to let my daughter 'misbehave' in dance class?

[mrscumberbatch]

My DD is an only child. 2.5 yrs old and is the only grandchild on both sides.

As such, everywhere we go, it's all about her as everyone dotes on her.

She isn't at nursery yet as me and DP managed to split childcare/work between us.

She has not long started dance classes (tap,ballet,disco.) And she is loving it, but is prone to getting distracted and running around the class and trying to chat to the other toddlers. She also gets bored during the quiet ballet part and does her own thing.

On one hand, I don't want to intervene, out of fear that I 'squash' her confidence. My thinking is that once she is at nursery with more structured play with other toddlers that she will come into line.

On the other hand, I hate being the only one in the class with a noticeably willful toddler.

WWYD? Leave her to it and cringe inwardly or become more involved and do some hovering?

Actually, Sue (if I may call you Sue), she worked for him IN OXFORD UK. As opposed to . . .

(Actually Branson is outside Oxford itself, but let that pass.)

She's too young

You are wasting your money

Go to the park

Sock it to 'em Val

Hahahaha at Val, has anyone PMd the OP to tell HER someone nearly important has put in their TWO penneth?

More at Aboutlastnight not RTFT, if you'd have said that earlier all this could have been avoided.

(You were only being unreasonable admitting you bought the DM once OP)

When the orbito-frontal cortex has matured, does one learn how to use an apostrophe correctly?

Good Morning Val and thank you for the laugh.

I shall print it off and laminate it. It will sustain me in troublesome times.

Oxford UK? UK?
Ah well then. No bloody wonder.

(course you may Mmn btw)

Stick around Val you are going to love mn! Prepare to have your eyes opened and your mind expanded.

I'm still trying to work out Val's thought process when she put her post together and what made her push the post message button!

I want Val to come back.
Is she a larker or a po or a loon?
Discuss.

How come this post has a bit missing?

But do a search if val1969 posts ( there is just this one) and there is an extra bit on the searched post which is missing here!

However val.... I looked on your Facebook page as you requested ( on the post in search) and I am at what I read about you. What your mother did was beyond awful and I wish you well.

What's that cherry? Where's the missing bit? Fb page?

Watch 'val1969' here on mumsnet....

Search not watch!

By Val1969
Good morning, I am new to Mumsnet today and will not be visiting again. I am a former manager to Sir Richard Branson in Oxford UK and have worked with the general public and their children for twenty years. I am STUNNED, having read a third of this thread - to find utterly mean spirited comments throughout. Mrscumberbatch is evidently a highly intelligent, thoughtful lady and way ahead of her time here. The orbito-frontal cortex does not finish it's first stage of development until after 3 - (and again between 12 and 15- hence 'terrible two's' and 'terrible teens)'. To see comments such as 'playing the only child card' - WHAT? How old are you? You sound like a snidy, spite ridden teen? This lady is brave to have put her minor concern to forum - but judging by the mean spirited APPROACH of the majority at the onset of the thread, one would think why did she bother? Is this really how mums discuss concerns? Jesus. This little girl will grow up to be as thoughtful and as balanced as her mum. There are some seriously grandiose types here. I am stunned. Valerie Breslin FACEBOOK open page. Feel free to find me there. This type of thread is appalling and telling. Good luck Mrscumberbatch, she will go far and be just fine, a reflection of you. x

I had a look but there aren't any differences between this thread and the one on search.

I'm not sure I want to open the fb page, I cut my teeth on dragon butter (not literally of course )

I've bolded the different bit

Creating boundaries for your child gives them confidence. If you are taking your child into social situations you have a responsibility to teach them appropriate behaviour.

The difficult thing about this- is that 2.5 is very very young to be listening, concentrating & following something structured like a dance class, so it is an unreasonable expectation, to think a child of this age will not want to run around & want to chat.

So take her to a different type of more age appropriate class and please for the love of god find a way to give your child firm, clear, consistent boundaries.

2 is too young for structured dance classes.

Take her back when she's 4.

She is way too young to be going to dance classes, especially if she hasn't started nursery yet. My dd is nearly 3.5 and has just started ballet and she can just about keep focused for 30 minutes. Just about!

I did read the early part of this thread on the first day, but didn't read it all - but I am so glad I decided to come back today, just for the Joy of Val! I need more of the wit and wisdom of Sir Richard's esteemed colleague.

Fwiw, Mrscumberbatch - I think you might have got some very different answers if you had worded your OP a bit differently - to be honest, your OP did somewhat give the impression that you don't discipline your dd. Clearly, from what you have said since, that isn't the case, and what you wanted to know was how best to deal with your dd being distracted and not very interested in the ballet part of the class - maybe asking if you would be unreasonable to let her misbehave wasn't the best way to get this advice.

You knew what you meant by your OP, but other people read it very differently, and responded to what they understood from what they read - it won't be the first time that's happened on the interwebs, and it won't be the last.