We got the "EVIL EYE" today at storytime!

Since the boys were born, I have always been told what sweet, GOOD boys they are by family, friends, and those in the church nursery. The last couple times I have taken them to storytime at the library their behavior has been terrible. Today was a DISASTER! One of the boys ran up and about knocked over the felt board display, as the other one was climbing in the bottom of someone else's stroller. They are going around pulling on other kids clothes, trying to pull the book out of the teachers hands, knocking over things, crawling under tables, opening doors, and being JUST PLAIN MONSTERS! The other kids walk around on occassion, but for the most part stay near the mats. I got the evil eye from everyone...even a mom of twin 3 month old boys! Oh what I wanted to say to her!! We ended up walking out in the middle of it. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY SWEET BABIES! HOW AM I GOING TO GET THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE WHEN THEY ACT LIKE MONSTERS?! HELP MOMMAS, HELP!!!

 

QUOTE(marshalltwins @ Sep 17 2008, 09:51 PM) [snapback]985208[/snapback]
Since the boys were born, I have always been told what sweet, GOOD boys they are by family, friends, and those in the church nursery. The last couple times I have taken them to storytime at the library their behavior has been terrible. Today was a DISASTER! One of the boys ran up and about knocked over the felt board display, as the other one was climbing in the bottom of someone else's stroller. They are going around pulling on other kids clothes, trying to pull the book out of the teachers hands, knocking over things, crawling under tables, opening doors, and being JUST PLAIN MONSTERS! The other kids walk around on occassion, but for the most part stay near the mats. I got the evil eye from everyone...even a mom of twin 3 month old boys! Oh what I wanted to say to her!! We ended up walking out in the middle of it. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY SWEET BABIES! HOW AM I GOING TO GET THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE WHEN THEY ACT LIKE MONSTERS?! HELP MOMMAS, HELP!!!

yes, but hers haven't started moving yet :laughing: a year from now she will be in your spot.

What I do is take an umbrella stroller in with me. They both know if the are acting up too much they get put in the stroller, then you can always hold the other one. It took a couple of times but now just knowing they will get "the stroller treatment" usually works wonders! or, it could be that they been going for months now that better behavior would have come on it's own

 

Ugh, how dare they give you the evil eye! Like thier children are picture-perfect! How easily people forget how crazy this age is. I would have sympatized! Sorry you had a bad storytime. I'm not sure what advice to give because I wouldn't think of taking my boys to a storytime by myself, I can just picture in my head the two of them wreaking havoc. So kudos to you for even going. :hug:

 

HER TWINS ARE SLEEPING!! She has NO IDEA YET!!! :hug:

I always made them stay in the stroller for stuff like that!!

 

OMG I can't believe you posted this! I almost fell out of my chair because we actually were asked to leave our storytime today because my son was out of control. He also knocked the felt board over and that's when we were told to go. Her exact words were "I think you've tried everything you can, I think you should leave now." I had redirected, made him sit, put him in time out twice for getting into her bag of "goodies." He just had his own idea about things today.

The worst part though was my daughter was an absolute angel and was loving every bit of storytime. She cried BIG, real tears as we were leaving telling me "no no Mama. Good girl. Sissy sit down." :cry:

I told my DH the part that made me angry were how the other mommies were staring at me. I get it's almost like the train wreck effect, but come on people, you see I'm struggling, look AWAY!!!

 

Oh I'm sorry! Story time for us has always been a struggle too...my girls just run around everywhere! They are so great at playdates and on the playground. I guess story time is just too structured for mine...I dunno, but I can't believe that the moms gave you looks like that!

 

My DS is all over the place too at storytime and DD does fine . . . most of the time. I've only attempted it 3 times and wait an extended period before trying it again . . . hoping I'll forget the struggles. Good luck next time . . . keep going and they'll get it . . . eventually.

 

I had a terrible experience with storytime, the one time we tried it. Like you, my daughter did WONDERFULLY and loved every minute of it! My son..........ran around like a raving maniac. I ended up taking him out into the main library area where he proceeded to evade me for the next hour, running throughout the aisles of books. I was getting stares too, and left very upset and feeling defeated. And I felt really bad for my daughter b/c she enjoyed it so much and I wanted to take her back again, but couldn't. Honestly I think some kids are great with that sort of thing, others are not. It sucks!!

 

QUOTE(marshalltwins @ Sep 17 2008, 08:51 PM) [snapback]985208[/snapback]
I got the evil eye from everyone...even a mom of twin 3 month old boys! Oh what I wanted to say to her!! We ended up walking out in the middle of it.


Was it evil--or FEAR

 

QUOTE(marshalltwins @ Sep 17 2008, 09:51 PM) [snapback]985208[/snapback]
even a mom of twin 3 month old boys! Oh what I wanted to say to her!!


Boy is she in for a treat in a year! :rofl: Sorry that just made me laugh out loud!

:hug: It does get better, somewhat. You will figure out what you can and cannot handle and you will start choosing the latter whenever possible. :hug:

 

Good for you for trying. I say try, try again (if your nerves can take it). They'll eventually learn and tisk, tisk at the other moms for not helping. If I was there I would have asked if your daughter would like to stay and sit with us while you chase your son around outside. He'll get it at some point. Maybe you can try some sitting activities at home too, like on a blanket while you read. Or is it early in the morning or could you take him to the park beforehand and run him a bit to get some wiggles out? Maybe even a bribe about what treat you have afterwards for sitting still and behaving like a big boy? Really, I think the more they are exposed the more they learn and it's hard to learn but good for you for trying.

 

you are brave, i have yet to try a story time.
everything we try i make sure i have an easy get away.
sure it will get better.
if i had been there i would have left with you

 

I'm pretty sure that if I dig back on this 1-4 board, I'll find my thread about this very topic.

Mine were HORRIBLE last season, but they never asked us to leave. I would have been upset. How on earth are they supposed to learn if they get kicked out? We got plenty of evil eyes, but that didn't stop me from letting my kids explore something outside of our living room.

Now, what I would suggest is finding a library time that is geared towards older kids? It sounds like this one has everybody in it? My library has baby, walker and toddler time. We went to the walker one because it said it was geared for kids who were too busy to sit still. Well, we discovered that people were pretty much still bringing in their babies! Their one baby that sits on their lap and doesn't make a peep. We're going to start trying toddler time next week.

My DD unplugged the CD player last spring while we were in the middle of Old MacDonald. :laughing:

What do you do? :unknw:

Honestly, though, there was a mom there who had 8 year old triplets. She watches a couple of kids during the day and that's who she brought to library time. She was so sweet when she approached me the first time and said that she had triplets and completely understood what we were going through.

 

It's not easy being "that" mom. I really struggled with taking the girls anywhere at that age and limited it to E/I playgroup and "preschool". When I did anything else, it was stroller time. I thought we had kind of out grown this sort of behavior until I went to the college I am attending to pay for this quarter. They were "those" kids. We didn't have to stand in line or wait very long for anything. They just couldn't be still or cooperative while we were there. I was mortified.

 

We're not alone! My girls have been asked to leave (ie kicked out of) story time as well. They had just turned 2 at the time & it sounds like they were acting much like your little ones. It's the age. My 4 y/o loves story time & can actually sit & enjoy it. Our time will come .
Good luck!

 

I started taking the kids when they were just over 2 years old and Liam was 3 months old. Ours is a "Mother Goose" story time and they tell you right at the start "If your kids get up, walk around, whatever, it is okay, that's what kids do at this age (0-3 years)" There have been times when Nolan has been a crazy man (they have a piano in the corner that he kind of likes ), but I've never had to leave because of it (or maybe I did once). I sometimes see the other moms looking at me, when they are sitting there quietly with their one baby and I have 3 moving around, dancing, talking, I'd like to tell them to take a flying leap...but I don't. I wouldn't stop going, the more they are in the situation, the more they will learn how they should behave.

 

Seriously, to help my kids get the idea for storytime, I used overalls. We sat in the back and they stood and roamed everywhere within an arms reach while I held onto their overalls. It gave them restricted freedoms. After a few times of that they were ready to sit and more sure of it. Also watching all the other kids sit helped. It was honestly amazing how soon peer pressure can make a difference.

Marissa

 

We are in the same boat... except the other mom didn't give us the evil eye... it was the library lady. She is old and VERY grouchy (I don't think kids are her "thing") and I don't think that she understands. Anyway, we were going every week by ourselves and one day I took DH with me. The lady was having an extra grumpy day and the boys were not really being that bad.Anyway, she yelled at one of them right in front of DH and that was it. DH will never let me take them back. I don't remember which one it was but DH was walking and he was trying to keep up so he was running and she yelled at him for running. Now, we have the bookmobile come out and everything is fine. The bookmobile lady is so nice and she comes to our apartment complex just for the boys. She lets them run around and gives them toys they have a blast. I told her about the grumpy lady and she had a few words with her. Anyway, I have no words of wisdome just good luck and if you want them to go take them... the worst they can do is kick you out.

 

DH took ours to story time at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago and of course mine don't sit well for the story - so the lady doing storytime just broke out crayons and coloring pages for the twins to help him out! They sat to color and she got to finish the story for the other kids...DH was STILL horrified but at least they understood...

 

Honestly, this is why I have never taken any of mine. I have always questioned what kind of little kids can sit through story time at the library. Mine would never "sit" for it. It would also drive me crazy seeing other people chase their kids around who didn't have the attention span to sit.

 

UUUUMMMMM..... sounds like my boys everyday single day! I wouldn't sweat it, I don't think anyone can quite wrap their head around just how hard it is to keep twins that age under control. I don't even bother, I just read to them at home and even that usually ends up with them fighting over the book and biting each other.