really beneficial for DS. He started when he was 4 months and now he will going into his 4th term.

Gypsyfortuneteller - Our instructor told us today that if your baby is over 10 months and active (then pointed out DS who was crawling all over the place at group time), they be enrolled in the fairy penguin class.

[Witchypoo]

I took my DS to Gymbaroo and was really excited about it beforehand but ended up being totally underwhelmed by it. I pulled DS out of it and they were gracious enough to give me my money back. My friend has been taking her DD since she was 6 months and loves it, so each to their own. I'm thinking that there can be huge differences between centres. My friend takes her DD to a different Gymbaroo than the one I took my DS to.

[GypsyFortuneTeller]

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[Mrs Awesome]

My DS is very active and doesn't like to be made to sit still, so we decided Gymbaroo was not for us. We go to a program called EdGym at the local YMCA. I think it's about $12 a session.

It is held in a proper gymnasium with all of the gymnastics equipment plus more.
Each week there is a theme and themed activities etc. It's a 45min class and the first 15 mins is free play on all of the equipment. The next 5 mins is some songs as a group (related to theme) then the instructor demonstrates the activities that are set up for the week. The next 20 mins or so is spent doing the activities (ie. crawl across the beam, bounce from one trampoline to the next, climb the ladder, ride the bike around the cones etc). Then, there is another 5mins of songs related to the theme and they get to play with the big parachute!

My DS loves it and I love it because he is exhausted afterwards!:smiliedance:

[Maybelline]

I was thinking about doing gymboroo/kindergym..but went with this place instead www.fitnessforfun.net.au...its (http://www.fitnessforfun.net.au...its) great ...real gymnastic instructors and real gym equipment..my girl is 2.2 months..I wouldnt bother whith it unless they are over 2 years...