AIBU to think it's ridiculous that so many toddler events are 1-3pm?

[MRex]

I've just been looking up some afternoon activities. The local children's centres have multiple events targeted at toddlers that I'd love to go to, but they're all 1-3pm. Then there's a local imaginary play, gym classes and forest play, that all have their only afternoon classes starting at 1pm. All these classes are advertising because their morning sessions are full, but the afternoons aren't. Most of the children I know nap sometime between 11.30 and 3, surely most under-3s do, and any nap time will not be over by 1pm minus whatever lunch, getting ready and travel time so realistically 12/12.30? Not everybody has a school run, and those who do surely still have their toddlers napping anyway. AIBU to wonder why so many toddler events are at times that don't suit actual toddlers?

Perfect for me, around here most groups are on 10-12ish which is DD's nap time, if she sleeps any later then 1pm there's no chance she's going to bed without a fight.

I own a Performing Arts school and all out toddler classes 2-3 year olds are between 12 - 3. This is the only time that works with out timetable. We have adult fitness classes in all studios in the mornings and 3 mornings a week we have baby (under 1s) yoga and ballet classes, so we can’t accommodate morning toddler sessions. We found out from parents who attend our classes that I’d they had to choose between the baby of toddler classes being in the meowing they would choose baby classes in the morning and toddlers in the afternoon as we simply couldn’t have both in the mornings and the evenings are totally reserved for proper dance, drama and singing ing classes for students taki g exams, going to competitions and training to become professions as well as a couple of hobby classes squeezed in for school aged kids. Maybe like me afternoons is the only time these venues can hold the classes.

Morning not meowing!

Mine slept early afternoon so we missed a lot of this stuff.

Yeah we would only consider morning classes for our toddler DS age 2. He still naps anytime between 1-4.30pm for a couple of hrs. Although he does go to sleep late and get up late too!
I've lots of friends with similar aged toddlers who all still nap on an afternoon and the vast majority of classes round here are mornings.

Yeah, DD sleeps from 12/12,30ish to 1.30/2 most days, although I try not to plan life around naps so if we want to go something, we go to it and just adjust round it. That said, I literally can't think of a single afternoon class round here. They are all mornings, every one.

They all seemed to be 9 / 9.30am when mine were little! Which was fine with the second (after school run) but horrible with the first as we didn’t want to be up early!

They may not be aimed at the under 3s anyway.
They may well be aimed at the 3-nearly 5s, i.e. those in the year before starting school.
In the year before school, DD2 did pre-school some mornings, and then in the afternoons Mon-Fri we did:

• SALT, Swimming, Toddler ballet, , 3-4 Time (music)

Worked a treat.

I agree. On my days with DD I like to get up, go out for an activity and then afternoons are lunch/ nap/ walks. Our children’s centre does a session at 1pm that I haven’t been able to make it to for ages. But those are more geared towards new Mums on mat leave.

I’ve started just going to softplay instead as the weather is so crap and there just aren’t any toddler groups on at the right time.

None of the group's ever fit in with the routines for either of mine!

Both of mine always napped early afternoon so that wouldn’t have worked for me, even when they went to pre-school I chose the morning sessions as I knew they would be tired in the afternoons. By mid to late afternoon they had both perks up so we would go to the park or local small soft play centre for an hour.

Years ago, I had a hyperactive toddler who didn't nap at all. The afternoons were awful, because he was tired and needed to be out and distracted, but no one else was awake to visit or play with!

DS2 napped 45mins a day from about year old. On the drive to drop his brother at preschool. Not all toddlers nap. Agree you are lucky to still have a children's centre. We lost them years ago in this county.

Conversely I wish there was more on in the afternoons, I’ve gone back to work mornings only and there’s nothing to do in the afternoon 🙁

If the activities didn't suit a large number of toddlers they would be empty and the activity wouldn't run.