I've been taking my son to Gymboree since he was a baby, and he's always liked it and had a good time. I like the idea of us having an activity we do together weekly. Well lately, he has been throwing tantrums every time we are there! He seems to be going through a phase where he doesn't want to do any organized activities, so he refuses to participate in the singing or sitting in a circle and just wants to play on the equipment. If I try to force him to do something, he screams.

The other problem is that he doesn't want to give anything back that was given to him. At Gymboree they play a song during every class and hand out maracas to the children. At the end of the song, the children are supposed to give them back. This always leads to a big tantrum where I'm yanking the maracas out of my son's hands as he's screaming and kicking on the floor.

I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth taking him to Gymboree. It's becoming stressful for me, which is probably making him react even more. Do you think this is a phase he'll outgrow soon, or do you have any tips on how to handle his tantrums? Also, would you continue classes with this behavior?