Thread: Children disrupting group!

There are children at my group and I'm seriously considering leaving because of it, their parents let them run riot, they pull down posters, cry for nothing, roar and shout over the consultant etc, some of us have just had enough, it feels like a crèche! I would have no problem with women bringing their children if they would just learn to control them, Tuesday mornings are the only break I get away from my children so I don't want to be listening to other people's! I've mentioned it to the consultant but nothing has been done about it, are any of you having this problem?

Originally Posted by vanilla_cupcake

There are children at my group and I'm seriously considering leaving because of it, their parents let them run riot, they pull down posters, cry for nothing, roar and shout over the consultant etc, some of us have just had enough, it feels like a crèche! I would have no problem with women bringing their children if they would just learn to control them, Tuesday mornings are the only break I get away from my children so I don't want to be listening to other people's! I've mentioned it to the consultant but nothing has been done about it, are any of you having this problem?

Difficult one!

I take my children to group (3 & 8 ) as I went to the group for a year before hubs hours changed and I didn't want to move groups.

I like to think that they're well behaved. There are two other children that they sit with (8 & 10), and they sit in the corner where the C does the new members talk once she's finished.

We do have to shush them occasionally (that amazing way kids WHISPER LIKE THIS!), and they do wind me up, but I'd hate to think that they annoyed other people lots.

I'd imagine though that because of when your group is, these children are a lot younger?

Maybe try mentioning it to the C once more and tell her you're considering leaving because of it? X

Before you leave the group, I would bring it up with your C again. Tell her what you've told us - that you find it really disruptive and are connsidering going elsewhere. Does your C provide books/toys to amuse the children? My C always does for daytime groups.

I normally go to a Thu evening meeting, but if my husband is working, I go to a Fri morning meeting instead. If I go to that one, I just weigh and run as the benefets of Image therapy would, for me, be entirely negated by worrying about keeping my two small children quiet during the meeting! I do understand that lots of people have no choice but to bring their children to every meeting. But they should certainly make a effort to keep them quietly amused.

I really do understand what you are saying, being a mother I don't like to take my children to group ....i have taken my oldest who's 9, but she'll happily watch tom and Jerry on my phone or take her portable dvd player. However i have a 3 year old boy and although he's well behaved he WHISPERS LIKE THIS lol!

I'm part of the social group for my group (ie I do weigh ins, or the shop etc) and we had a new member join last week, she her friend and her son were LOUD...... our Cons did have to say SHHHHHHH a few times and i could see people were getting irritated. But i know our cons will get it sorted out, as we could barely hear people speak at some point.

If i were you'd i'd mention it to her again. This is her income and she won't want to lose members because of this. She wont want to lose them either so perhaps she could set up a little 'corner' a few sheets and colours - some books or something?? In fact at a group i sued to use before i moved the cons there had a snack table for the kids. Melon, Pineapple, Satsumas etc..... and parents used to bring a little packed lunch for their kids...maybe just a few suggestions for her?

Good Luck, and i hope it changes soon. Don't let this ruin your weightloss!! xx

I left group because those kids would be my kids. No amount of colouring books would entertain, they were more interested in eating all of my hi fi bars and creating loudly if I refused them a 3rd bar, keeps them quiet for so long, but they are expensive to give to kids to shut them up haha. My kids just saw a big hall with lots of posters and space to run about and tables to crawl under, fake fat to prod, empty boxes to play with. Kids will be kids but i agree it's annoying!

Maybe try going to an evening group? we have a couple of kids in our evening group sometimes and they are well behaved. I have been to morning group and theres a few more kids which can be a bit off putting if you are trying to listen but thats how it is i suppose.

It is annoying!! I sometimes have to take my 2 yr old to group with me and I always take a bag with lots of (quiet) toys. A drink, box or grapes etc to keep him occupied. However, it does depend on what type of mood he is in when I get there as to wheather I decide to stay or not. Sometimes he's lovely he'll walk round the group saying hello to everyone and I just have to keep my eye on him. Other times he runs riot and I have had to leave half way through IT.

I totally understand why you find it annoying as it annoys me when others bring there kids and it me that has to tell them not to rip the posters or whatever!!! (my son doesn't like it when they play with his toys cause they havent brought any either!!) I would have another word with your C and see what they say. There is no guarentee that the group you move to will be any better and I would fight tooth and nail to stay at the group I'm at cause the C is fantastic. Good luck!

I take me three year old son with me to group and 9&1/2 times out of ten he's super quiet and will be happy either sitting on my knee watching cartoons or playing with his toys quietly. I have him well warned and he has a McDonalds as a treat if he's been extra good...but if there is any other kids there that are running round and causing chaos, he is a three year old boy and will join in. That's usually my que to leave. I agree with quite a few other mums that is so annoying when other kids are running round and shouting while their mums sit obilivous. On the other hand we have a lot of adults that don't know how to be quiet during IT, usually ones that have been there a long time and must have heard it all before. As I sit at the back in the kids corner making sure my little one is quiet I find I can't hear much of what's going on because of this

Originally Posted by CraigA

Maybe try going to an evening group? we have a couple of kids in our evening group sometimes and they are well behaved. I have been to morning group and theres a few more kids which can be a bit off putting if you are trying to listen but thats how it is i suppose.

Sorry to thread jack but I just saw Craig's profile! WOW!! Well done, you done an amazing job on your weight loss

i agree with the others. Have another chat with the C and see if she can have a word!

I've just started and morning classes are my only option. Yes there are toddlers running around and it is quite distracting during the body magic session. I think after a few weeks I will just get weighed and go because it will probably be even worse at half terms/holidays.

Originally Posted by cruisedolly

I've just started and morning classes are my only option. Yes there are toddlers running around and it is quite distracting during the body magic session. I think after a few weeks I will just get weighed and go because it will probably be even worse at half terms/holidays.

You'd be surprised, actually- my morning group is quite often quiet in the school holidays because people don't want to take their kids, knowing they are likely to be bored and get on other people's nerves! I have been going to the same group for 18months and have only had about 3 weeks when it has been over run with kids. the consultant does have a table set up for colouring for the older kids and a box of preschool toys and puzzles that a bunch of us donated to try and keep the little ones entertained, though it varies week on week how noisy they are.

The group I go to has about 6 toddlers (mine included) and a couple of babies in buggies so is sometimes quite distracting. My son is going through a particularly irritating phase at the moment so I occasionally leave half way though IT. I figure that if he's bugging me, then he must be bugging everyone else even more. It does wind me up a bit that other parents don't have the same consideration though.

I do SW online so not something I have experience with in SW, but it used to drive me bonkers when i was a weight watchers member. I used to bring my older son, he would have been between 2 and 3 at the time, and himself and about 5 other children were able to sit quietly and play or eat some snacks and were no trouble. But there were another 3 or so who were just running riot. And yeah, kids will be kids, but its not appropriate and the parents did nothing to try and calm them down.

I have a 15 month old now, and even if meetings were an option for me, there is no way I could bring him. He just would not stay quiet, no matter what i give him. he just isnt that type of child. And I think that when you have a child like that you have to accept that you cant do some things unless you have a babysitter. Why should everyone miss out on the meeting after paying their money just because I want to go?

Thanks for all the comments everyone, I'll give it another few weeks and see how it goes!

One of you mentioned about the older women talking through group too, we have a certain few that do that every week and its extremely annoying, no amount of shhhing from the consultant or us (the social group) shuts them up, some people just have no manners!

I don't go to group and I have a toddler and I wouldn't take him because he is very boyish and a little loud at times and would get bored however..... Whilst I don't agree ppl should let there children run riot and damage things, it's not always possible to make a toddler be quiet and for some people sw is a lifeline and something they need to do for their health and for their families. And if they have no option to take their child I'd sooner be disrupted a bit and let them have the same chance to be part of sw and change their lives.

Hmmm, I'm not sure if I agree with you there. I understand what you're saying about it being someones lifeline but is it fair to disrupt the masses for the sake of one individual..

I'm very lucky that no children come to my group but I could imagine it being very distracting. I really try to soak up everything the consultant is saying and I think it's fair that everyone should have their 1 minute of limelight to say well done or to give them advice to hopefully do better next week. So if someone was constantly talking loudly or kids were making noise it wouldn't be fair on that person who had paid their money to go.