2 year old won't listen at gymnastics

[Tanito279]

My 2 year old DD has been going to a gymnastics class on and off for 6 months. We've been to about 20 classes. The teachers are very patient and I stay with her. The problem is all she wants to do is run around by herself. She won't listen at all. She'll take part if she wants to and is very good, but that's 1/3 of each class. She's becoming a really bad influence on other children now and I don't know what to do. Janet Lansbury says my DD is just too young and I should forget the classes. But there are younger children there who listen perfectly (eg stand on the red spot, run to get a blue beanbag).
At home we have few rules because it's just the 2 of us and we suit each other. She isn't naughty and can play with whatever toys she wants. When we go out she will walk next to me and rarely runs away.
The timing of the class is awkward because it's 1:45-2:45 and that's normally nap time. But we live in a small town and it's the only class on my day off.
I've tried giving constant praise, timeouts and, today, I just took her home after 20 mins. I don't know if I can face going back. Any tips?

We have twins. Obviously they are being raised pretty much the same way. At 7yo they are beautifully behaved but at 2yo one would have been exactly like your DC and the other would have stood nicely.

It's often personality at that age not parenting. It doesn't sound like she's ready for it yet - try again in a year. Spend the money on going swimming or something else instead.

That was my DS age 2 at gymnastics classes - all the other kids behaving, mine just doing his own thing! As others have said, they all develop at different rates. Age 7 his teacher now tells me how well behaved, helpful and attentive he is. Only two things matter - does your DD enjoy the classes, and can your stress levels take it?

Incidentally we stopped going to our local club because from age 3.5 they expected parents to wait outside. DS (reasonably enough) wasn't happy with this, and I felt the set up smacked uncomfortably of old school Soviet coaching methods. I'd be fascinated to hear if this is standard practice in gym clubs or whether my local club is really odd in this respect.

tanito Please don't put that kind of pressure on her or yourself. At this age you just need to love her, feed her, allow her lots of sleep and have glorious fun together. She doesn't need to learn discipline to sit and listen until she's at school and even then they only expect them to sit still for probably 20 mins at a time. Some can't manage it at 8/9 so you have no worries at all. Enjoy your bundle of fun as you do not get hose carefree years back

Those!

Hahaha she's 2 I tried dd2 in ballet at 3.8 and I'm going to try her again when she's 4 because she wasn't ready, co operated for most of it but not quite long enough.

Honestly I can't believe any of them do it are they children or robots?

i was told that ballet before 8 is a waste of time unless it's just for fun because discipline of ballet needs an older child. Of course there are exceptional children but otherwise it's a lot of money on outfits just to sit there doing good toes, naughty toes!

Funchinchilla most of what we do in life is a waste of time . FWIW dd2 is totally uncoordinated anyway and is about as likely to dance swan lake as Shrek but wants to do it because her older sister does (for whom it isn't a waste of time at all).

You haven't failed if you take her out of the class. You've succeeded in solving a problem and succeeded in knowing when to take the pressure off you both.

At two she will probably enjoy a park, soft play or a big pile of dried leaves. Plenty of time for fretting about following instructions and structure when she's older. Relax.

tobysmum What I meant was , there is no need to start that early. Of course if your dd likes it and you're willing to pay, knock yourself out!

You haven't failed. And nor has she. She just wasn't ready.

My DS is an only child and I started him at a nursery when he was two although I didn't need to. I thought he would enjoy the interaction with other children. He really didn't settle. The only things he like we're the soup they had a lunch and playing with cars. The rest of the time he cried. So against advice I took him out. We were both happier. Started him at a different nursery when he was three and he was fine. That year made such a huge difference.

She's too young. If you really want her to do the activity, give her another 6 months-a year and try again.

I've had both my children doing that at similar ages. (Having begged to do the class.)

DS couldn't and wouldn't, so we stopped going, he wasn't that bothered. This happened in both football and swimming at ages between 2 and 4. He's still not that into organised activities now at 6, though does enjoy school and swimming.

DD actually could, she just needed a bit of guidance. One warning, leave the room for a couple of minutes to calm down. One week we left early, she wailed all the way home. And spent the rest of the week telling me she did want to go and she was going to listen so she didn't need to leave early. She was a brilliant and enthusiastic participant in the organised part from then on. She must have been 21 months or so, so obvs a shorter session, but she did have the ability to listen and enjoy a structured bit, and some 2 yr olds will.

So my answer is - you know her best. Does she enjoy the class, does she have the ability to cooperate? I wouldn't keep going if she's disrupting it for the others and it's too much for her to learn to cooperate a bit or at least not get in the way.

DD now goes to a gym class for 3-5 yr olds which is a whole hour. And without parents. I think it's brilliant, they pack so many different activities in the hour, they don't have the chance to get bored. They generally have a couple of free play slots in there while they take turns to do things 1:1 with the teachers. A whole hour at 2 would seem a lot unless most of it is more like soft play with gym equipment.

She is very young and it's at nap time. I wouldn't worry. Children aren't really ready for anything structured till 3+ IMHO.

Discipline?! She's two!

If she walks by you and generally listens and trusts you, that's important, that's what she needs aged two. She doesn't need to learn to be obedient to anybody who gives her an instruction. She is not a dog. She sounds lovely :)

Ok. Firstly bear in mind that gymnastics can be very, very oversubscribed. If you're thinking you can "just go back in a year", it's likely you'll find yourself at the bottom of a very long waiting list.

Secondly it's supposed to be fun. Structure should be limited at that age, it should mainly be running about, jumping off stuff and swinging. If she loves that, continue. It's great for burning energy, and eventually they do learn to follow instruction.

Have you talked to the teacher? What are their expectations? You will probably find they are totally fine with 2 year olds not following instruction.

Fwiw mine was exactly the same. She loved it though and it tired her out, so we stuck with it. A few years down the line and it turns out she's very talented, and does it competitively.

Could you try tumble tots or something similar so fun gymnastic activities but less structured?

The classes for two year olds in my area, they join in if they want, otherwise run around doing own thing. Maybe you need a less formal class. My DD is well behaved but I don't expect her to do the class if she doesn't want to.

I'm glad you have seen sense. I used to leave everything really late with my kids. It didn't seem to make any different to how good they were. My DSs tried gymnastics for a term when they were 8 and 10'ish obviously they weren't brilliant but they could still hold their own.

2 is really young.

The only thing I made them do was swimming.

I had similar, except DD was 7

Thank you all, I'm finding all of your experiences really interesting and informative.

Find a baby/toddler gym instead...structured stuff is a waste of money at 2.

My teenage DD does gymnastics.

She frequently comes home saying that some of the little ones (in this case 4-6 year olds) have not listened, messed about, got told off etc.

It's a combination of the timing of the classes (eg. too late after a day at school in reception class) , some children finding it difficult to wait their turn, some wanting to do things their way (often not safe), some get excitable, some are not good at listening to and obeying instructions (especially for a whole hour!). So don't feel bad, they're often just not ready for it at that age..

At 2 your little one would enjoy something much less structured that isn't during that post-lunch tired time - we used to go to a group that was like a pop-up softplay crossed with gymnastics at a local nursery in their activities room. The equipment was set out differently each week and the children could just climb/jump/roll/balance their way around it.

We've just gone up class at tumble tots with 2yo DS, to the more structured class. It's 45 mins, with 4 different physical activities and breaks with songs etc. He can just about manage that (and it's not when he's a demon child overtired). There's no way he could cope with a proper gymnastics class, and he's a pretty laid back kid. You've not failed.

She's only 2 OP. She sounds lovely by the way!

You might both prefer the park/swimming/ soft play? There's loads of time for more structured activities when she's older, if she wants to.

You haven't failed at all.

DS loved football as a toddler - he used to play with some lovely - and very patient - older boys in the park.

So I signed him up for a football class. They were advertised as being totally for fun, and aimed at toddlers.

But actually it was pretty structured. All the other kids managed to join in and do what was expected of them. DS had absolute melt-downs every time the ball was put away to move on to the next activity, or he simply didn't join in and just ran about the hall, shouting.

He was the oldest of the group, but the only one who just couldn't do it.

We quit after 4 sessions, there was no point, it just wasn't right for him.

He's 6 now, and goes to after school football club and loves it.