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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Anyone else's child just not "get" Tumbletots

20 replies

Freddiecat · 23/03/2004 13:15

I've been taking DS to Tumbletots for 4 sessions now. He is in the walking to 2's class and at the high end of the age group being a month shy of his 2nd birthday.

When we arrive he either wants to sit down with me or will meander around the low-level and easy stuff (like crawling through tunnels) and will object to my suggestions of climbing and going down slides. As soon as they sit for a break of fun action songs then DS is off and wants to climb and slide. Now at the 4th session I physically prevented him from doing so but could not get him to join in the songs. Then when the other children are back on the equipment he is back to running round the open space or hogging the rocking toy.

Every single other child there seems happy to be lead around the equipment in the suggested order and seems to really enjoy the action songs. The staff don't mind DS doing his own thing, but as I am 6 mths pregnant now I am less able to help him on high equipment on my own.

Whilst part of me admires his independant streak, another part of me worries it might cause him problems at school. Apparently at nursery he sits quite happily for group song and reading sessions. I really wanted to join Tumbletots for us to start doing a more structured activity together. Should I persevere? Does it just take time to get used to doing things like this with mum?

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twiglett · 23/03/2004 13:17

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fio2 · 23/03/2004 13:19

never been to tumbletots but our leisure centre do a similar thing, my 2 dont get it!!! they would be just as happy running about in the garden or a field with a football!

fio2 · 23/03/2004 13:20

Freddiecat it wont cause him any problems at school!!! he is fine , let him be himself

Clayhead · 23/03/2004 13:21

Mine didn't get it at all, she just wasn't bothered (about 20 months then). Thanks heavens it's not just me!! I felt bad about it for ages as all her firends go but I stopped in the end. She goes to Rhythm Time, a music group, and loves it, it's just more her thing, I think.

misdee · 23/03/2004 13:24

sorry, never been and the thought of my kids being led around play equipment isnt me. we go to a soft play area, and i just let them run loose. works fine for me, but then i dont go for too much structure. it hasnt caused my dd1 problems at nursery, to just let loose. she has learnt wghen storytime/quiet time/ milk time is.
my dd2 doesnt like the song time at drop in group, she just tends to stay painting or whatever she wants. again not bothered by it, she'll join in when she wants to.

marthamoo · 23/03/2004 13:27

We go to JoJingles and, left to his own devices, ds2 would just run round and round the room for three quarters of an hour I hold his hand though so he can't!

No, won't cause problems at school, Freddiecat - at least he is doing something, my friend's little boy just used to cry at TT and cling on to her for the whole session. If at 2 he can sit still at nursery for singing and reading he's doing amazingly!

collision · 23/03/2004 13:28

I hate TT. I know that a lot love it but because I was a Nanny from the age of 17 I seem to have been going for over half my life!! I am now 33.

I find it overpriced and very patronising and the one I took my ds to, for a trial session, sang the songs without any tunes. My ds looked very perturbed about this as we sing BaaBaa with a tune!! He didnt really enjoy it and I thought that I had wasted my money. He is 23 months. I took him to a local leisure centre which was half the price and he loved it.

Sorry to all you Tumbletotters out there.

marialuisa · 23/03/2004 13:31

We went to a similar thing and DD was bored senseless (just before she turned 2). The smaller stuff wasn't that different to ordinary garden toys and the bigger stuff didn't grab her because she needed too much input from me to get on bars etc.

She's just turned 3 and is at school nursery, PE is one of her favourite things (benches, box, wall bars etc.) I'd just leave it and let him loose at the ball pool.

hercules · 23/03/2004 13:35

Ds didnt get it and was unable to follow the other children around the course in a correct manner and cant say I blamed him. He is now 8 and very well behaved.

hercules · 23/03/2004 13:36

Only went to one session.

Original poster

Freddiecat · 23/03/2004 13:39

Thanks all. I am just trying to find things to do with DS when I go on maternity leave and we have to take him out of his full-time nursery. I'm really worried about him getting bored and wanted to do something where there would be other people there too. DS loves the park but will climb on the frames meant for much bigger children and I am worried about him falling off. in fact a few weeks ago I had to get up there with him and we were actually stuck up there until my friend helped us off.

Maybe I will look around for a music class - but it has to be something that I can do with a (hopefully sleeping) baby in tow too.

Full-time working mother to full-time SAHM with two children - part of me is dreading it...

OP posts:

misdee · 23/03/2004 13:42

is there a soft play area near you designed for the under 7s? we find it a godsend on horrible days, they have baby bouncers for very young babies and benches for the adults to sit on whilst the other kids let off steam.

nutcracker · 23/03/2004 13:42

I did enquire about it for dd2 but was shocked at the price really.
I would like to find something for ds to do but i'm not sure what.

hmb · 23/03/2004 13:42

I took dd at about the 18 month stage. She was OK but didn't love it. We moved and there isn't a tumble tots need us, which was a shame as ds would have loved it. He is a much more physical child.

marialuisa · 23/03/2004 13:43

You will be fine! Our local pool does toddler and mummy classes and people leave their babies on the side in car seats. otherwise what about normal swimming lessons (that way you don't freeze!)

Blu · 23/03/2004 13:44

We did one session as a try-out. DS was most reluctant to comply with the whole structured thing, joining the train to move to new equipment etc, and, like Hercules, I sympathised. In fact it is counter to my instincts and beliefs about play at that age.

fio2 · 23/03/2004 13:52

freddiecat, dont dread it you will be fine! I like swimming sessions - just drop in and out ones. Music classes were ok, but are still quite structured. Church groups are usually ok, although the mums are sometimes clicky. Wacky warehouses are good because you can just drop in and out when you please. Farm trips(to free farms) and park visits are usually a good option

aloha · 23/03/2004 14:25

I take ds to a Tiny Gym session where there is lots of equipment but no structure at all - the children can play where they want when they want - or just climb into a low padded tube and pretend to be a bird in a nest if they like (guess what my ds likes to do ) it's great. Find another mum to go with and have a chat yourself. Ours is at the local leisure centre.

Hulababy · 23/03/2004 18:27

My friend's DS was like this Freddiecat after joinign the Walking to 2s class, they left wehn he was about 2 because of it.

DD loved Gymbabes from 6 months and then TumbleTots until about 18 months but then she started getting bored. She could do all of the activities, although she did enjoy the singing bit.

The class after the first one gets even more structured from what I could gather and that really wasn't what I wanted - DD goes to nursery so gets structure there. So, we left at around 18 months - it just wasn't streching her enough.

My friend and I now take our DCs to a soft play instead - cheaper, unlimited play time, flexible hours and we can have lunch there! They both get just the same exercise and activities there (and from park in summer) and after going to TT for a year or so I know how to help her properly, etc.

juniper68 · 24/03/2004 09:26

I found toddler groups a godsend. I know some mums can be clique but there are friendly ones there
I'd say go to loads of them to see which u like best and there's always someone to coo over the baby whilst u get a cup of tea.
I took my DS1 to TT - Yikes!! He didn't like it at all. DS2 is very physical but wouldn't like the structure.
I'm a SAHM with two young children though one's at pre school and the other at school. I love it but have to get out and about and do a night class just for some 'me' time.
Best of wishes x

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