Toddler class rant

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

I also don't understand why this bother you as much as it does. The children are 2.

[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.

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also don't understand why this bother you as much as it does. The children are 2.

That's the thing. It's not the kids that bother me. It's the parents! Who I think should know better.

[Anonymous]

OP, I hear you. But it's a class for 2yos. Repeat after me: they are 2 years old. I would be totally annoyed if this were happening in a 4yo class, but at 2yo, it should simply be enjoyable. And it should be enjoyable primarily for the parents, because the 2yos do not get anything out of it. The bottom line: you are not enjoying it, so quit. Come back when your child is 3.5 or 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I hear you. But it's a class for 2yos. Repeat after me: they are 2 years old. I would be totally annoyed if this were happening in a 4yo class, but at 2yo, it should simply be enjoyable. And it should be enjoyable primarily for the parents, because the 2yos do not get anything out of it. The bottom line: you are not enjoying it, so quit. Come back when your child is 3.5 or 4.

I know you're right. But my kid actually really loves it and talks about it all week.

I know I need to chill. I need a mantra or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also don't understand why this bother you as much as it does. The children are 2.

That's the thing. It's not the kids that bother me. It's the parents! Who I think should know better.

I have such an issue with these classes that expect-year-olds to sit for circle time or long periods of time. It is developmental inappropriate and I think two-year-olds should be exploring, running and learning about their environments. Taking risks and learning about how their bodies move on certain apparatuses.

However!! If you sign up your kids for one of these sit still and listen classes then you need to keep your little ones from running around and having free play the entire time. If you want your kids to do that then that is not the class for you. So, parents need to be better at parenting their kids and parents should enforce the rules of the class.

That’s a roundabout way of me saying that I agree with you.

[Anonymous]

You're already in a helicopter flying over the whole class, so I don't have to get into mine.

[Anonymous]

It’s not developmentally appropriate, OP. What you want. Look, if parents are there, being forced to participate, it’s not a “class”. It’s a parent lead activity. You’re not in charge of the other parents. You’re going to have to internalize that. Also, listen carefully to your inner voice and regulate it. If your kid wants to do say soccer in elementary and sucks, you’re likely to be one of those parents all bent out at the parents who insist it be treated like a real game (I think that’s madness ya they’re 5). Point being, there is more than likely going to be a point where you’re the sad why can’t it be chill parent, so watch your glass house.

[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.

And as you are finding out, this is a completely unrealistic expectation for 2 year olds.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

It's very telling that you call a class with free play a situation where "the instructors don't care."

[Anonymous]

I applaud the parents for realizing this structure isn't developmentally appropriate for 2 year olds, and doing their best to enjoy it anyway. I would have just stopped bringing my child because he certainly would have been the one jumping out of turn, and it would have stressed me out to feel judged by you and your perfect child. But I would have been sad that we couldn't participate. Offer some grace, or see if you can get your kid in an older class (is there like a 2 and 3 year old one where she/he would be the youngest?).

At 4 my kid still struggles with this type of stuff, despite our very best efforts, and I am also so worried that he and I will be judged - so I limit the activities that we participate in, but it does make me kind of sad.