This morning, Olivia and I attended our first Toddler Time at the Grandville Public Library. This year I'm trying to venture out more, and I thought this would be a good activity for Olivia and me to spend some quality time together outside of the house. When we got to the library, we found an entire area devoted to children with a puppet station, computers, blocks, and play mats. I wasn't sure if this was the "Toddler Time" I registered for since I had expected a more structured, librarian-led storytime session. Then, I overheard another mother tell her child it was time for the story to be read, so I followed behind her. Being the shy, introverted person that I am, I took a seat in the second row of parents (there was a grouping of children gathered on the floor and two rows of seating behind the front opening). Note: the room was already pretty full with 15-20 parents, and the second row had the empty chairs. As soon as I got my coat off and got situated, I sat Olivia on my lap, prepared to enjoy our first Toddler Time together. Apparently, Olivia had other plans...She immediately got off my lap and wanted to wander the room already filled with parents and kids. I got up and followed her, trying to persuade her to come back to the chair and sit quietly with me. Then, the story started. When the librarian asked the children to sit down, my little Olivia continued to stand and walk along the back of the group, in front of the first row of seating. I went and snatched her up after I realized she wasn't going to sit for the story. We ended up walking around the back until the first story was done. Then, she joined the group again. They started singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes." Olivia knows this song, but she just stood and walked around the other children, looking at them as they performed the moves to the song. Next came nursery rhymes with felt characters that the librarian placed on a felt board next to her. While the other children sat on the floor and watched the librarian, Olivia stood at the librarian's knees and attempted to touch the pile of felt characters. Immediately, the librarian moved the pile and continued on with the activity. Finally, after one little boy stood up and the librarian reminded him to sit back down, my Olivia looked at him and got "the idea." She sat. I was relieved! But, the sitting didn't last long. Olivia got up and ventured onto the lap of someone else's mother, sitting there calmly for a minute or so. The remainder of the "Toddler Time" was much the same. Olivia wandered or stood amidst the sitting children and visited other mothers. She did sit with the librarian, though, during the "Tick Tock Cuckoo Clock" song since she was standing in front of the librarian while she was trying to perform the motions to the song with the kneeling children.
Today, Olivia is 17 months old, and she is such an independent little girl with no fear whatsoever! She is an explorer and doesn't want to be held back. She even let out a few of her famous "Noooo" whines along with throwing herself backward when I attempted to bring her to sit in my lap. I finally just let her wander since restraining her would've made it unpleasant for all of us. And don't get me wrong, she was perfectly fine behavior-wise; it's just that my comfort level was stretched a bit, which is actually good for me. I guess my little adventurer will help me become more outgoing in social situations as we continue to venture out together. I'll have to give an update after next week's session.
Showing Daddy her stamps from Toddler Time
