story time at library grrrrr!

[sweets]

went to the story time at our local library this morn with my 2 mindees aged 17mnths and 21 mnths. the lady introduced her self to me which was nice as i was the only 'new' one there. she told that she reads a couple of stories and then does some singing and then we have a cup of tea. she also said don't worry if the children want to wander about.

she started off reading and my 2 just sat on the floor next to me and listened, 2 of the parents there decided to have a conversation which i thought was very rude and one lady let her toddler about 18mnths literaly 'run' round and round. i'm sorry but to me that is just not on! one of my mindees started to get up and follow him but i said no we are having stories, sit down and listen.which she did.
When we did the songs i let mine wander a bit and join in the dancing as i thought that was ok.


Am i being harsh here and ultra strict or would you have done the same?

[miss mopple]

Id have done the same. All mine know they are expected to sit quietly and listen, and if they dont then I put them in the buggy and wheel them away so they arent disruptive

Drives me nuts when adults chat over the librarian too :angry:

[flowerpots]

To be truly child led, if they want to have a wonder while the story is being read, i would let them. (not run wild).

They cant tell us if there bottoms are going numb or sore, also if its a new environment its natural for the kiddies to want to have a look around and explore.

I dont like th thought of the parents chatting though, how rude!

[The Juggler]

our library is set out so the story corner is just near the books and shelves so if my littlies want to wander and look at the books I stay in the middle so I can sit with one in songtime whilst the others wander. I don't make them stay - as have seen parents running back and fore constantly.

If allowed to go off, they usually come back as songtime is more interesting:) babies are too small to be expected to sit still for stories BUT adults talking over the story. That is SOOO rude:angry:

[sarah707]

There is a big difference between age groups and expectations with this question I think.

Little ones do not often have the ability to sit for long and may need, as flowerpots says, to get up and move around.

However, pre-schoolers and slightly older children are usually developmentally able enough to understand that they are disturbing others by wandering about and should be able to cooperate for short periods if asked to sit and either watch or join in... and if they are interested in what is going on around them.

I have noticed that there's been a huge shift in thinking in recent years - certainly when my children were young we all sat together and they were expected to get on and do whatever we were doing.

In many cultures and religions children are expected to do this as well. In a lot of religious groups, for example, children sit with the adults, often on uncomfortable chairs or on benches, for long periods while there are prayers and speakers and they understand from a very young age that they are not expected to speak or move around.

Nowadays however in many things the 'let them explore' school of thought is prevalent and this does seem to fit in more with the play ethos of the Eyfs.

I think you have to go with what feels right to you as well.

As for talking through things, there used to be a group of mothers who did this at our local group and it drove me potty!! They would actually talk louder during the singing to make themselves heard :rolleyes:

:D

[sweets]

but surely NOT EVERYTHING should be child led? if with a group of people there has to be some disipline and structure, it wouldnt have been very good if every child had decided to have a wander!

if my mindees had been 8-12mnths then of course i would have let them crawl about as long as they werent disruptive to the story. but at 17 and 21 mnths i think they should start to learn that they sit down with the rest of the group, if thier bum gets a bit numb then they can just change position surely! it was only for 15mins. the child that was moving about wasnt just wandering, he was running through the middle of the circle and generally being a pain in the bum while mum just looked on and smiled and made no attempt to sit him down, he may as well have been in the park round the corner!

[lauren1979]

All depends who is reading the story at our library! Some are *ahem* much better at keeping children's attention than others, so much so that she is often left reading and singing to the parents :rolleyes:

[ajs]

there's child led and child led though at caterpillar music we go every week and some children run around shouting and climbing on the table and pulling the resourses out from under the table and there are others who are enjoying the singing and moving with the music but also playing with their friends and generally having fun.
mine are under very strict instruction, that if they want to run around and be disruptive then we leave the group and come home and if i see them starting to get silly i give them the look and they soon stop messing and start joining in properly

[Stillgoingstrong]

but surely not EVERYTHING should be child led? if with a group of people there has to be some disipline and structure, it wouldnt have been very good if every child had decided to have a wander!

if my mindees had been 8-12mnths then of course i would have let them crawl about as long as they werent disruptive to the story. but at 17 and 21 mnths i think they should start to learn that they sit down with the rest of the group, if thier bum gets a bit numb then they can just change position surely! it was only for 15mins. the child that was moving about wasnt just wandering, he was running through the middle of the circle and generally being a pain in the bum while mum just looked on and smiled and made no attempt to sit him down, he may as well have been in the park round the corner!

Why should children always be allowed to do as they want whenever they want? Story time is just that, not gossip time or wander around time. Some children grow up so undiciplined maybe because they were allowed to do whatever they wanted. The ignorant parents talking over the top are a prime example.

[Heaven Scent]

I believe there is a time and place for everything What is the point in taking children to an activity if they are not going to take part in it or if due to the bahaviiour of other children they are unable to get the most out of it. I have no problem with children moving about a little during an activity such as rhyme time or Jo jingles ( I do mean other than following the movements in the songs and rhymes) but I don't think they should be allowed to run about and wander off.

I also feel that if children are getting numb backsides then there is something seeriously wrong with the activity.

If parents are chatting loudly through the activity then that prevents the children getting the most out of it and they soon become bored and start chatting themselves and then wander off - so chatting parents get a distinct look from me its not a scowel but more of a quizzed expression as if to say I didn't quite catch that did you??? This often works in that they shut up thinking that they have missed something interestin and when I've got them quiet I remind my mindees that they must be quiet as its very rude to talk out loud when shomeone is reading a story/takling/singing whilst smiling and rolling my eyes at the naughty parents who then attempt to control their children - works every time

[FussyElmo]

I stopped going to storytime as my ds wouldnt sit down and the more I tried to make him the louder he got. Then my dd would try and follow him whereas my mindee would sit and listen intently.

All children are different so what I started to do was take a fellow cm with me as she had no mindees and she would sit with dd in puchchair and mindee while they listened to the story and I would then be able to follow ds. He would always come back for songtime.

However they then rearranged the library and put us right by the doors and ds could open them so stopped going as it was to much of a rush.

[sweets]

Why should children always be allowed to do as they want whenever they want? Story time is just that, not gossip time or wander around time. Some children grow up so undiciplined maybe because they were allowed to do whatever they wanted. The ignorant parents talking over the top are a prime example.

exactly how i feel.:clapping: :clapping:

[Polly2]

I think its a question of respect. All children should be taught to respect others and listen when others are speaking (or telling stories).

Those parents are obviously setting a really bad example - how are the children meant to listen if the parents can't be bothered.

Its good to be child-led but there must be boundaries surely?!

[SYLVIA]

I take my mindees to story time. We have playtime first, then stories then crafts. I make mine sit and listen. Its following instructions as well as good manners. One week the lady there complimented me on my childrens behaviour in front of another CM there whos LO had been a right pest the whole time

[crazyhazy]

We do rhymetime at our local library, but interestingly their storytime sessions are for 3-5yr olds. I certainly wouldn't take my 21m old daughter to a storytime session cos I know she would struggle to sit through it, the library is far too interesting to sit still :laughing: