Expert: Robert Davis - 6/26/2009

Question
My daughter is in level 5 and I have seen her do 5 back handsprings in a row.  All of a sudden she will not do even one.  She says she is scared.  I asked her if she hurt herself and she said no.  What can I do to help her?

Answer
Hi Annette,
I can understand how that might be frustrating for you.  Irrational fear like that is not usually something that can be dealt with by directly addressing the subject.  I would suggest you try to avoid the issue and if it comes up try to be easy about it.  If she brings it up you might suggest she take a break from it for awhile until she feels better about trying them again.  Your daughter is fine, just try to let go of the situation and focus on something the feels better.
Regards,
Robert

PS. I recently wrote an article about mental blocks which you might find helpful, it's at http://www.goodfeelingplace.com/how-to-overcome-a-mental-block/