To think this is unusual about 3 yo child

[Dorynnemo]

Posting here for traffic
I have a DS who has just turned 3. We have tried taking him to toddlers football club, swimming and toddlers karate classes since he was 2 nearly 2.5 years old. He seems to be distracted and unable to follow instructions given by the instructor at all of these activities. We kept taking him to several classes but he seems to be not playing or enjoying it so we stopped swimming and football. Now he is going to only karate where there are similar age kids who seem to be able to follow the instructions just fine but he seems to be distracted and wants to keep looking at other kids and surrounding than following what he is being asked.
Me and DH are slightly worried about his lack of attention, his speech is fine with his age and he goes to preschool where they say he is perfectly fine and is able to follow what's being asked. I want to hear if any parents had similar experiences and what they did about it.
Am I AIBU to be worried and also appreciate any suggestions?

He's 3. Sounds normal.

You sound hard work. Let him be a child,

Reading 10 books a day is fab! Carry on with that OP.

You know that the type of books you read with a three year old take less than five minutes each, right?

OP isn't sitting there reciting War and Peace to him.

Mine was a bit like this and as irritating as it was to be told it’s normal when I knew something wasn’t right @olderthanyouthink is correct that nothing is likely to happen yet if he is ND. I did find that using strategies for parenting ND kids helped even though he hadn’t been assessed or diagnosed. Things like giving one instruction at a time, making sure he knew what was going to happen when and so on. You don’t sound like hard work at all by the way, you sound like a lovely caring parent.

My son's football class is really structured and the kids seem to respond well to it and do learn key football skills. He's been going since he was 18 months old and moved up the age groups.
The coaches are great. The two younger sessions do focus on just dribbling the ball and running races but the three year old class they're learning drop kicks and goalkeeping etc. They even play a mini 'match' which is so cute 😂

Christ, he's 3!
So
Some 7yr olds struggle with that.
Some 13yr olds struggle with that!
Chill out and let him be a child, let him play poor thing

Sounds normal @Dorynnemo
I had my dc in gymnastics from age 1.5. All was well at first. Happily to listen and do as told. Age 2 became a runner. Tore around everywhere. Wouldn't listen, sit for circle time, take part in warm up, etc. Age 2.5 I began picking dc up and walking out for a break every time as it was disruptive. Over the summer dc was in soccer. First session great. Second session nightmare. Have focused on teaching respect=listening to coach and trying your best. Now parents are telling me how amazing the behaviour change is. Was it my exceptional parenting or time? 😂🤷‍♀️🧐

WHO THE HELL ARE ALL THE TWO AND THREE YEAR OLDS FOLLOWING COMPLEX DIRECTIONS IN CLASSES AND DOING WHAT THEYRE TOLD ALL THE TIME?!?!?!

WHAT has the world come to that the OP is worried why her toddler is acting like a toddler? Arghhhhhhhh!

To all the parents here who do have 2 and 3 year olds who do do exactly what they're told and follow complex instructions, good on you. For all the other toddlers, who are busy pretending to be Fireman-Puppy-Superheroes when they're supposed to be cleaning their teeth, and determinedly insisting on wearing their training pants on their heads, good on them too

Thanks for the kind replies, we are first time parents learning along the way as well, hence asking here. I think we need to chill out a bit and wait for him to grow up and take him to these classes then.

why you are making such a fuss about something a 3 year old is doing/not doing at a karate class. Could it be something more normal and heard of

You can still take your dc to activities. Just lower your expectations and have strategies to cope. My biggest hurdle was embarrassment/feeling like something was wrong with my child and/or my parenting/ coping with judgy looks from others. Like a pp said, They're just little children.

Sounds like my child....
We ditched ballet and football for this reason.
My siblings kids were the same.
We'll resume in a few years.

This is completely normal behaviour for a 3 year old OP.

I think the current trend of classes for everything makes people feel their young kids should be more focussed and obedient that kids naturally are.

Why does he even need to be doing all these activities? He doesn’t even sound like he wants to do it. Are you sure you’re not doing it more for you?

He sounds great - enjoy what you have and don’t worry. Not all boys are into football, judo or running around all the time. My DS loved to draw from 2 years on - now 17 he stil loves to draw. You may just have a bookish child and he may have that habit for life. Sod football!

Got 4dc and none could follow instructions aged 3. But I didn't take them to any structured classes. I only start swimming lessons aged 7 because any earlier is wasted money as they fanny around and don't listen to the instructor properly.

I’ve left Little Kickers (a kids football club) in tears with my two year old enough times to call it a day on any structured clubs like that for now !! He just wanted to kick the ball and half the time you’re doing things like picking up a certain colour cone etc. I hated it

Cut out the activities - they are unnecessary and he is too young. Read to him, supply dressing up stuff, give him a saucepan to bang, get him him to help in the house - sorting laundry, give him a duster and let him follow one of you round with it, let him empty the washing machine, give him a big bowl of water to mess with, etc. Babies of this age do not have structured brains - they are just exploring - they do not need to be slotted into moulds - they just need to play.

No way would either of mine sat and followed instructions in a formal class at 3, DD had to be given a fiddle toy to hold during the daily 3 minute nursery story time or she wouldn't sit still, totally fine once she started school though.

I have similar issues to an extent with my son except he’s 6 so is actually is an issue with school etc.
I think your expectations of a 3 year old are high.
Also, he’s jealous that the newborn took his mummy! He’s going through a phase emotionally. He might need more cuddles than boundaries while he deals with a newborn.

Totally normal.

Our 3.5 year old has only just started following instructions at his rugby sessions. Before then it was chaotic but at 2.5/3 they are still really young.

Try not to worry it all sounds completely normal

I left Little Kickers as my son ran out the fire escape and after I chased him back in ran out the other! And he was older than 3!

Give the little guy cuddles and try get as much rest as you can.

I used to take my son on dates after I had no 2.

There really isn't much point to these classes except money making. I would do swimming only it's a life skill.
If you are keen to continue with a class look for something less structured we hav pre school gym here where kids have free choice of exploring the equipment with coaches on hand who do little bits of teaching during the session

Totally normal. There will be some kids who can follow instructions at that age but most will not. We took DS to rugbytots and it wasn’t until age 4-5 that the majority of kids could get through a lesson without wandering off, spinning about, or playing with the cones.

Normal! YABU