kids, activities, and ages

[sarahlindsay]

At what age did you have your kids in various activities/groups/classes?

DD is in a music class right now, and has been for nearly a year (since 18 mos or so). We go to library storytime once a week, as well as occasionally attending another local program that is $3/week at a nature center - that's more like themed free play with a nature walk included.

She will be 2.5 in early December. She's pretty physical and enjoys learning how to do a somersault, practice yoga poses with my sister, etc. - so I was thinking of finding a tumbling class to start after Christmas. And I feel like she should probably be in swimming classes....for more constant familiarity with the water, I guess.

It ends up feeling like a lot, and I don't want us to be scheduled too much. But if your child is in classes or paid activities, what are they and at what age did they start?

[birdmom]

DS is 20 months and is starting soccer in December. It's like a class with parent involvement where they learn to kick the ball and run around and have fun, not like they're actually learning to play soccer...lol.

He took swimming classes over the summer, but we dropped out. He kept getting sick, the water was freezing. We'll try again later.

[Deleted]

DS is 17 months and currently in nothing. We did more when I was SAH, but now it really doesn't seem practical.

I hope for him to do some swimming lessons with DH next summer (he'll be a bit over 2), and we'll look at some of the local preschool sports when he's 3. They're half a block away and really low cost.

I don't want to spend too much time running around. My parents had a "one thing at a time" activity rule that will likely make an appearance in our house (at least as long as we're a 2 working parent house).

[Deleted]

Our 4 yo does swimming, soccer, and a Little Gym sports class. I also signed him up for tennis lessons which start next month. The 2 yo does a music class, swimming, and a Little Gym class. I'm at home with them though and they only do half day preschool. If they were in daycare full time I'd think twice about signing them up for multiple classes.

I started early with DS1 but I think that was more for me than for him. I don't think they really started getting anything out of it until they were over one and probably closer to two. I doubt I'll sign DD up for anything until next year.

[atouchofklasse]

We are starting community Ed tumbling classes as soon as he's old enough (18M).

He has music classes at daycare starting that age, too.

I'm joining a weekend playgroup.

That's it for now.

[cjeanette]

At 2.5 each kid was in tumbling. We did occasional art or sports clinics.

[Deleted]

DD is in gymnastics once a week. (almost 3)

We did swimming previously, and will restart that at some point.

[satama]

We go to storytime and DS is starting swimming lessons next month. We plan to do a general sports class at the Y after this session of swim (they have to be 3 and he wont be until December). Maybe soccer in the spring. We are going to wait until the spring to sign DS2 up for swimming. He will be one in March.

We plan to join a pool next summer so I think that will be all we do for activities during the summer.

[Deleted]

Why do people feel the need to do so many lessons at such a young age?

[Deleted]

DS3 started gymnastics when he was 2.5. It is just a fun class where they learn body awareness and sitting still. Finally at 4.5 he can do a cartwheel.

Swimming lessons my kids started at 3ish but those only happen in the spring/early summer.

[anna7602]

I've always had DD in a ton of stuff. When she was a baby, it was mostly for me to get out of the house. Now, it's mostly for her, although I will admit that a small part is the chance for me to meet other moms since we moved in January.

Before she started preschool, she was in mommy & me yoga, then toddler yoga and now she goes to kids' yoga (her class is for ages 3-6).

She also did music classes, library storytime & playtime (they called it "toddler university," blech), swim class and soccer as a toddler.

I started her in ballet at age 3 and she still loves it now (she's 4). She just started taking a theater class this fall. So, that's 3 activities that she is taking now, but that she started at different ages.

When we go back to NY, I will enroll her in a French class for sure and try to keep the yoga and ballet.

[anna7602]

Oct 22, 2012 14:45:01 GMT -5 @spenjamins said:

Why do people feel the need to do so many lessons at such a young age?

Because it was a great way for me to get out and meet people in the neighborhood and for DD to get to know kids her age. We made lots of playdates with kids we met in her early music and swim classes. By the time she started pre-school in our neighborhood, she knew most of the kids already from all the toddler classes they'd had together. It made the transition to pre-school really easy for us.

Now, she absolutely loves ballet and we scoped out ballet schools before moving with almost the same attention as our preschool search. The other classes we added to increase her exposure to the French language through activities she enjoys. Neither DH nor I speak to her in French at home, so school is all the exposure she was getting.

[Willis Jackson]

Right now DS (3.5) has preschool 2 mornings a week, storytime 1x a week, and dance class will start soon (1x a week).

At 2.5 he had preschool 1 morning a week and storytime 1-2x a week. We did some parent/child gym classes here and there, too.

DD is 13mo and just tags along.

[sarahlindsay]

Oct 22, 2012 14:45:01 GMT -5 @spenjamins said:

Why do people feel the need to do so many lessons at such a young age?

What's your suggestion for the ideal number of activities (organized or not) for kids? DD isn't in daycare, so I think she especially benefits from the group settings she can be in.

[whitepicketfence]

DD1 is almost 3. She takes classes at the zoo, goes to toddler storytime at the library, and does Kindermusik. I plan to enroll her in dance class next fall. Also, there are a lot of activities at the children's museum that we'll enroll her in when she's 3 (the minimum age they'll let kids participate).

DD2 is 14 months and mostly just tags along to all of these activities. She does baby classes at the zoo and is enrolled in DD1's Kindermusik group though.

I'm a SAHM and my kids tend to go crazy if they're stuck at home all day. I try to get out of the house as much as possible.

[dragonfly08]

DD #1 started Gymboree at about 12-15 months. Then she moved to Music Together and The Little Gym, eventually to a "regular" gym. Some ballet thrown in there. At 5 she did a season of soccer. A sprinkling of swim classes over the years. Usually not more than 1 or two activities at a time and mostly before she started school, just to keep us busy and social.

She's 9 now and has settled into a regular routine - Tae Kwon Do three times/week, swim lessons on Saturday mornings, Girl Scouts twice/month (one Tuesday evening meeting and one weekend activity), and violin practice (classes are during school but she's required to practice at home at least one hour per week).

DD #2 is 6. She didn't start classes at quite as young an age because I was just busier by then. She did swim from about age 3, and dabbled in ballet and gymnastics off and on. Now she takes swim lessons on Saturdays, goes to gymnastics one afternoon/week, and does Girl Scouts twice/month (same idea as #1 only her weekday meeting is on a Thursday, and the weekend meeting isn't always the same unless there's a Service Unit activity going on that both of their troops are attending).

[DazeyDee]

DD started gymnastics at 13 months, and still does it. It's at the local rec, and is really just a chance to play on the equipment and start to slowly learn some things.

We usually do storytime at the library once a week, and a music class of some sort (there's a couple to pick from). She has done swimming lessons (starting at 9 mos) just to get used to the water - we'll probably start again soon. She also asks to go to dance class, so we'll probably do those after the first of the year.

For us, her classes have been a great way for us both to make friends. I am the only one of my older friends with a kid, and we moved to a new suburb 2 months before DD was born. We've met pretty much all of our current mom friends through various activities. And DD thrives on the interaction, so it's been a lot of fun to watch her participate in everything.

ETA: OP, based on your siggy, DD is 2 days younger then your DD, if that helps at all.

[niki]

My son is about her age. We did a music class and swim. That was fine, but we didn't love the music class so we didn't continue. Swim is important to me for safety reasons, so he will continue until I am satisfied he is proficient. I imagine he will start hockey when he fits into some skates (3 or 4), then if it is in the budget, something creative (music? instrument?). I don't expect the swim to be forever, just until I don't have to worry as much.

[jena]

We went on play dates and story time early on, but that was it.

At 2yo, dd started dance as it was offered at daycare. She did that 3 years and is done.

At 5 and almost 3, they started gymnastics. I want them to do it because dh and I are both very unathletic and not sporty at all. I'm hoping early exposure will at least minimize their clumsiness but they do enjoy it too.

We need to do swimming lessons.

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[Deleted]

DS is 16mo and is not enrolled in anything right now. We have memberships to the Botanical Gardens and the Children's Museum and used to go to these places often. However, we haven't been to either place since we started working. I want to enroll him in swimming classes next summer and am debating a music class in the spring.

If I stop working again, I want to enroll him in a morning out program. He enjoys being around other kids so I am happy to sign him up. We tried Gymboree here but it sucked.

When we still lived in FL, we did a ton of things every day of the week. We went to story times at different libraries, music classes, free play. This was all when he was younger than 12 months old.