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Original poster

PRE-SCHOOLERS: Did you drag your second child around to all your first child's music/gym classes?

21 replies

morningpaper · 29/03/2006 12:11

dd2 is 6 months and has been dragged around to various classes which the older one attends. I think I will stop this after the summer because it seems rather unfair and boring for her.

There don't seem to be any classes which can accommodate BOTH children - any ideas or suggestions?

I don't have any time alone with just ONE of them and can't arrange this.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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compo · 29/03/2006 12:12

Mother and Toddler Groups in church halls usually have plenty of toys for all ages

Original poster

morningpaper · 29/03/2006 12:13

We go to one of those but it is getting to the stage where the 3.5 year-old is growing out of it. But I've got another 18 months before she goes to school!

OP posts:

foxinsocks · 29/03/2006 12:14

how old is the older one?

don't stop the classes just because of your younger one. She can always watch or have you read a book to her.

Ds got dragged round everything (his personal worst was ballet - he hated watching dd do this!).

Soon your eldest will be old enough to go to these things without you and dd2 can start doing stuff on her own. Dd now has to watch ds do football on a Sat morning, the first time she has ever had to watch him do something and she hates it (tables turned and all that)!

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MerlinsBeard · 29/03/2006 12:15

it starts to be awkward when the 2nd one can walk/crawl/shout u from acroos a room ()

Agree with m&t groups though, could be worth looming aup a few of those. or if ur eldest is old enough and able to be left alone (thinking of tumble tots here wheer they can be left when they are 3 i think) then maybe u could grab a coffee with ur youngest somewhere nearby?

As for music classes, can u not just sign ur littley up or give him/her a tambourine to wiggle?or is that a no no?

compo · 29/03/2006 12:15

I assume the 3.5 year old gets the free pre-school sessions? If so could you take the 6 month old to age appropriate sessions whilst other child is out. After that they'll probably both be too tired to do much in the afternoon!!

alison222 · 29/03/2006 12:16

Does the 3.5 year old go alone to morning playgroup or a school nursery in September before school? That would help. it is funded too if money is an issue.
If you find any singing groups/classes the younger ones usually love these too.

Belo · 29/03/2006 12:18

DD2 (8 months) has always been dragged along to dd1 ones classes/groups etc. I think its a bonus for her to be surrounded by older kids and be able to watch them. Esp the music classes. Dd2 would sit on my knee, so alert loving every minute of it. So did I, as I only had to pay for the elder one!

Bozza · 29/03/2006 12:22

Yes if DD1 is 3.5 is she not having any sort of nursery/preschool/funded playgroup time? When my DD was 6 months DS was 3.9 and I had just started back at work 3 days so it wasn't the same situation. I used to take them both swimming on a Friday - to a preschool session and it was really hard work but they both enjoyed it.

FioFio · 29/03/2006 12:26

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster

morningpaper · 29/03/2006 12:30

They both attend nursery 2 days a week while I work - this uses up our vouchers.

I have tried taking the baby into the music classes, but they older ones all crowd round and it disrupts the lesson (3/4 time classes when the children are supposed to be left alone).

We are fairly rural and all the classes require driving to - there isn't the option of popping out for a coffee unfortunately.

OP posts:

Em32 · 29/03/2006 13:31

My 7 month old comes along with my ds (2.1). She seems happy enough and enjoys the music class (plus I'm only paying for ds) Think this is the lot of the second child....
Used to go to a toddler group which was fine too as she was happy watching but now it is getting too big and a bit dangerous to leave her while I chase ds around or help out.
How do you know dd is bored? My dd only looks miserable if she's pinned in the buggy while ds runs about in the park. Then she definitely DOES look bored.

Milliways · 29/03/2006 16:44

DS had to sit through Ballet & Modern Dancing lessons, Violin lessons & swimming lessons :(

We have a 4.5 yr gap so these were all DD's after school / Saturday things.

What annoyed me was when DD used to moan about waiting for him to do anything!

I'm afraid it's part of life. They all get used to it, and you get to read them lots of books etc

Clary · 29/03/2006 17:17

MP for several years we have done a gym class every Friday - since ds1 was about 18mo (he's 6.5 now).
So when dd was born (ds1 was 2) and similarly when ds2 was born (dd was nearly 2) the baby came along to the class. As far as I recall the baby was always quite happy to be sitting and looking/be carried in the sling.
In fact ds2 was so into it that by 6mo he was joining in, and by the time he was 8mo I went and enrolled him (he was walking by 9mo).
He has been so super and confident at this class and I'm sure it's partly because it is so familiar and unscary.
In general, I toted them both or even all 3 to everything - toddler group, library story time, gym class etc. I think it was a good thing because the baby saw other children and got used to new places and I was a bit more relaxed with numbers 2 and 3 as well.
IKWYM about time 1-1 tho. Can you make sure you do some real baby stuff with dd2 while dd1 is occupied eg with craft or a toy she loves?
I say to mine quite plainly, no, I'm doign DS1's homework/spelling with him/reading with dd/doing this jigsaw with ds2 so you'll just have to wait. It is a lot easier to do that now tho, ds2 is nearly 3.

ecofreak · 29/03/2006 18:48

answer to thread title....no, I tried, but it was impossible. 2 children to drag along, even one child was usually made unwelcome (can you hold a baby and your daughter's hand in dance class? I can't). My oldest son (now at school) does swimming after DH gets home from work to look after the others.

Almost all the toddler groups around here either explicitly say "No children over 3" or don't have any suitable toys for over 3s, anyway.

We go to the park a lot.

FrannyandZooey · 29/03/2006 18:54

The toddler sessions that I hold accomodate younger children as well, but I think it's a positive experience for the little ones to come and listen to the older ones anyway.

harpsichordcarrier · 29/03/2006 18:55

I agree with franny

Steppy1 · 29/03/2006 18:55

yes.. baby on the boob when DS was at tumble tots and trampolining. Now DS at primary school, DD off to trampoliing...no baby on the bob this time...I feel guilt about the lack of attention that my DS had :(

Steppy1 · 29/03/2006 18:56

woops, meant "boob" not bob :o

eidsvold · 30/03/2006 07:31

my dd1 has down syndrome and so dd2 was taken to three therapy sessions a week as well as playgroup and swimming. Only now ( this year) that dd1 is in kindy/sn kindy - does dd2 get a bit of a reprieve BUT dd2 still has therapy once a week and swimming once/twice a week.

She is brilliant - dd2 - now 16 months - she is used to sitting in the buggy and waiting nicely, watching what is going on.

MaloryTowers · 30/03/2006 08:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

julienetmum · 30/03/2006 14:23

I had the opposite problem. Dd did all the classes but I couldn;t take ds to baby music etc as they didn;t allow older children.

In the end I found a sing & sign class where the teacher said she was welcome (at no extra cost) There was one other 3 year old too (and they ended up at the same nursery and will be joining reception class together and are best friends) and they joined in all the songs with the babies.

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