Tumble Tots Disaster

Ophie

OK....

I went for my free taster session today with Midget... in the 2 - 3 year old class.

I had the only child who screamed and had 4 major tantrums in the hour. All 4 times she was taken to one side (a corner) by me, sat down and I ignored her for 2 minutes whilst she continued to scream and cry and generally act like she had never been in public before.

She has no patience, she won't wait to use the equipment when other children are using it, she wants to do everything her way and not the way that she is supposed to do it, she won't carry her weight on her legs and expects me to hold her on the equipment (which I didn't do and she fell, but at that point I didn't care). She won't sit still or join in the activities, if she is to stand up she wants to be lifted up, if I let her go she runs around like she belongs to no one in the room.

All the parents there either looked at me sympathetically or said that I was dealing with things in an appropriate way. I really wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. The people who ran the session said not to worry, and she will get used to listening and having structure.

The thing is she does have boundaries and structure at home, I have no idea what happened today, other than she could have been tired. I woke her up at 9am this morning (she fell asleep at about 7:45 last night and slept through). Since we came home she has been asleep for an hour and a half so far...

What I am really asking is.... have any of you been to something similar and had your children behave this way. It's £5 per session, and if she keeps doing that I don't want to pay to want the floor to open up and swallow me. They like you to prepay and don't give refunds..... So its all about the MS...

Any suggestions?

EDIT

Forgot to add that she was the smallest child there in terms of stature, but she pushed other children when they were supposed to make a train to the next equipment AND when the children all had to line up and get a sticker, Midget couldn't wait - oh no - she went up to another little girl and pulled her sticker off her t-shirt and stuck it on herself. I grabbed Midget - unpeeled the sticker, gave it back to the little girl, said sorry to the mother and shoved Midget in the line to get her own sticker, which obviously wasn't as nice as the other little girl's sticker as she pulled it off straight away :mad:

vik6525

No advice really lovely, but when Zaks was about 3, we moved to a new area... I took him to a parent and toddler thing, he was really tired, and decided to 'scissor kick' one of the other kids to the floor. Hes a big, strong child, and the other kid was much much smaller.
Ive never been so ashamed in my life. I literally couldve DIED of embarassment.

So no.... You're not the only one.....

poppyolivia

I would go once more and if she is the same...call it aday! No point getting stressed. I put my wee lad to nursery when he was 2...I had to stay with him for the 3 sessions cause he was freaking out!..the teacher told me not to come back until he's 3...so that will be April but I'm waiting til after the summer...Every time we go past the building now he cries because he wants to go in...but I just tell him he has to be 3 and now he can't wait. At the point I was so gutted but now I realise kids do things at different times and take it with a pinch of salt!

Good luck xxx

balmaiden

Sounds to me that she was tired today,one of my DGS is just awful if he is tired. Give it another go.
Mind you on a different note if your daughter is destined to be little its no bad thing for her to be a little pushy. We littlies, I am only 5ft, have to be asertive or get overlooked you know!!

Bun

Hi Ophie,

My son has been exactly the same - children of this age really can't grasp and see the point of queuing etc and if she hasn't been before she is probably feeling this worse. It's a funny kind of age as they want to do stuff that older kids do but can't quite do it.
My ds has been going to football and it is only after about six months that he started to join in correctly, and not hare about like a lunatic all the time. I'd see how she does and then give it a break if you think it's a waste of time. I kept going to another think ds and I do and to be honest I really should have knocked it on the head much earlier than I did - we didn't always go or left in the middle and it got quite expensive.

Millie's_Mum

I think everyone who takes their child to one of these types of classes has had at least one session where the same thing has happened.

Can you speak to the people who run the sessions and see if you can come another 2 times before you commit yourself to paying for a term (or however long).

Another thing is that it was windy today and I know this sounds mad but I think small children go all strange and act up a lot when its windy, its not just my little darling we noticed it amongst the kids at our gym mini's class and the teacher (20yrs exp) said she thinks the wind affects kids.

hannahsmummy1

My daughter was the same when i used to take her to Jo Jingles- that lasted about 2 weeks as i got so stressed & so did she- it just wasnt worth the hassle! I would see how she gets on next week, if shes ok you know maybe it was a one off? If not, then you dont go back.

mrcow

Oh Tumbletots! :rotfl:

I remember - that was the place that I pulled my 2 1/2 year old out of because every Thursday was turning me into a complete stress bucket. If he wasn't screaming, someone was pushing him, or he wouldnt sit still when supposed to, or wanted to go on equipment that he wasn't allowed to.

Ophie.....perhaps Tumbletots isn't for you? It wasn't for me.

I have to say though that everywhere else I ever took my son, he was really well behaved. I think it was a Tumbletots thing perhaps?

I've not taken my other two there after the experiences with my eldest.......I figured what's the point of paying £4 for 45 minutes of stress when I could sit at home and get it for free?

misspenny

like a few others have said give it one more go, if midget plays up again then call it a day.

why not take her to the park insted while all the other kids in the area are a tumble tots all the play equipment will be free so she wont have to wait.

candygirl

Omg Ophie you've brought back horrid memories of Tumbletots:eek: :eek: My DD who's now 20 went to all sorts of toddler groups and playchool etc.I took her to Tumbletots and imo it was far too structured and intense for a toddler, and I hated all the other over competitive mums with their little robots who did everything right.
If I was you I'd just take her to the park, and mums and toddler groups where you can have a good goss with the other mums, while watching your kids play.Stuff like this isn't worth the stress believe me;)

relay

vik6525 wrote: »

No advice really lovely, but when Zaks was about 3, we moved to a new area... I took him to a parent and toddler thing, he was really tired, and decided to 'scissor kick' one of the other kids to the floor. Hes a big, strong child, and the other kid was much much smaller.
Ive never been so ashamed in my life. I literally couldve DIED of embarassment.

So no.... You're not the only one.....

What on earth is a 'Scissor kick'??