DD has just turned one and we've been going to a playgroup for about 10 weeks. There is a baby area to the group and a larger toddler area with bigger toys (cars, chutes, giant lego etc). She's been walking pretty much since we started going and, as such, isn't interested in the baby area where most of the younger kids are happy to sit and play with a toy while their parents chat. DD, on the other hand, wants to run around in the main area with the older kids so I'm sort of resigned to chasing about after her. Is this the done thing in this situation? I don't want to coddle her but she's just so tiny compared to the bigger kids that for safety reasons I couldn't really let her run free or else she'd be knocked over by a Little Tykes Cosy Coupe driven by a very overzealous child. Similarly she lasts 2 minutes in the baby area before escaping so I can't keep her there either.
Is it the 'done thing' to chase after her amongst the toddlers? I don't want the other kids parents getting pissy about me running around after her where the kids are pretty much left to their own devices. But I also don't really want to stop her going until she's old enough to play by herself.
Any suggestions or reassurance this is normal?