Toddler group too structured - Page 2

hattiehippo · Mar 9th, 2012, 13:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by punk_pig

Quote:

Originally Posted by hattiehippo

I think though are under pressure to prove they have a educational focus now.

So are early years/day care providers but they'd never force a child to do anything!

I know but the SureStart centres are being pressurised to change their focus to be providing more early educational intervention for vulnerable children rather than more generic playgroups by the current government. So I'd expect most of them will gradually change to be more structured than they have previously been.
Which is a shame - as I said I stopped going to a surestart palygroup as well for similar reasons a while ago.

katy1310 · Mar 9th, 2012, 16:12 PM

The group I take Sophie to, they let the kids run around playing with whatever they want for about an hour, then a woman comes in for half an hour to sing, do rhymes etc and they sit in a circle for that, but nobody is forced to. Sophie prefers to go outside, play at the craft table, play with the toys etc and hates sitting in the circle, and they always say just to let her do what she wants. Like yours, this group isn't aimed at any specific age - I think it's birth to 4 or something, so it's impossible to get all the children doing the same thing at the same time because they're all such different ages.

I think you should speak to someone about it - it's good to have those activities available but it's better to run it the way ours is done and let them participate if they want to, but also do other things if they want to. xx

muddles · Mar 9th, 2012, 16:39 PM

I would stop going to that group!

The groups we go to have a loose structure, in that they have areas of different types of toys. One group has a big room with outdoor type toys like slides, ride on toys, play house and tent... then the other room has table top things like drawing, jigsaws, train set... Another has certain toys out before snack time then different toys after it and the other group has the same sorts of toys out each week but alternates between the messy activity (it could be sand/water/paint/playdough). I think that's as structured as it needs to be with toddlers.

All of them get the children and parents to tidy up 15 mins or so before the end then at two of the groups we do 15 mins of singing (but children are allowed to stand up and dance in the middle or sit nicely on parents knees/the floor) and at the other group they have story time. I think that's a nice way to finish off the group.

Babushka99 · Mar 9th, 2012, 16:51 PM

I'd carry on going because the group is good for his social development, but absolutely no way would I force him to do anything! Just be the rebel and let him carry on as he always has done. He might choose to join in the activities in his own time.

Blah11 · Mar 9th, 2012, 16:57 PM

Thats ashame but I dont think its a bad idea that they want to be a bit more structured. I went to a few baby groups when Amelie was little and they were crap and unorganised tbh. We sometimes go to a playgroup and thats just madness then we do songs at the end but its fine as I only go there to let amelie run about with my friends LOs.

shopgirl771 · Mar 10th, 2012, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babushka99

I'd carry on going because the group is good for his social development, but absolutely no way would I force him to do anything! Just be the rebel and let him carry on as he always has done. He might choose to join in the activities in his own time.

this is certainly one way to deal with it

lol

this is it. he was doing so well in the old style sessions and starting to join in and do all the actions to the songs just in his own time and way.
x

shopgirl771 · Mar 10th, 2012, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hattiehippo

Quote:

Originally Posted by punk_pig

Quote:

Originally Posted by hattiehippo

I think though are under pressure to prove they have a educational focus now.

So are early years/day care providers but they'd never force a child to do anything!

I know but the SureStart centres are being pressurised to change their focus to be providing more early educational intervention for vulnerable children rather than more generic playgroups by the current government. So I'd expect most of them will gradually change to be more structured than they have previously been.
Which is a shame - as I said I stopped going to a surestart palygroup as well for similar reasons a while ago.

this is what i was thinking. i have no issue with introducing more education and structure i just dont see how anyone can force a strong willed free spirited toddler to do anything. this is where i think, as i said in my op, that it may back fire on some families.
im not classed as a vulnerable family that surestart are directed at but i certainly dont think alienating people by making them feel inadequate as parents is the way to go.

CharlieKeys · Mar 10th, 2012, 03:35 AM

You can't force a toddler to sit down! No way would mine sit still for a second! When we do the local sure start Play and Stay - they do rhyme time at the end where we all sit in a circle but the kids usually get up and dance and play and run around in the middle - they have never asked us to make sure they sit down!

Mar 9th, 2012, 16:12 PM	#12
katy1310 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3,979	The group I take Sophie to, they let the kids run around playing with whatever they want for about an hour, then a woman comes in for half an hour to sing, do rhymes etc and they sit in a circle for that, but nobody is forced to. Sophie prefers to go outside, play at the craft table, play with the toys etc and hates sitting in the circle, and they always say just to let her do what she wants. Like yours, this group isn't aimed at any specific age - I think it's birth to 4 or something, so it's impossible to get all the children doing the same thing at the same time because they're all such different ages. I think you should speak to someone about it - it's good to have those activities available but it's better to run it the way ours is done and let them participate if they want to, but also do other things if they want to. xx

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Mar 9th, 2012, 16:39 PM	#13
muddles Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: UK Posts: 2,951	I would stop going to that group! The groups we go to have a loose structure, in that they have areas of different types of toys. One group has a big room with outdoor type toys like slides, ride on toys, play house and tent... then the other room has table top things like drawing, jigsaws, train set... Another has certain toys out before snack time then different toys after it and the other group has the same sorts of toys out each week but alternates between the messy activity (it could be sand/water/paint/playdough). I think that's as structured as it needs to be with toddlers. All of them get the children and parents to tidy up 15 mins or so before the end then at two of the groups we do 15 mins of singing (but children are allowed to stand up and dance in the middle or sit nicely on parents knees/the floor) and at the other group they have story time. I think that's a nice way to finish off the group.

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Mar 9th, 2012, 16:51 PM	#14
Babushka99 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: London Posts: 2,333	I'd carry on going because the group is good for his social development, but absolutely no way would I force him to do anything! Just be the rebel and let him carry on as he always has done. He might choose to join in the activities in his own time.

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Mar 9th, 2012, 16:57 PM	#15
Blah11 Mum (Mom) BnB Spammer Elite Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 38,177	Thats ashame but I dont think its a bad idea that they want to be a bit more structured. I went to a few baby groups when Amelie was little and they were crap and unorganised tbh. We sometimes go to a playgroup and thats just madness then we do songs at the end but its fine as I only go there to let amelie run about with my friends LOs.

Status: Offline

Mar 10th, 2012, 03:35 AM	#18
CharlieKeys Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Essex Posts: 5,249	You can't force a toddler to sit down! No way would mine sit still for a second! When we do the local sure start Play and Stay - they do rhyme time at the end where we all sit in a circle but the kids usually get up and dance and play and run around in the middle - they have never asked us to make sure they sit down!

Status: Offline

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