You did great! You chose an activity that you child enjoys. The whole point is for the child to separate, become comfortable being in a group, learn to listen to a safe adult, and get some exercise. That is what these facilities are set up for. They are not there to act as a defacto gathering space for adults. If they try to accomplish this, you can expect your fees to go up significantly. If the space is limited and effective security is in place, feel free to leave.

On a side tangent...I hear parents insist that school functions as childcare. Then, when they pay for an activity that actually is child care, they hover anxiously. It's as if ballet/gym/karate is high stakes.

Anonymous wrote:Drop and run. Try not too kick up too much dust on your way outta there. You are practically a free woman with only one kid in tow.

Ha! Not quite. The older two are not in class at the same time, unfortunately. So we are doing this twice a week. Hence my stress. I'm planning on dropping off the older starting next week or the week after, but I think I need to stick around for DD.

Glad to know this is normal and I didn't just pick a particularly crummy gym. Feels more bearable knowing there wasn't another option.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can drop off as soon as they can toilet independently.

I honestly hated this part of parenting...killing time with a small child in an inconvenient place. For winter, I’d walk a nearby store (like Target/BBB or something) When it warms up you may find a nearby playground.

Wow you drop off your 3-4 year old. That is crazy.

Assuming that you picked a reputable facility...How is it any different than dropping off for preschool?

Anonymous wrote:You can drop off as soon as they can toilet independently.

I honestly hated this part of parenting...killing time with a small child in an inconvenient place. For winter, I’d walk a nearby store (like Target/BBB or something) When it warms up you may find a nearby playground.

Wow you drop off your 3-4 year old. That is crazy.