Toddler class rant

[Anonymous]

Op you need to lower your expectations. Taking your two year old to gymnastics is kind of like taking your cat to gymnastics. You just kind of move them from station to station and have zero expectations that they will do anything you ask them to do.

[Anonymous]

OP, I 100% agree.

There are a lot of parents who just think it's their time to relax and not be a parent. I get that. But, it equally annoys me when I see kids doing things that are so easy to correct. If we don't do it now, they won't learn.

That said, grant the parents some grace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op you need to lower your expectations. Taking your two year old to gymnastics is kind of like taking your cat to gymnastics. You just kind of move them from station to station and have zero expectations that they will do anything you ask them to do.

Ha, I love this image.

Again, it doesn't bother me at all that a kid tries to dominate the trampoline. I totally get it! But that's when the parent should gently intervene, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean this nicely, but please get on anti anxiety medicine. I started anti depression/anxiety meds in October and it's been life changing. I'm on a low dose of Wellbutrin. Things like this that used to annoy me and make me very angry, now just roll off my back like water on a duck. I'm very type A and didn't like how I was raising my toddlers. I didn't want them to think their mom wasn't flexible and that there's only one way to do things.

If you don't want to do that, please talk to the teachers/manager at the gym. Tell them that you need it to be ran better and to make an announcement to all moms.

Thank you for saying this. I've been on anxiety meds in the past (ages ago) but that was when I was really feeling anxious. I don't actively feel anxious right now, but maybe there's something low-level going on. I think a lot my general grumpiness is just that I'm not getting enough sleep or exercise. Maybe I should focus on that first. That might help me be less grumpy!

[Anonymous]

I have a soon-to-be 5 year old and went through the exact same experience at gymnastics and dance classes. My DD was the quiet, focused type who lived for structure, and my DH and I are admittedly pretty old-fashioned, so the parents who just checked out during those classes made me completely crazy. I hear you!

It gets better so quickly. Most of the kids figure out some self-regulation and how to participate, and activities stop involving parents really quickly. But guess what? My DD is at a preK-8th grade school and from what I see, there are always going to be parents who don’t care or kids who are in a different place developmentally. And some of them become drugstore line-cutters and awful drivers and jerks at the office, but some of them become perfectly nice adult human beings.

Try to develop you and your kids’ quiet happy mental place now, because there will always be rulebreakers or apathetic people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a soon-to-be 5 year old and went through the exact same experience at gymnastics and dance classes. My DD was the quiet, focused type who lived for structure, and my DH and I are admittedly pretty old-fashioned, so the parents who just checked out during those classes made me completely crazy. I hear you!

It gets better so quickly. Most of the kids figure out some self-regulation and how to participate, and activities stop involving parents really quickly. But guess what? My DD is at a preK-8th grade school and from what I see, there are always going to be parents who don’t care or kids who are in a different place developmentally. And some of them become drugstore line-cutters and awful drivers and jerks at the office, but some of them become perfectly nice adult human beings.

Try to develop you and your kids’ quiet happy mental place now, because there will always be rulebreakers or apathetic people.

Thanks for this PP. It makes a lot of sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have an issue with this class, you'd really have a problem with your kid going to preschool.

Also, you should know that free play is really important at that age. It's concerning to me that no free play is allowed in that class. Usually it's a mix of activities and free play.

Not sure what you mean about preschool. No parents are there, so no one to complain about.

And FWIW I am very into free play, but in this particular case, it's not supposed to be. This isn't Gymboree where the instructors don't care. It's a crowded gymnastics studio where they're rotating multiple classes through various obstacle courses etc and you really need to stay with your group.

Why would you do that to your kid?

As a former preschool teacher, I can tell the kids who have been in really developmentally inappropriate classes like this one. They're the ones who have learned to misbehave in class. Whereas if parents weren't so competitive and just waited until kids were ready, they'd participate enthusiastically.

Seriously, terrible choice OP.

[Anonymous]

Oh man, flashbacks to the gymnastics class I almost pulled my daughter from when she was 3. There was another girl there who would follow my kid around and try to wrestle or bite her. Her parents never intervened. The instructors finally had to ask them to drop out because they couldn't both teach and shadow her to make sure she didn't actually hurt anyone.

[Anonymous]

I completely agree with you, OP. As a former preschool teacher and now mother of three kids, I can tell by sight which kid is going to have trouble in preschool and it is always the ones with vacant parents.

And having trouble in preschool is hardest on the poor child who was simply never taught self-restraint or self-control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have an issue with this class, you'd really have a problem with your kid going to preschool.

Also, you should know that free play is really important at that age. It's concerning to me that no free play is allowed in that class. Usually it's a mix of activities and free play.

Not sure what you mean about preschool. No parents are there, so no one to complain about.

And FWIW I am very into free play, but in this particular case, it's not supposed to be. This isn't Gymboree where the instructors don't care. It's a crowded gymnastics studio where they're rotating multiple classes through various obstacle courses etc and you really need to stay with your group.

Why would you do that to your kid?

As a former preschool teacher, I can tell the kids who have been in really developmentally inappropriate classes like this one. They're the ones who have learned to misbehave in class. Whereas if parents weren't so competitive and just waited until kids were ready, they'd participate enthusiastically.

Seriously, terrible choice OP.

My DS is totally ready. He loves this class and he behaves well. He's very much unlike his older brother who I held out of any class until he was closer to 4 because he wasn't at all ready.

That said, I promise you I'm not trying to get him into competitive gymnastics. It's just something to do during the winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have an issue with this class, you'd really have a problem with your kid going to preschool.

Also, you should know that free play is really important at that age. It's concerning to me that no free play is allowed in that class. Usually it's a mix of activities and free play.

Not sure what you mean about preschool. No parents are there, so no one to complain about.

And FWIW I am very into free play, but in this particular case, it's not supposed to be. This isn't Gymboree where the instructors don't care. It's a crowded gymnastics studio where they're rotating multiple classes through various obstacle courses etc and you really need to stay with your group.

Why would you do that to your kid?

As a former preschool teacher, I can tell the kids who have been in really developmentally inappropriate classes like this one. They're the ones who have learned to misbehave in class. Whereas if parents weren't so competitive and just waited until kids were ready, they'd participate enthusiastically.

Seriously, terrible choice OP.

You are dead wrong, PP. An actual preschool teacher here and these type of classes are absolutely developmentally appropriate for the vast majority of toddlers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have an issue with this class, you'd really have a problem with your kid going to preschool.

Also, you should know that free play is really important at that age. It's concerning to me that no free play is allowed in that class. Usually it's a mix of activities and free play.

You get that daycare kids learn to wait to take a turn and follow instruction every day, right? And at much younger than 2. Free play is never free-for-all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, let me just up front say what several of you will say anyway: I'm a judgmental asshole who sucks. And I think I'm perfect blah blah. I actually wish I weren't so judgy because I find myself getting so annoyed it really diminishes my enjoyment of the class. I wish I could just let stuff roll off me more, but for some reason I really struggle.

Every time I take my 2 year old to gymnastics class, I just cannot stand the behavior of some of the parents.

If your kid cuts in front of another kid, gently pick them up and explain they have to wait. If they start crying, don't shrug your shoulders and just put them back on the equipment in front of the other kids because you don't want to deal with the crying.

If your child has left the group to use the gym as free play (not allowed in these classes), don't sit there texting on your phone while one of the 2 instructors of a biggish class is now following your child around instead of helping the other kids.

If your child isn't listening to you tell them to get off the trampoline so another child can have their turn, don't ask them 10 times while they continue to play. Remove them from the freaking trampoline!

The point of these classes is to have fun. Absolutely! But it's also about learning how to follow directions, take turns, and share equipment with others etc.

I get that the problem here is partly with me. I don't understand why this bothers me as much as it does.

Bring the hate, people. I'm ready.

These are the 2 main reasons you are so annoyed. Two year olds are not able to do a directed class from an adult with such restrictions. You can try, sure. But you'll get EXACTLY what you posted here. Having free time in the gym would be much much better for the kid. Of course the gymnastics place couldn't charge as much for that, so they don't offer it. And everyone wants to feel like their toddler may be the next Simone Biles, so yeah.

2 year olds should get very little instruction time on ANYTHING.

This. They’re toddlers. Let them do what toddlers are supposed to do. The only time I ever put a toddler on one of those classes, it was just to get out of the house and meet up with a friend. We were both pregnant and exhausted and in the next session we were both exhausted with newborns. We spent all of our time chatting and commiserating and not paying attention to our toddlers who probably did all these Very Bad Things you describe. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

So, I taught gymnastics for many years, and most recently ran a toddler and pre-school program. I don't know what gym OP is at, but a lot of places have a loosely structured toddler and pre-school class--but there are still limits. It is not "Do 5 leg lifts, then jump 10 times on the trampoline, now walk backwards on the beam." (Or, at least, it shouldn't be!)

Typically, there's a circuit the kids go around so they are always (or nearly always) moving, and while there are often suggested things to do at each station, if a kid does something else, whatever. What is not cool in these parent-participation classes is:

Not supervising your kid! Don't let them run off. That's how they get hurt. Or bite another kid. Yes, I've seen it happen. More than once.

Not helping your kid share the equipment and take turns. We all love the trampoline. SHARE. Please.

Any gymnastics program where there's a lot of sitting around is not a good one. But I assure you any class, even one for toddlers, that isn't "open free time" needs SOME level of structure, if only to keep everyone safe.

And it's okay if your kid can't handle that loose structure! It really is. Try again later. No one wants you to have a bad experience because we're constantly having to hound you to keep Larlo under control or please have Larla share and take turns on the slide. if it's not working, it's not working. I'd much rather you try again in a few months than spend weeks resenting me for reminding you that no, Larla should not be trying to climb onto the high beams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have an issue with this class, you'd really have a problem with your kid going to preschool.

Also, you should know that free play is really important at that age. It's concerning to me that no free play is allowed in that class. Usually it's a mix of activities and free play.

Not sure what you mean about preschool. No parents are there, so no one to complain about.

And FWIW I am very into free play, but in this particular case, it's not supposed to be. This isn't Gymboree where the instructors don't care. It's a crowded gymnastics studio where they're rotating multiple classes through various obstacle courses etc and you really need to stay with your group.

Why would you do that to your kid?

As a former preschool teacher, I can tell the kids who have been in really developmentally inappropriate classes like this one. They're the ones who have learned to misbehave in class. Whereas if parents weren't so competitive and just waited until kids were ready, they'd participate enthusiastically.

Seriously, terrible choice OP.

You are dead wrong, PP. An actual preschool teacher here and these type of classes are absolutely developmentally appropriate for the vast majority of toddlers.

NP I'm interested in why you would argue that such a structured class with little choice, high expectations to follow specific directions and a low ration of teachers is developmentally appropriate for the vast majority of 2 year olds? Is there research to back that up? I don't mean this in a rude way, this is not my understanding of the research and I'm intrigued as to what your viewpoint is on this.