Can't We All Just Get Along?: Mom Talk

Well we took another stab at the toddler class. After our first class I had a pounding headache and struggled to resist the urge to drink. Uncontrollable 2-year-olds are not my idea of fun.

This week, I admit, was much better. I really enjoyed it. I'm sure our son, Liam, did too.

But here is where I need some advice.

Liam is an only child. His youngest cousins are in high school. We don't have other kids on our block. The reasons my husband and I signed him up for a class were two-fold.

First, we want Liam to learn social skills like sharing and taking turns. Second, we want to help him get ready for Kindergarten. For example, he needs to learn how to play on the rug, sit in a circle, follow direction from a teacher. Now it's time to do this. Later it will be time to do that.

So I get to the second week of this class, and the teacher gives instructions to the parents. She explained that if kids scream or disrupt the class, parents should take them out until they settle down. That's good, I thought.

Then she said that kids were allowed to run around the far end of the room if they wanted. They did not have to participate in the group activities. That's not so good, I thought.

Is it wrong that I don't want my son to run around when we were supposed to be holding hands in a circle?

Moms, tell me, please, what have been your experiences with these circumstances?