- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Parenting
It doesn't make much sense to put a 2-year-old in dance, does it?
I'm looking for something for my DD to do - DS is all booked and I kind of feel badly for her.
She JUST turned two and isn't exactly cooperative. The class I found is for 2-4 year olds, so I could see the 4-year-olds listening and her just running around in circles.
We did tumble bees at the Y this fall and she was sort of into that - wanted nothing to do with the "circle" time songs and such, but liked the free play (It's like low-end gymboree class without the stupid clown...).
Maybe I'll put her back in that and wait for dance until she's 3 (I'm excited to do girl stuff, but don't want to waste my money...).
This discussion has been closed.
Re: It doesn't make much sense to put a 2-year-old in dance, does it?
My dd started dance when she was just a bit over 2. She LOVES it. I don't consider it a waste at all. She has fun and it's good for helping develop balance & coordination as well as learning to listen to instruction.
I'd wait. As a former dance instructor, 2 yo just don't get that much out of it. And for a class with 2-4 yo, I can see that being a disaster. We always started it at age 3.
I would try the tumble bee's thing you mentioned again, or maybe swimming lessons (but you will probably have to get in the water with her for at that age).
I do think 2-4 years is a big age gap. My dd's class is for 2 & 3 year olds and I think most of the kids are 2. Are there any other studios that offer classes with smaller age ranges?
My 2 year old loves her dance class. She does runs around a lot, but so does the whole class. She dances around the house all the time, I think you should go for it!
Is there a way to try a free class? Most studios let you try them out before enrolling. Can you look into that and see how your DD does? I've noticed the girls do much better in classes like this without me there than they did in the Mommy-n-Me type classes.
That said, I agree with the pp that said ages 2-4 is a huge age range when you look at how much kids change and grow in that time. I can't imagine DD#2 in the same class as DD#1 and they're only about a year and a half apart (20 months). Even in DD#2's preschool class it's a class of 18-28-month-olds (as of September). DD#2 was one of the youngest in the class and is doing really well, but I can't help but think that I would have been a little annoyed last year if it had been DD#1's class and she'd been one of the oldest. Even just those 10 months are so huge in development (not that I don't understand and agree you have to split them somehow).
My DD was not ready for gymnastics or ballet at 2, but she liked a yoga/movement class, that did a lot with balls, scarves, and musical instruments. We took 2, one more music centered, the other more dance/yoga centered. Both were enjoyable for her.
At 3, I put her in dance for 3 year olds. Her dance teacher has a class for 2, 3, and 4, all seperately. There is a big difference in the ages in ability, so I like that DD is not made to feel like she is misbehaving because she is 3 and not 4.