Baby/toddler groups - should I persevere?

[EffiePerine]

I don't do a lot of organised toddler stuff (DS is 16 mo) as I work 4 days a week, but there's a local group that meets in the library on my day off. Took DS there yesterday and he was a nightmare - wouldn't sit still and listen, running about in the main part of the library and fit of screaming abdabs whenever I tried to steer him in the right direction (screaming is a popular hobby atm). It seemed as if he was the only misbehaving child there, in a room of babies up to under-fives...

So should I persevere with the group, or accept that he isn't great at this stuff? HIs CM does take him to playgroup and he's fine, although he tends to wander off and do his own thing. Am I expecting too much of him at only 16 mo?

[Acinonyx]

Yes it's just the wrong kind of group - most playgroups have toddlers just doing their own thing all over the place.

Dd loves swimming (dh takes her - I hate it!). And we sometimes go to an indoor softplay especially when the weather's lousy - they are quite a workout for mom too! If you want to do the story time perhaps you could wear him out a bit in the park first.

[Lazycow]

I never went to the library at all (including story time for babies) when ds was that age as the couple of times I tried it he used to run around pulling books off the shelves, trying to tear them and sometimes even succeeding if I didn't get to him in time

I found anohter local group where there was alot more space and it was Ok for them to just do theor own thing. TBh though it was never very relaxing, but I just found that a change of scene made it easier to get through the day when he was that age.

[EffiePerine]

Thanks for the replies . I might try one more time after a run in the park - he has so much energy atm that he finds it difficult to sit quietly. Might also look into soft play

[Karoleann]

We've tried Rhyme time at the library a couple of times and its just not DS's thing, he gets bored after 5 minutes or so. We do lots of other things - Gymboree, free play toddler groups, swimming soft play and he loves it.

[HereWeGoRoundTheMulberryBag]

Message withdrawn

[colditz]

Take him to playgroups - personally I'd ditch anything he isn/t enjoying. YOu have your life to do things you hate.

[MaeWest]

Soft play wasn't as bad as I feared, might be worth a try - just avoid school holidays (eek). DS is 18 months and has boundless energy and I find that an hour or two charging round at soft play knackers him out nicely

If you only have one day during the week with him, I would just concentrate on doing things that you both like