Ballet classes

[Stilltobeseen]

My almost 2.5 year old has been at ballet now since July and every week she cries and says she doesn't want to go. I think there was one or two weeks that she enjoyed it but every other time she has either needed me in the class or point blank refused to go in and participate. I thought giving her a few weeks to settle would work and she'd be fine but she never has! She seems to absolutely hate it. I've asked her if she wants to go and she always says no, don't like it. Do you think it's time enough to trust that she really doesn't like it and pull her out of class?

It should be fun. If it's not fun, pull her out and try again when she's older.

pull her out. 2.5 is very young to do an organised activity, and if you force her then she will hate it.

let her do different classes when she is a bit older.

Absolutely! 2.5 is TINY.

Wtf? Of course you don’t make her go.

The local ballet school won’t even take children here until they are 5. It does seem very young.

Why on earth are you making her go? My DC tried ballet at that age, we walked out after 25 minutes and gave it up as a bad job. Maybe try a tots gymnastics class after Christmas.

Did she ask to go initially or did you just take her? DD started at 3 but she asked for lessons. She’s 12 now and still goes. There’s no way I would force a toddler to go if they don’t like it. I’d stop and try again in a couple of years.

Yikes didn't realise other places didn't take them so young. I'll definitely pull her from the class and try again when she's older.

She's a baby. Of course you should take her out

3-3.5 is generally a good age for ballet, at 2.5 it’s better to do “baby ballet” which is generally prancing around in a tutu to nursery rhymes. Good luck, it’s so worth it for deportment and posture if she’s gets a love of it.

2.5 is very young to be left at an organised activity. All she’ll likely view it as is unnecessary separation from you. I’m amazed they take ones that age tbh.

Seriously..she doesn't like it..it should be fun. It isn't.

DD started ballet at just turned 2 , and loved it from the word go , the little uniform , pointing toes etc
She learnt to hop , jump and skip ( vital life skill 👍) before other girls her age , and still does it as a hobby
However , if she’d said at age 2 she didn’t want to go , she wouldn’t have gone

You don’t have to try her again either. Wait to see if she wants to do it when she is older. There is no obligation to make a little girl do ballet.

My DD started at 2.5- that's pretty much standard age for beginners classes where I am. She initially didn't want to go and cried a few times at the beginning of class- but after about 4 weeks she couldn't get enough of it and now loves going. If she is still saying she doesn't want to go after persevering for a few weeks I would try again in a year or so and see how she feels then!

How's your daughter doing now @Stilltobeseen ?
We are considering starting ballet classes for DD who's almost 2, it would be helpful to know how things are going for you if you don't mind telling

When my DD was 3 she hated ballet, cried everytime so I stopped it until she was 5. She's 15 now and lives and breathes dance, she has classes every night and her favourite is ballet. Have a break for a year or so and see how it goes or maybe it's just not for her.

Why does she have to go? It's not school

@toucaninjapan we took her out of the class and put her into gymnastics instead which seems much more her thing. She does still talk about ballet and sometimes asks if she can go but I'm going to wait until she is 3/4 and maybe try again.