My toddler doesn’t do enough activities?

[Korr]

Ds 2.5 goes to nursery four days, then a day with me in the week to do soft play or food shop etc. Weekends sometimes swimming (not a lesson), walk, meal out, a national trust etc. Apparently by now he should be attending activities like rugby toys or swim class or something structured? Any opinions on this? We have no money left after nursery!

I wonder if this mum maybe doesn't work and (could be) very slightly green eyed you don't have the time to think about activities for a 2 year old ☺️

I think baby/toddler classes of any sort are a load of baloney, don't bother!

@Korr As your dc goes to nursery is there time? Sounds like competitive parenting to me. Dc don’t make friends as toddlers and we didn’t have swimming lessons here until 3/4. What you do sounds fine to me. We did always go to the library though. Books you read to dc greatly improves language. It’s 1/1 time which nursery isn’t.

The only class I think was really, really worth it was baby signing. DD started signing from 6 months and it made life so much easier that she could tell me exactly what she wanted, we avoided pretty much all tantrums as she could communicate in sentences way before she could say them

Swimming is the only activity needed as I see it as an essential life skill, even then you can still wait if you can’t afford it. If your taking him swimming as a family for now that’s more than enough.

once he starts school there will be loads to do.

he sounds like he’s having lots of family time which I think is far more important at this age.

Sounds like he's doing just fine!
Some parents enrol their child in every activity known to man from a very early age, but most sensible folk wait until early primary and start gradually.

Mine didn't attend ANY classes or activities at all, nor did he attend nursery! It's had absolutely no effect at all!

Welcome to Mum guilt. Too many activities. Not enough activities. Too much nursery. Not enough nursery. Too much independent play. Not enough independent play. Too many snacks. Not enough snacks. Too much "academic" work. Not enough "academic" work. Too many risks. Not enough risks.

Its never ending!

My DD (almost 3) does swimming classes which have been great. Otherwise it’s pre school in the mornings and a mix of playgroups/park/play dates/soft play in the afternoon. We make the most of weekends and go to the beach in summer/aquarium/RHS etc… things to get us out of the house, but no structured activities.

This.
Even swimming is uphill until they are about 6, then they learn swiftly.
All those things might be fun for the parents but a 2.5 Year old will get far more benefit from 1to1 with mum or dad.

Fix it now. The downfall of the roman empire was due to toddlers lack of structured activities.

Mine went to tots football at about 18 months because it was close by and cheap. Anyway, he didn't seem that keen and just used to run around ignoring the activities. Then by about 2 he learnt to talk and said 'I don't like football', which was already becoming pretty obvious to be fair. Now he's 3 and much more up for structured group activities, all of which he gets at nursery (music sessions, sports sessions, forest school). So I wouldn't be wasting my time getting him to other activities unless they were convenient and he really wanted to do them.

But seriously don't worry, this stuff is new and kids developed for thousands of years just fine without it

My youngest started swimming lessons about 3 months before his 3rd birthday, this was only because his older sister was doing them. He's 4.5 now and swimming is still the only thing he does (sister as well) they go to school full time, they see their friends and family and are both happy and thriving.

Noooo keep away from that madness for as long as possible!!

Oh fgs. God forbid a child is left to just 'be' in life. Not every second of their lives needs to be filled with activity.

Children need to play at that age. They don't need organized activities. They need to explore, discover the world, develop imagination, use their senses. Having an adult constantly directing their play can turn toddlers into easily-bored children who won't play on their own.

This is just the modern fad and I personally don't understand it. As said above- we didn't do all this stuff in childhood and turned out OK? You could argue that the kids having parents lives centered around them are actually turning out far worse. 🤷‍♀️
My DD is 2.5 and goes swimming weekly. Weekends she might go to the park, the shop, wherever else we drag her to. Just life stuff.

I did nothing of the sort as a child and I am fine

They won't even remember doing it at this age.

I actually feel a bit sorry for little children now, everything is so structured. When do some of them get the opportunity to just play with toys or dig a hole in the garden and inspect the insects.

The ONLY toddler activity worth doing is ballet if you have a girl because they look soooooo cute in their costumes.

Everything else is pointless.

😀

This

When my DS was younger (he's in primary school now) we did so many of these classes: athletics, football, rugby, swimming.... you name it. Honestly....I would not do it again. While it's cool to see them in action, trying to learn a new skill etc I personally think they had next to zero value for my DS and they have been a massive waste of time and money.
However, as he was in nursery full time we felt we HAD to have that bonding moment. Reality was we enjoyed the first lesson of each class and then it was such a chore.

My DD (3) does ballet and that’s it (and nursery) 🤷🏼‍♀️

Also practically speaking most toddler / pre school classes are during the week, especially in my area you’re hard pushed to find structured classes for kids who aren’t at school on the weekend.

I was a toddler in the very early 60s. I was just at home with mum! She did teach me to read and write when I was 3, which was a masterstroke in many respects - not least that I required very little input from her after that until I started school two months before my 5th birthday.

Different world wasn’t it! My mum/Nan did the same with me, as I did with my DC, this was just before phonics came in and wasn’t so unusual for children to be able to read by the time they started school.

I am often exhausted just reading what todays children do as activities and extra curriculum!