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So...for the last couple of years, I've taken ds to our local library off-and-on for story time.

The first couple of times (at 3 y.o.) he was the one who brought a compass to "show and tell" and explained how to use it. He was also the one who didn't sit to hear the story, but instead wandered the room and checked out the fire extinguisher and the clock and the "sweet" little DVD player.

I had to remove him before much of the first 15 minutes because he was disrupting the group. He cried.

Fast forward a year.

Now he's the kid who shows up with Mexican jumping beans instead of "tech". He's the one who still inches up to the story teller and needs to have his face in the book to read along...all the while, the poor librarian is telling him to "sit down".

He's the one whose mother decided that morning story time was too "exciting" with all the children and who ended up in the afternoon session with five kids as opposed to 30...yet still managed to be the wiggle-worm who needed to be removed early.

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I post this because I really, really want to know if I'm experiencing this in a vacuum?

My little guy apologizes for his behavior as we are heading out the door and promises not to do it again, but it is just "lip-service" in the end.

I personally could not sit still for story time. I find it boring as most of the time! As an adult I have the skills to make myself sit still for it if my child really wants to go but it's never been my kids cup of tea. They can sit still for lots of stories one on one and love being read to. But library story time is not for everyone if you ask me... On the other hand my eldest probably has inattentive ADHD, so maybe my idea of "normal" isn't very "normal"...

My 2nd daughter had no identified problems but it's taken 2 full years of preschool to learn to participate nicely in group time. She'd just prefer to be doing her own thing, exploring the environment (which is packed full of interesting resources). Although she's a happy and quite well behaved child she's not a people pleaser. She was never the child to do something purely because it would make me (or anyone else) happy. She will do something for a good reason though...

I am sorry if I have rambled without providing any useful insight.

This is the exact reason I've got him at the story time in the first place. He hasn't gone to preschool yet (late potty trainer), and will be going this August for the first time. I know preschool will teach circle time and I was hoping to "break him in" so to speak beforehand because he's so high energy.

I've wondered if it's in his future to be pegged as ADD or ADHD by teachers.

Oh, God, storytime at the library!!

Thank you for posting this because I always felt that I was a defective mother because this ALWAYS ended in disaster. With my first, I kept trying. She would not sit, she wandered and disrupted and asked questions. Never appeared to pay attention to the story. We always got 'the look' from other parents. Afterwards, she could pretty much repeat the entire story back to me verbatim and I would be left shaking my head about what had just happened in the story room.

With the second, we went once. ONCE. He ran around the room like a madman, giggling and interrupting. I carried him out kicking and screaming after 10 minutes and have since decided to stop torturing myself.

Storytime never worked for any of my three kids. Not sure why. But none of them just sat and listed to the story. It was always more work for me, and they didn't really get anything out of it, so I (and my nanny) generally stopped taking them.

Although when the oldest two were three and four, we were visiting my brother in Princeton and went to the Children's Library at University. It was fantastic, and the kids actually loved it. My daughter had a harder time holding still for the initial story, but the librarian was so engaging, and then they did this great craft project (making scarves from felt and having a "snowstorm"). That was the most successful one we ever went to.

My son was never an "I'll sit still while we read a story together" kid, even though one of his first five words was "book". Even at home, he'd be all over the room while we read, but was listening intently to the story, obviously understood it, and would complain loudly and immediately if we stopped. Storytime at the library was *not* an unmitigated success, lol.

I could have written your post!! You are NOT alone.

hmmm,... how to explain my LO's behavior at the library. He walked early, so by 10 mos he was under the tables trying to unscrew the bolts out of the legs while listening to the story and shouting out "MOOO", when the librarian asked what the cow said. He NEVER was still/would sit more than 30 seconds, yet listened and enjoyed books. He would sit with ME at home for 20 mins at that age and be read to while he sat in my lap (about the only way he sat! )

Fast forward to 2 yo, he wanted to play/interact with the kids, and dearly wanted to BE the librarian- he would pull up a chair and sit next to her with a book on HIS lap. sigh.
We have a very patient and giftedness-aware librarian.
But UGH the LOOKS I got from the other kids' parents made me want to slink under the carpet somedays.

Fast forward again to 3 yo- we have tried off and on the whole library thing, but the last time we went he sat nicely for 5 mins, then stood up in the middle of the group and said, "Oh, uh, there seems to be some mistake here, excuse me", and he left to come type on the computers with me....

?? how much is ADHD, how much is overstimulation for an extraverted only child to sit still in a group of kids, how much is psychomotor overexcitablity, how much is just that the reading was below his level and he didn't consider himself a peer of the kids who were listening?? I don't know.
I'm here with you, though!

I'm so relieved to hear my experiences with our son at story time aren't isolated.

He does like to be read to at home, and requests books and reads every other page. I suppose because we have included him in the story telling so much, he has a difficult time just sitting to listen.

Anyone want to start a gifted story time? We could have all sorts of gadgets to explore and running around while actors act out the story. Of course there will be open books everywhere for whomever wishes to follow along.

Oh yes, storytime at the library. The first time I ever took my son, he had a meltdown because he didn't already know all the words and motions to the songs they sang. He said he was embarrassed because he didn't know what to do. I think he was 2 at the time.

During what became the last time we ever went, he had a major meltdown. The reason? The librarian held up a small hatbox and asked the kids what its shape was. All the other kids said, "circle," the shape of the lid, but DS said, "cylinder." When the librarian didn't hear him, he yelled it a few times, then dissolved into tears because everyone else was still saying the wrong thing!

I can't imagine how he would have acted if I'd taken him after he started reading well. Our librarian skips words if she's short on time, and I have a feeling he wouldn't have stood for it quietly.

My girls always got very "active" if there were singing and dancing and tons of stimulation, but I have always been shocked that my DD5 sat quietly, almost motionless, listening to stories starting at about 3. It is so unlike her. In general she is overly excitable, talkative, and active, yet storytime hypnotizes her so if I needed a break, we'd go so she could zone out on the stories and pictures. Things may change for you, but if they don't, no big deal. There will be other activities that suit him better.

My Dd went to preschool and it might have been that experience that helped her learn to contain during circle time (not sure if you think that is all good). Yet, she still can get over excited, loud, talkative, and busy in many settings, including group settings. The only time she really gets quiet is if they are reading a story or doing a puppet show.