15 months old behaviour at music group

[Cece87]

Hi all,

I just took my 15 month old to a music group. I spent most of my time chasing around and apologising to other mums for him trying to take their musical instruments, his own he just threw across the room. All the others were just sat on their parents laps playing nicely and listening to the music. My son doesn’t seem to take much interest, just runs up and down until he find something throw. Is this normal?! I’ve worked with kids for many years and I don’t remember seeing this behaviour before with any that I’ve looked after personally and it’s worrying me.
Thanks in advance!

Sounds like normal inquisitive baby behaviour to me. I am more surprised that all the others where sat still unless they where much younger and not yet mobile!

Take him to a playgroup instead.

Sounds normal. Maybe the other babies aren’t mobile yet so had no choice but to sit still! Or aren’t as confident on their feet/in new places/around new people. I’ve seen plenty of toddlers act just as you describe.

Thanks Sirzy, he is super active no matter where we are, so I wouldn’t expect him to sit down anyway, it was just seeing how calm all the others were compared to him that made me panic he was being so different!

Thank you! Makes me feel better!

I took my 15month old DD to a music group today and there was a little boy doing the same thing and yes it's normal, he's a toddler.

15 months is still very young to be able to get them to do as we want! My elder DS was exactly the same, its painful at the time for you but he will eventually grow out of it once he understands rules and manners.

I also saw a little girl slyly bite another child, a kid try to escape out the door and more kids taking instruments off others. All totally normal.

Totally normal. It's just his personality, he must just be an active little boy so maybe not suited to a music class if there is an expectation for them to sit still for a bit. My second daughter was exactly the same, she preferred Gym Tots or the music classes that involved more getting up, moving around and dancing x

Its very normal

Thanks all, you have totally reassured me! He is certainly very active, and you’re right, he really doesn’t understand how it all works yet. We’ll get there eventually! (Or not! Haha!)

Definitely normal and nothing to worry about. He sounds like a lively, inquisitive little chap

As a PP said he might enjoy a free play type playgroup with a bit of sitting for snack/songs just at the end instead more.

My son was like that. He was more interested in trying to tip over the chairs stacked around the room.

I gave up on structured classes and took him to church hall playgroup free for alls instead where he could run around and chop and change toys to his hearts content.

Oh and he’s 19 now and always liked to do his own thing, it’s stood him well so far in life!

Totally normal. Once mine started crawling fast (around 10 months?) I gave up on structured groups, I just ended up chasing him round the room. He's still very active and inquisitive a couple of years later!

Also think it's a personality thing. I remember taking DD10 to rhyme time groups as a toddler. She didn't take or throw things but whereas all the other children would sit passively on their parents' laps, doing the nursery rhyme actions, DD would quickly lose interest and wander off looking at things. I used to think what's the point in this, why won't she sit nicely like all the others. She's grown up into a very independent and intelligent child, so it was just her inquisitive nature!

Hi OP, I was drawn to your post as my son did exactly this sort of thing at music group, so much so that I was once asked to take him home! I was mortified at the time but he was only two (he's 16 now 😊) and when my husband pointed out that he probably just didn't like it and was thinking, in his own little mind, 'Oh God, not this again!' it made me see it from his young little point of view 😊. My daughter on the other hand, a baby at the time, used to come along and sit there fascinated so as soon as she was old enough I took her on her own and she loved it. My point is that they're all different and if it's not for him please don't worry! Xx

I can’t thank you all enough! Thanks a million for such reassurance!! Xx

We stopped doing a class that was a 'sit down and listen nicely' one at that age because DD was having none of it! She had just learned to walk and had no interest in sitting down. We swapped it for a church hall movement class where they were always on their feet and then free play afterwards. Much better.

He sounds like a lively little boy who would rather be running around outside. Don't put yourself or him through it.

He will be Prime Minister!!

Mine was exactly the same at 15 months, I persevered and now at 19 months he's starting to pay attention and join in a bit more - not for the whole class, but you have to start somewhere

I'm actually still smiling at the memories as, again, my eldest used to roll around blowing raspberries at the end of baby massage class which was supposed to be quiet time, whereas my daughter used to just lie there quietly, as did my youngest son - in fact someone once commented that they'd thought he was a doll at first as he was so still! My eldest still charges about now as a teen, swinging on door frames in the house, practicing golf swings everywhere and dropping all sorts of random things into conversations! 😆

My boys would never have sat for a music group - we just did more physical things instead.
DD sat nicely and tapped her drum!

My DS is 22 months and he’s exactly the same at
our wee music group! He used to be the oldest in the class and the rest were all non walking babies so i found it very stressful as he threw things and i was worried it would bounce and hit a baby in the head or something.
Luckily the class leader suggested a move to an earlier class with other kids his age and it’s so much better and they are all exactly the same. Running about daft, touching everyone else’s stuff. The mums all just sit and let them get on with it.

What everyone else said.
Take him somewhere that suits him - a playgroup where he chooses his own activity, or a dance /gym/tumbling / movement type group if you really want an "interest class"