Saturday, November 04, 2006

Circle Time is our Favorite

Johnny and I started his "Toddler Time" class this week.

I was feeling nervous about it, and thought my fears were well-founded for about the first twenty minutes or so. It seemed like a lot of the parents and kids that were taking the class during the first session weren't into the new folks.

But see, I'm a bitch who is quick to judge and it wasn't really like that at all. People are just shy, and need some time to warm up, geez. We had a nice time and confirmed that Johnny hasn't grasped the concepts of play-doh, crayons, OR "circle time."

The class starts with play-doh time and the kids sit in teensy chairs and roll out gross, disgusting play-doh to be cut into hearts or stars or yellow moons. Once we got situated, John sat there, looking at me as though I were CRAZY to imagine he'd want to sit here, still, when there was so much to check out in this new room. Then he proceeded to alternate eating the play-doh and attempting to club the kid to his left over the head with the rolling pin. When that got tired, he just started flinging the play-doh cutters all over the room. It was fun!

Then there was circle time. Songs, clapping, desperate Johnny-wrangling. Oh, circle time.

Next came free play. This was actually when I decided that we'd come back next week, because by then, all the rest of the new people had arrived, and there was adult interaction. Johnny seemed to enjoy free play, because there were blocks. If there are blocks, my boy will find them, build them, eat them and throw them. Several consecutive minutes of fun, I tell you.

This session, we had to do circle time twice, because so many people missed it the first time. The class had a time switch, and not all the parents were informed. Oh, circle time. Thank god you'll only have to happen once next week.

Then? Dancing. Cute songs with cues to follow. The first few laps Johnny made it, then I had to carry him. Should I work up such a sweat during Toddler Time? Hmmm.

I want to not compare him to the other kids, really. But how do you do it? He's the only one not walking, and he seems to have the biggest beef with being expected to sit still for activities. He's also the cutest and the smartest, so there is that.

I'm glad we're doing it, I like meeting other parents with kids around Johnny's age and I think the structure and interaction are important for him. Bonus factor? The kid took a THREE HOUR nap after the class.

It must have been circle time that wore him out.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lynne,

Will you be my aunt, too?

5:04 PM  

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