what do you do whilst waiting for your children at clubs

Gigglepig

Absolutely no need for OP to be 'watching and supporting' him every minute of a supervised session IMO.

OP this sounds like a good opportunity to get some organising done, make phone calls, write cards, write emails to send later, or simply read/relax - this way OP and the child can both have some time on their own and enjoy each others company afterwards.

gsymoo

My daughter goes to ballet and tap. I don't have to stay but the classes aren't long enough to go and do anything else! I normally take my knitting or sewing. The mums that stay don't normally chat much but I can guarantee that as soon as you get your knitting / sewing out you hear 'what you making?' and the conversation starts!

pigpen

iammumtoone wrote: »

I would never leave just in case he does need his mum for something

Does he not manage being at school for 6 hours without you?? Or do you sit there all day too??

I drop mine off and go pick them up again later.. once they get to school age no one ever wants parents to stay with them.. definitely none I have experienced in the last 22 years!

mrsjanebanbury2009

Sudoko, write shopping lists, menu planning, reading...

Janepig

With mine it depends on the activity. I don't generally stay with DD when she has her gymnastics lessons now (it's two hours) although you did have to stay when they were under 8 (and you could guarantee if you left, that is when they'd have a fall or something). You can't watch them though - there's a separate seating area with a shop selling refreshments, etc... so I used to take something to read usually, and then when I made friends there I used to chat to them.

I don't stay at her cheerleading lessons either, that's also two hours. There is a seating area outside that gym too, but parents can't watch there either. I also don't stay to watch her athletics training, but I could if I wanted to, there's a grandstand to sit in and parents are welcome.

I used to stay and watch their rugby training (DD and DS) but that consisted of chatting with some of the other mothers I'm friendly with rather than actually watching. But if I asked one of them to keep an eye on the kids while I nipped off to do something then they would. As for the weekly matches on a Sunday, well you want to be there to watch and cheer! Much the same when DS was doing football.

For DS's swimming, I go up to the gallery to watch (it's only a half hour lesson so no point in going off anywhere) but again that tends to be sitting chatting with another mum (I'm sensing a theme here ).

As others have said though, taking something to read (and something to drink) is a good idea, if there's a table and chairs you can sit at then catching up on correspondence, bills, whatever, is a good idea.

Jx

iammumtoone

pigpen wrote: »

Does he not manage being at school for 6 hours without you?? Or do you sit there all day too??

That is a good point but I see it as he knows his school teachers well and feels comfortable with them if anything were to happen. With these activities the people in charge are strangers to him and whilst it does him the world of good to be put in that situation as it will help his social skills develop (he is very shy). I would not be happy leaving him in case he got injured and needed reassurance from someone who was familiar to him.

Something like that actually happened to him last year, he was at a football class and got kicked hard straight in the face by the ball (not the other childs fault it was an accident, these things happen). He was crying his eyes out but the bloke in charge just said "carry on run after the ball!" I was glad I was there he was only 4 at the time. He ran over to me I took him to the toilet, put some cold water on his face, calmed him down and persuaded him to carry on. However if I hadn't have been there I wouldn't have liked to think he would have been upset with people just telling him "to carry on".
I think that instance put me off leaving him now!

Nicki

pigpen wrote: »

Does he not manage being at school for 6 hours without you?? Or do you sit there all day too??

I drop mine off and go pick them up again later.. once they get to school age no one ever wants parents to stay with them.. definitely none I have experienced in the last 22 years!

I am not sure there is any need for the sarcasm and implied criticism of the OP when she has explained clearly why she needs to stay.

iammumtoone wrote: »

I believe I have to stay because he is under 8, although I do know alot of parents don't follow this rule and leave anyway (they don't check), I would never leave just in case he does need his mum for something.

I certainly won't be watching him all the time, it is not a show the kids are putting on just activities to keep them amused over the holidays, they play games, craft activities etc. Some of the activities I won't even be able to watch him they will be in a room without a viewing area but I am expected to stay on the premises (its a large sports hall).

You could turn it round and say that just because YOU chose to have more children than you are able to look after without shortcuts doesn't mean that other parents shouldn't do things by the book. The reason why a few parents can dump and run after all is because the vast majority of parents do as requested and stay on the premises to help out with their own children if they need it if the staff child ratio means that this is the rule for that activity

pigpen

Nicki wrote: »

I am not sure there is any need for the sarcasm and implied criticism of the OP when she has explained clearly why she needs to stay.



You could turn it round and say that just because YOU chose to have more children than you are able to look after without shortcuts doesn't mean that other parents shouldn't do things by the book. The reason why a few parents can dump and run after all is because the vast majority of parents do as requested and stay on the premises to help out with their own children if they need it if the staff child ratio means that this is the rule for that activity

I manage to look after my lot quite adequately thank you!! I'm yet to lose or break one.

And I have NEVER been asked to stay once they were school age.. nor has it been expected of any of the parents even the ones who have nothing else to do because they don't have enough children, if it was requested then someone would stay with them.. we did have a couple of years of church summer club where someone had to stay with DS3 due to his behaviour which was when his aspergers was in the process of being dx and he was pretty horrific.. they go to many extra curricular activities and the only parents who hang about are the ones who live a distance away.. the rest of us drop off and go back and pick them up.. dance classes (from age 3), music classes, orchestra, choir, church clubs (from 3 years), theatre groups, swimming, various after school stuff.

The coffee shops near dance class do a roaring trade on a weekend.. and the ice cream stall at the nearby park is devoid if ice cream by lunch time.

Most are 1 hour 55 minutes so they don't HAVE to comply with the recommended staff : child ratios.. OFSTED type stuff.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

iammumtoone wrote: »

That is a good point but I see it as he knows his school teachers well and feels comfortable with them if anything were to happen. With these activities the people in charge are strangers to him and whilst it does him the world of good to be put in that situation as it will help his social skills develop (he is very shy). I would not be happy leaving him in case he got injured and needed reassurance from someone who was familiar to him.

Something like that actually happened to him last year, he was at a football class and got kicked hard straight in the face by the ball (not the other childs fault it was an accident, these things happen). He was crying his eyes out but the bloke in charge just said "carry on run after the ball!" I was glad I was there he was only 4 at the time. He ran over to me I took him to the toilet, put some cold water on his face, calmed him down and persuaded him to carry on. However if I hadn't have been there I wouldn't have liked to think he would have been upset with people just telling him "to carry on".
I think that instance put me off leaving him now!

Or, had he not had the sympathetic audience of Mummy, he'd have got over it much sooner, carried on running after the ball and forgotten all about it until you came to pick him up.

cutestkids

My kids are almost 8 and 12 years old, I have never heard of anything stating that I should stay with them at an activity under the age of 8 except at swimming lessons.

Over the years they have been involved in beavers, cubs, fencing, athletics, karate, drama club, gardening club, and much more and I have never been expected to stay a any of them, is it a new thing that you must stay with a child under 8?