https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 22:18:39 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2179127 Thu, 14 May 2015 22:28:19 +0000 Zbug 2179127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Running around is no big deal at our library storytime! I would say at least a quarter of the kids act like wild animals, including mine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2179123 Thu, 14 May 2015 22:26:16 +0000 sometimesshesings 2179123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Please take even your wildest babies and toddlers to library storytimes! </p> <p>I manage children's services in a large urban library. I also have a very active 2.5 year old who is allll over the place at storytime, and I totally understand that feeling of having the only child not sitting still. Of course I can't speak for all library systems or librarians, but I can tell you that the overwhelming consensus in the library profession is that it is highly developmentally inappropriate to expect young children to sit still and listen to books, particularly in unfamiliar group settings. Most libraries that aren't still stuck in the Victorian age will provide storytimes with many opportunities to get up and move and sing, as well as built-in time for play. Parents are often reluctant to bring their children under 3 to the library, but that's unfortunate because libraries provide a wonderful space for very young kids to learn early social-emotional and preliteracy skills and for families to come together, build community, and perhaps feel less isolated than one might hanging out at home with a little one. </p> <p>If you end up with an old-school librarian with unreasonable expectations, please complain and let the library management know what you'd like to see. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178373 Thu, 14 May 2015 13:45:38 +0000 Mrs. Cheesecake 2178373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DS has been going to story time at the local libraries and Barnes &amp; Noble since he was about 4 months. He has his good and bad days. For the most part he does not sit still for the whole event and will start wandering around and looking at items in the room, but not disrupting the story time. This has been the case since we started going since he has always been ahead of his physical milestones and was an early crawler and walker. There are times when he will listen to the songs and participate, but even though he loves being read to at home, he just doesn't seem to enjoy it as much when in a story time setting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178365 Thu, 14 May 2015 13:41:33 +0000 jhd 2178365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would keep going and/or check out the library story time. People have to be understanding that you have two little ones to keep track of! Our library story time is for 12-24 months and they have a 5 or 6 week session a few times per year. We just finished our first season and T did well but he's not walking independently yet. It ends up being about 15 min of stories and songs and bubbles etc before the kids get some time to look at board books and then get to go play in another area. Most of the kids were closer to 2 so it will be interesting once he is no longer the youngest. And fwiw there was one little boy who always got up and no one seemed to mind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178351 Thu, 14 May 2015 13:35:35 +0000 twodoghouse 2178351@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the input everyone! It sounds like there's a range of what's expected at story time for different ages. The one at the library is 12-24 months so I wonder if it's a little more "free." I'll have to check it out and see if it would fit my DS's wild side! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178345 Thu, 14 May 2015 13:31:14 +0000 Radish 2178345@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've gone to tons of story times and they are all different. When LO1 was 1 we were at a story time that understood children's needs so I let her wander if she needed. It was taken over by a new lady as she got older and she was less okay with kids wandering, but not unreasonable. One here requires you to take your kid out of the room if they are being too disruptive (basically unrealistic for most kids 1-3). The one we currently attend kids of all ages wander freely but the lady who was doing it recently quit do I'm not sure how it'll change. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178322 Thu, 14 May 2015 13:20:46 +0000 travelgirl1 2178322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We never go to storytime because there is noooo way my kid would sit still, it just stresses me out when I have to keep pulling her back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178302 Thu, 14 May 2015 13:11:29 +0000 skipra 2178302@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used to do weekly classes that included story and music time from when my oldest was about 6-15 months. He would not sit and participate from the moment he started crawling and was usually the only one. We took both kids to storytime at the library recently and at 2.5 his attention span was maybe 5 minutes. He loves to read at home so I think it's just the environment maybe? Too many new things to check out so who wants to sit still!? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178288 Thu, 14 May 2015 13:05:12 +0000 NurseDMB 2178288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OMG, 12-15 months was the absolute worse time for DS to sit still -- he started walking at 12 months and just wanted to run around everywhere, so Storytime was a total fail during those months. </p> <p>He's never been a huge fan of Storytime in general though, even though he loves books at home. I ended up taking him back at 18 months and he did good most days, and would actually sit to listen to a couple stories and dance with the group when they did songs. But now (at almost 2) he went through another phase where he just wanted to run around everywhere when we went, so I've stopped taking him for now. I'll try again later. Right now he's more interested in his gym class and the playground. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178278 Thu, 14 May 2015 13:01:44 +0000 birdofafeather 2178278@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We went to baby (non-mobile) and toddler story time and there were always kids running around. The librarians got more upset when parents were talking. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178247 Thu, 14 May 2015 12:46:06 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 2178247@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have been going weekly since 4 months (LO is now 20 months) and she hasn't been sitting still since about 16 months. She's the only one who doesn't but we don't have a ton of attendees. She sings but she is climbing chairs and asking to go out to the common area and looking out wondows. It's kind of embarrassing but it's pretty casual so I don't do anything about it. No seems to mind and I know I wouldn't mind if it was another child. She is never disturbing anyone else so I don't see it as a problem....maybe I should? lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178209 Thu, 14 May 2015 12:32:26 +0000 HLK208 2178209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started taking DS at 20 months and he did NOT sit still! He was all over the place. I asked the librarian if it was okay and she said it was totally fine and normal for his age. He was definitely the only active kid when we went though lol. I kept going but only for a few months. We went back at 2.5 and it was better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178186 Thu, 14 May 2015 12:24:15 +0000 Tanjowen 2178186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our library calls it "baby time" until age 2, and they do a story and bubbles and songs, but all the kids are running around the room and nobody seems to care. The laptime at age 2, they do ask for the child to stay seated. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178179 Thu, 14 May 2015 12:21:03 +0000 cheert16 2178179@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started going to babies and books at 4 months- and have continued to 2 year old storytime. (DS just turned 2) and he still has a hard time sitting through it. He usually walks around and listens (sometimes runs) and participates when she plays games and does singing. I don't usually worry about it because there are always other kids that are worse than him! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178124 Thu, 14 May 2015 12:00:22 +0000 hilsy85 2178124@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It totally depends on the class...at our library storytime, running around is not ok because there are a lot of kids in a small space and they're mostly sitting. So in that case I would take him out. ALthough if it's just walking around and exploring I think that's still fine. In some of his music classes, running around the perimeter of the room is not a problem, so it's fine. </p> <p>FWIW, my LO is 2.5 and i would say he's only been able to sit through a library storytime in the last few months, and that's only if I bring snacks for him to have while he sits! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-first-started-going-to-story-time#post-2178063 Thu, 14 May 2015 11:23:10 +0000 twodoghouse 2178063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did your LO sit down and listen, or sort of wander around? How old was he/she?</p> <p>I've been taking my LOs (12 months) to a weekly sign and story time for maybe 6 weeks now. Ages range from 6 months to 4 years, although most kids are 18-24 months, I would guess. There are a couple other regulars who have turned one while we've been attending(we sing happy birthday, which is how I know) but they are non-mobile. At this point my kids' mobility far exceeds their ability to sit still and listen to a story or song. </p> <p>For the most part it seems ok in this particular story time because it's pretty active with songs/dancing/bubbles in addition to the stories. </p> <p>However, Blake has just started running and he decided to practice that all over the place at story time today. He was just totally wild and crazy, and I felt like it might be borderline inappropriate for an organized activity? I'd like to start taking my LOs to the library story time as well, but I'm not sure what the expectations are as far as kids sitting down and listening vs. wandering around. (It's hard to force my kids to sit quietly in my lap because there are two of them and if I get them to both sit down with me they will undoubtedly start laughing at each other and making more noise than if I let them sit by themselves). </p> <p>Anyway, just looking for opinions on this. Would you just put story time on pause, or do you think a certain amount of wandering/not paying attention is ok? </p>