gym class....2 of them but only 1 of you!

Hi! I was wondering if any of you take your toddlers to a "gym" class?? I signed my girls (19 months) up for a Parent & Toddler class and today was our first day. I had intended to take them by myself but I had my husband come today just in case. Boy was I glad he was there!!!! (I'm not unfamiliar to the class either, my older daughters (ages 7 and 5) also went through the program a few years ago.) It was so hard to watch them because they were running in opposite directions. They were NOT fans of circle time and kept trying to escape (I am really a stickler for making them do the circle time, because I think they need to follow the rules). It would be practically impossible to wrestle them both and keep them in circle time on my own. My thought was that the teacher could sit with one of them (other people have mentioned the teachers help with twins) but my girls are at a stage where they just simply would scream and cry if I put them with anyone else. I am determined to do this, but am I crazy?????? :wacko: Just wondering if anyone else has any suggestions of ways to handle this on my own!

Shannon

 

The only thing I can think of is to keep trying the class with them. With more experience, they'll understand better what's expected of them. The only other thing I can think of is enlisting the teacher to help you with one child and you hold the other child but sit right next to the teacher. I hope that others with more experience will chime in, I have not done those types of classes with my two yet. Good luck!

 

I take my boys (19 months) to Gymboree play and learn classes by myself. It will take them a few classes to get the hang of it. Everything is very new right now. Although mine still run in two directions. At this age I do not expect my boys to sit through circle time. They will sit for some of it and sometimes all of it. So do a lot of the kids. I start them off in the circle but I’m not going to have a power struggle over circle time when one or both of them will end up on the floor screaming and kicking when other kids are trying to pay attention. If they wonder off I will try to direct them back sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. Often they will wonder off and come back on their own. They do much better now then they used to. It is a learning process.

The instructor always says that it is okay for them to wonder off and play. It is expected at this age. And while they might seem like they are not paying attention they actually are listening. Both my kids do things at home that they got from the class (when I was sure they were not paying attention).

 

I was just talking with my husband about this yesterday. My thought was to take them seperately. I originally thought DH would go with me, but with the new baby, that would be hard. If I start a class in the near future, I will probably take one and leave the other at home, and switch off. When they are a little older, I will feel more comfortable taking both at the same time. Right now I think it would be alot to handle, since they aren't used to being "lose" in other places.