Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

First day at Beavers and shocked

146 replies

Lskz · 21/09/2023 19:20

Hi all,
DS(7)finally got a space at local Beavers and today we had first trial session. Stayed with him and shocked by the children behaviour. 16 children in total, half of them do not listen, just run around, kicking each other, making animal sounds and etc. DS is active child but I think even he's shocked. They did the activity for 10 mins and 1hr trying to calm them down so they can do the activity. There were 4 volunteers which is good ratio I guess. I do understand there might be children with special needs and etc, but it looked most of them copy each other. Is this normal? Somehow I imagined this differently.

OP posts:
SirChenjins · 21/09/2023 19:22

I do remember DS’s Beavers being quite lively, yes - not as bad as you’re describing though. Was that the first night back after a break?

Original poster
Lskz · 21/09/2023 19:28

SirChenjins · 21/09/2023 19:22

I do remember DS’s Beavers being quite lively, yes - not as bad as you’re describing though. Was that the first night back after a break?

No, second as we missed the first week

OP posts:
LollipopChaos · 21/09/2023 19:29

Used to help at Beavers, they are totally wild so what you describe doesn't surprise me.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

7 year olds Families General parenting
scrivette · 21/09/2023 19:31

Beavers are EXTREMELY lively... I have just got back from my session as a leader.

The Beavers are not great at listening and have to be reminded to keep still/not dance when standing still/listen/not run around when we are talking...

I wish more parents would stay and see how their children behaved.

It's difficult because they are not at school and so do not have the same strict rules.

The Cubs are better behaved... however the Cubs Leaders shout louder!!

AnySoln · 21/09/2023 19:32

Depends on the group. Dd1 scouts was worse than dd2 beavers.
I do think as parent volunteers they dont tell kids off.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 21/09/2023 19:39

Back in the 90s my DB quit Beavers after a couple of months because, as he said, 'we all just run in a circle and pretend to be cars and it's boring'.

Helenahandkart · 21/09/2023 19:43

I used to help at Beavers and at Rainbows. The children were completely out of control, we had no real power to discipline them and they were insolent or ignored us whenever we tried to organise them in any way. It was like herding cats. Screaming rude cats.
By the time they got to Brownies or Cubs they’d mostly learnt how to listen.
We had very small groups with sometimes 4 leaders to 8 children and they were utterly unmanageable.

GuidingSpirit · 21/09/2023 19:44

Rainbow and Brownie leader here (so overlapping with beaver age group.) Our experience is that behaviour has got MUCH worse since the covid lockdowns and we have been working hard with our girls to reinforce behaviour, rules, etc. But it takes time and the first couple of sessions back after any holiday is always the worst. I'd give it a few weeks and you might find it settles down - if not, it might just be a particularly challenging group 😬

FlamboMango · 21/09/2023 19:45

Yes we found beavers mental. DH was asked to follow a small girl out of a window to check she didn’t run in to the road when he helped.
DS wasn’t getting much out of it so we sacked it off. Gave it a year but the group was just too crazy.

Mischance · 21/09/2023 19:48

My DD is a Beaver leader and there is no messing about! But that is partly because there are well-planned and absorbing activities. I have been there when sessions are going on and it is all as one might wish. I have helped run sessions specifically when there is a musical element.

One of the problems is that they get young people with special needs but no proper information about their needs or training/advice on how to meet them - it is not like a school. It can be very difficult for people who are simply volunteers.

Bananas1350 · 21/09/2023 19:50

My husband who is a scout leader would tell u that not all places are the same. It really does depend on the leader. I would maybe try and scope out another one to see if it’s better. He has helped out at a few beaver places and none of these are like u description

Finteq · 21/09/2023 19:57

Yes.

When my daughter joined beavers I was really surprised by how feral the boys seemed.

Just running around and bashing into each other.

I don't know how the leaders do it.

I'd be telling them off every single minute. I've got two girls and haven't seen anything like it. ( helped out at a session and really had to stop myself from saying stuff like- be careful, get off that you might fall etc. The whole time I was there.)

Thinkbiglittleone · 21/09/2023 20:07

I think it very much depends on the leaders and the planning and engagement of the sessions.

Our beavers are really good, obviously some need a little reminder on quiet when someone else is speaking at show and tell time, but other then that, they are pretty good, but we keep them busy with fun activities .

idontknow54789 · 21/09/2023 20:08

We recently left beavers for this exact reason. It's a shame really but it's ran by well meaning parent volunteers with no experience of managing groups of children. The constant interruptions just meant the activities were about 10mins of the whole hour. We'll try again maybe in a few years or just wait for cubs.

Piffpaffpoff · 21/09/2023 20:15

GuidingSpirit · 21/09/2023 19:44

Rainbow and Brownie leader here (so overlapping with beaver age group.) Our experience is that behaviour has got MUCH worse since the covid lockdowns and we have been working hard with our girls to reinforce behaviour, rules, etc. But it takes time and the first couple of sessions back after any holiday is always the worst. I'd give it a few weeks and you might find it settles down - if not, it might just be a particularly challenging group 😬

Beaver leader here (slightly panicking that you were the new parent at our group tonight!)

I agree with @GuidingSpirit , post covid has seen a huge decline in behaviour and attention span. It ebbs and flows somewhat depending on who is in the group - we have a few very lively ones at the moment but they are excited rather than deliberately badly behaved, which we have also had. But, as others have said, they are still very young so we just try very hard to keep them active and engaged and having fun.

WotNoUserName · 21/09/2023 20:20

Was it raining today? I used to be a Beaver leader and if they'd been kept in for wet play we could really tell, they would be wild! Otherwise, we had quite good control with our lot. Maybe we were lucky. This was a while ago (I left Beavers 5 years ago, and moved up to Scouts in a different group) so I don't know how much effect lockdown etc has had on behaviour.

ChimneyPot · 21/09/2023 20:26

I’m a beaver leader and yes there is running and noise but it isn’t aimless or unstructured.

We start every session with lodge relayed and that burns off some energy and they all want to win so stay fairly disciplined.
Then lots of high energy games with scouting activities mixed in.

scrivette · 21/09/2023 20:26

Also meant to add in my earlier post, they are always more hyper at the start of term, after a couple of weeks they tend to calm down.

CoreopsisEverywhere · 21/09/2023 20:42

Really depend on the group. My children went to three groups between them (we moved house). Two were like this and the other was run with a military ethos by a leader who had been in the army and as a result was silent and calm (but maybe not massively fun).

Vitriolinsanity · 21/09/2023 20:47

Beavers are fucking mental. It's all about being mental in a safe environment. They settle down at Cubs when they go camping.

AnneElliott · 21/09/2023 20:47

They can be feral at beavers! But the main leader at ours is a primary teacher so they do listen to her! They are mental if ever I run it alone with a parent helper.

Behaviours are worse post covid but yes SN is also an issue. Parents often don't tell us and let us work it out ourselves Hmm.

Vitriolinsanity · 21/09/2023 20:48

This will utterly out me. Our Beaver leader was called Rusty Beaver.

avemariiiaa · 21/09/2023 20:49

Depends entirely on the leaders.

Our beaver leader is amazing. She is so engaging and fun but takes absolutely no shit.

If they can't behave they sit out.

BBno4 · 21/09/2023 20:51

Rusty beaver lol.

Yeah I don't think I would ever put my kids in things like this.

I have worked in holiday clubs and some of the children were so rude and would bully the quieter children, there is also no training on children with additional needs and one child could take the entire staffs attention away.

This just sounds like a similar situation and I know my kids would hate it.

Brightredtulips · 21/09/2023 20:52

Thats about right. My son loved it, and it was before girls were welcomed into the fold. All boys lots of energy, noise and fun. Shame their keeper turned out to be a pedophile. True.