One of the first things new stay at home moms do is to start signing up their kids for classes. This is a great way to meet other parents, let your kid get used to being in groups, and to just get out of the house. But many parents get concerned when they start seeing the way their kids behave in a group setting. Here are a few normal toddler behaviors you shouldn’t let annoy you unless there are other issues, and you address them with a pediatrician.
1) Your toddler just wants to run – You sign your kid up for that gym class, everyone sits in a circle ready for the activity to begin, and your toddler takes off. He or she starts doing laps around the circle and heading right for the equipment. Because, of course, this new place is AMAZING! They want to take it all in. They do not want to sit around. You can try to wrangle your child in, but check with the circle leader first. It might be just fine for your kid to explore, and then they can come back to the circle when they are ready to learn.
2) Your toddler wants all the toys – Another common toddler behavior in group classes is the desire to have all of the toys. Our gym class used to begin with the teacher passing a drum around the circle. This inevitably leads to breakdowns from the children as they were forced to pass the drum on. Your child will not be alone, but this is what you want your child to learn, socializing and sharing. It doesn’t happen over night, and it will be messy.
3) Your toddler wants to be heard – My first kid was pretty laid back,  but my second loves to make noise. The noise is usually not particularly pleasing to the human ear. It can be hard to control the noise level when exciting things are happening. If the noise level is distracting the class from hearing the teacher, this is a good time to swoop your child up and walk away. But as soon as there is a pause, try to return – leaving is not a punishment it is a coping mechanism.
4) Your child doesn’t want to leave your side – And by side I mean your arms, your leg, your waist. This may be a bit much to your young toddler and you are the only familiar object in the room. Try to engage in the class yourself and entice your child by making things look fun. Don’t feed into the anxiety. Act relaxed and comfortable. It may take a while, but they will come around.