DH doesn't want DS doing ballet, unless he asks to.

[Ashrev]

Hi,

Want to know who is wrong here. We have an older DD who does ballet (amongst other things) and I just assumed it would be good to start on the same activities we started DD with. DD started when she was 18 months, it was parent/baby. DS has hit 18 months, loves all the little dancy things they do in the class at home, so think it will be good for him.

Apparently DH says no. He has no problem with him doing ballet if he asks us but not to put him in it to start with

Who is unreasonable!?

There are male professional football teams that have taken their players to ballet to improve their football skills!

Tell DH he’s a dick. I’d take him anyway.

My seven year old son does dance, ballet is one of the classes, and really enjoys it. I have to admit though he does try to chat up the older girls too though.

Absolutely fine for him to do ballet-but not sure automatically just doing the same as older sibling is necessarily a good idea whatever the activity.

^This. Starting it at 18 months is a waste of time too

Your husband is daft.
At 18 months it’s not really ballet anyway. It’s just moving around to music.

It’s not different than taking them to tumble tots at a similar age though as they are mostly mummy and me exercise classes.

Ballet dancers have to be crazy strong and fit so if your husband is worried about how ‘macho’ it is then he IBU. 18 months is very young though!

Your DH is not out of order you are. When he is older if he asks then fine. Otherwise it is no different than trying to force your DD to do rugby or football.

Doesn't Prince George do ballet at school?

Although we are all quite rightly saying boys can do ballet, it can't only be the OP's dh who is reluctant about this as any preschool class I've been to has been heavily divided down sex lines. I watch a load of girls trooping into gymnastics at our local leisure centre, and there's about 20 boys and 4 or 5 girls signed up to the football class my ds goes to.

It’s not different than taking them to tumble tots at a similar age though as they are mostly mummy and me exercise classes.

Ballet is a world away from tumble tots- which is great and lots of music & movement great for tiny ones.

But lets not pretend it is ballet.

A lot of gymnastics clubs don’t take boys. I looked at before I signed ds up for dance

Ballet at eighteen months is movement to music. Our school only take from three but at that age they seem to do lots of movement to music, skipping and little jumps.

For older children, gymnastics is single sex because girls do beam and vault and aysymetric bars, boys do rings and vault and parallel bars. L

Show your DH vids of Sergei Polunin (he's the dancer in "Take me to Church.". Or Stephen McRae. They are stronger & fitter than most footballers. And ALL male in oh so many ways ...

And baby ballet isn't ballet really - it's lovely creative movement to music. Several of the children at my studio come with their dads.

Serious ballet & dance training starts at around 8. And boys gradually learn different steps to girls, so that they develop the extraordinary strength they need.

Tbh I looked for gym at three before I signed up for dance.

Otherwise it is no different than trying to force your DD to do rugby or football

At 18 months though everything you take them to is going to be their idea, not yours. Not like toddlers wake up in the morning saying “Mother dear, please take me to these library nursery rhyme sessions of which I have heard so much, I wish to peruse the mysteries of ‘Wind the Bobbin Up’.”

Tbh I think it is hard to force lots of toddlers to do anything they don’t want.

Your idea not theirs, even!

At 18 months though everything you take them to is going to be their idea, not yours.

Really? at 18 months? They decide they want to try judo or join a chess club?

Your DH does realize that your 18 month old child will not actually be doing ballet doesn't he?

Might as well tell him you're going to sign him (DS) up to learn to play poker or to play the trombone.

He'll be bobbing about a bit to music, if he actually joins in at all, calling it ballet is probably an offence under the trades description act.

You'll probably get as much 'dancing' at a parent and toddler group and it'll be a lot cheaper.

53rdWay

OK you beat me to it!

Baby ballet = herding cats IMO

But yes, your DH is being daft.

53rd corrected that

OP you are being ripped off.

Babies of 18 months cannot be taught ballet.