Qualified baby gym instructors

[happybilly]

Is there any baby gym in HK that has qualified sports instructors or first-aid officers on site?

I'm not sure if I'm the only one but from my trial class at one of the gyms, I am very concerned about the gymnastic moves eg. full body flips, that my baby has to do...yet I think it's good for physical development/coordination to give an early exposure to gymnastics.

Appreciate your sharing of experiences!

[educator]

safety is a valid concern and most of the reputable gyms, such as myGym or Gymboree, have good safety standards. As for third- party certification, such as First Aid or CPR, typically instructors may have it, but it's not required. Usually these gyms have their own internal training qualifications in which they will receive the "mygym instructor certificate" and this will cover a number of aspects of safety.

You DO need to watch out for the less reputable gyms, however. There are horror stories that I know of in which kids have broken an arm or leg. I personally know of two kids in which this happened.

That being said, if you stick with the reputable ones, you'll be fine. And make sure you stay clear of the ones that may not be so well known. I mention myGym and another one is Panda Junction because they've been around in Hong Kong for over 5 years each so typically reputation is built up over time whether the safety is good. Watch out for ones that have less years history than this.



-Ed

[happybilly]

Thanks for your advice! What are your experience with MyGym? I live on the Kowloon side so can only choose between MyGym and Little Gym.

[educator]

Well, obviously most of these gyms have a Free Trial class so I suggest that you check them both out and see which you like first. I have heard mixed opinion about Little gym. Mygym I've heard better comments, but the location doesn't seem to be as convenient.

more importantly though, i suggest you check on specific instructors. You know some of these teachers can be either 17 yrs old or have only taught for 1 month. that's no good. you want someone who is at least a bit older, more mature and has teaching experience. a lot of people don't ask for specifics on teachers and the gyms wouldn't like that, but it's worth trying. i've found that sometimes they tell you and sometimes they don't. in general, i find that it's a lot more important who is teaching the class than the place itself.

keep us updated on which you eventually choose and your experiences!