So my 4 year old had his very first kindergarten disco on Friday night and the invitation of course extended to the whole family (somehow I don’t think they’re quite at the age for the drop off and run quite yet!).
A pre-school disco (in case you haven’t been to one) usually includes some kind of dress code and a ‘supply your own dinner’ clause. In this instance the dress code was ‘dress ups’ and the food we brought along was some good old fish and chips. As you can see in the photo, Cohen was dressed up as a pirate and Finn was dressed up as a skeleton, reluctantly donning Cohen’s Halloween costume from last year (he went out with his Aunt, Uncle and cousins as Halloween is not really my gig, but I nearly lost him as he wanted to move in with every person who opened the door to them – instead of standing on the porch and saying trick or treat, he attempted to run between their legs and into the house to make himself at home …).
This should have been an omen.
I have NEVER in my life (except perhaps when I was that age which I of course have no memory of) been around that many children at one time. OMG. I don’t know how teachers do it! So many children! And SO MANY ELSA’S! It seems every girl was dressed as an Elsa. I do not envy the parents who would have been trying to keep an eye on their daughters from the sideline ‘There she is! Wait, no, that’s another Elsa. Over there! Wait, no, wrong Elsa’.
In comparison, the only other pirate was his kindy teacher who for one, is a grown woman and for two, had a skirt on.
Not that that made it any easier to keep an eye on them mind! What I discovered during this event was that there are five different types of children at a Pre-school disco:
THE DANCERS
The Dancers usually consist of the little girls (though there was the odd boy included) but from what I could see the boy dancing was more wrestling another boy onto the floor and doing some kind of break dance routine consisting of spinning around in circles or dragging the other one across the slippery floor by the foot. The Dancers dance and spin and drag their parents out onto the dance floor for the entire two hours before proceeding to dance around the hall in a conga line.
I’ll admit I was slightly envious of ‘The Dancers’. I would have loved to spin my two around but alas, it wasn’t to be …
THE RUNNERS
These are the children who are not interested in dancing. They see a wide open space and they RUN. Run run run. Everywhere, all around, colliding and slipping and bumping and never stopping. This takes stamina. Runners are energiser bunnies who never seem to run out of fuel.
THE EATERS
Because it was also a BYO dinner event, of course there are the kids who are interested in doing nothing but eating. And that’s ok. Fish and chips are a pretty good distraction if you ask me!
THE ESCAPE ARTISTS
This was Finn through and through. They left the doors to the hall open and I spent all night trying to stop him from escaping out one of the doors to go to the ‘playground’ he had seen upon entering the hall. He tried every which way to escape and he succeeded at one point before being snatched up and brought back inside (rather disgruntled he was). I thought he’d be a dancer but unfortunately I was wrong. Unless you call the side step maneuvour out the door a dance of some kind.
This is what he did inbetween being A Runner.
THE BLENDERS
This is where Cohen fits in. We spent all night losing him only to then find him sitting propped up next to some other parents eating their dinner (even though it was the same as ours!) and basically inviting himself to be a part of the family. Cue apologies over and over again. Especially as he would make himself at home sitting comfortably on the mothers knee (these are people he has never met before!). He would then see something else that fancied him and he would go and sit with them and help himself to their dinner. I’m just so glad that the recipient mothers were clearly more maternal than me and took it in their stride!
Time for a stranger danger chat perhaps?! Especially after the Halloween debacle!
What kind of child would you have in this situation? Have you ever been to a Pre-School Disco?
Linking up with #IBOT @ Essentially Jess
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Hmmmm my kids all were the dancers, any chance to show off was taken with joy and they never held back
Natalie @ our parallel connection recently posted…Child labour – an easy way to make money from your kids
Haha, that’s awesome!
We didn’t have/do preschool discos here. But I imagine they would be fun! Our girls would love them being the dancers they are.I can just see those ‘runners’!
Most little girls were dancing so they would be in good company 🙂 It’s the boys who are mischief!
I’ve had a dancer, a runner and a clinger (who didn’t want to leave my side)! Pre-school discos are so cute!
Ingrid @ Fabulous and Fun Life recently posted…Marie Claire The Parcel – Special Anniversary Edition – Beauty Subscription Box Review
Oh yes! Clingers! I didn’t actually see any of those but I think that was me as a child!
My kids are both dancers, runners and escape artists! Not so much with the eating sadly…
The boys look gorgeous 🙂
Mumma McD recently posted…Play Centre Purgatory
Thanks! I thought they looked pretty cute 🙂
Tough call, they’d be a mix of all except the eater! My eldest once gave a total stranger a kiss and a cuddle as we were getting off the train. I asked him why and he just said he was saying goodbye! Clear ‘blender’ tendencies there.
Claire @ Life on Wallace recently posted…Open letter to the middle lad
That’s kinda cute though but kinda ‘OMG!’. Haha. He sounds like Cohen!
Bahaha. My daughter would be a dancer. My son? Dancer-slash-runner-slash-eater-slash-escape artist. Sounds talented, but I have no doubt he can manage them all simultaneously. Great post. x #teamIBOT
Emily recently posted…The definition of ‘stroke’ (#strokeweek15 14-20 September)
Your son and my youngest would be great friends! 😉
We had a disco at our primary school a couple of years ago and the assistant principal was knocked to the ground and broke a finger because of a ‘runner’! I think you nailed this list.
P.S. We haven’t had a disco since then!
Haha, oh dear! Man, they can bloody run FAST. And they have zero concept of watching where they are going so this doesn’t surprise me at all! Sad you haven’t had another disco since!
Don’t they look so cute in their little outfits! I think my girl might be a bit of a blender too when she goes to her first dance… she loves to bob around to music but I’m pretty sure she’d make a dash for the door if she saw a gap… she’s also like to go up to talk to everyone and run around like a monkey.
lu @looking for mama me recently posted…Toddler Food Inspiration : Creamy Vegetable Bake
Wow, I can’t believe they have discos for this age category! Cute photo of the boys! I would have no clue what my son would be. Maybe a bit of a dancer and runner. He may also be a bit of a blender. He likes to blow kisses to strangers.
Kelly recently posted…THE DREADED YEARLY SANTA PHOTO
I know right! So cute though but just insanely crazy! Blowing kisses is adorable!
We avoided our school disco (I had to work cough-cough) and I had visions of this exact post dancing in my head! The photos in the school newsletter were exactly this – all sorts thrown together in a room calling it a disco. Maybe these events get better as the kids get older?
Josefa @always Josefa recently posted…Humanity Without Borders
I hope they get easier and less chaotic! It was totally ‘throw a bunch of kids in a hall with some music and see what happens!’ 🙂
Ha ha! That sounds hilarious! I have never been to a kindergarten disco, and I’m not really keen to either!
I think my little one would be a runner. Or maybe a dancer. A bit of both maybe 🙂
EssentiallyJess recently posted…Death of an Iron #IBOT
I was excited initially but by the end I was exhausted!
Hahhahhaha dancers/wrestlers here thank god. The others sound like hard work!
They freakin’ are! Thankfully there was no vomiting involved, I think I will stick with my runners/blenders/escape artists! 😉
I have a feeling I would have been a runner. No idea why…and my flabby unfitness now doesn’t reflect that for sure haha
Vanessa recently posted…What To Do On Days Your Resilience Is Low
I would have been a clinger! Hiding under my mums skirt, that is if I went at all. I was so shy I was put back a year at school!
Our seven year old just had his school disco – he’s both a dancer and a runner. He and his mates danced, but mostly ran around like mad things!
Emma @ Life, kids and a glass of red recently posted…The joys of hot coffee and bathroom breaks alone
I think the running around like mad things is a boy trait for every boy in the history of boys.
Lol. Sounds like fun. I’ve never been to a pre-school disco thankfully. If I did I’d say one daughter would fit into the eater category and the other would be in a wallflower category – bless her.
Renee recently posted…Our beach holiday – Banana Boat giveaway
Haha at the thankfully! The reality was far more chaotic than I ever imagined!
Ha ha I love this! I would definitely have been a Dancer 🙂 I can just imagine the millions of Elsa’s – it’s a cult I swear! Mim x #brilliantblogposts
Mim recently posted…Potty Training with Thomas and Friends Book Giveaway!
Totally, a cult of little girls in blue dresses! LOL
Haidee recently posted…The Weekly Sum Up (#5)
Lol, love it! I think anyone hosting one of these parties is very very brave lol 🙂 #brillblogposts
Debbie
Random Musings recently posted…Book Review: Geek Girl All That Glitters by Holly Smale
I know right! Hence why I have yet to doa birthday party with C’s kindy friends and currently sticking with family oriented party events!
Haidee recently posted…The Weekly Sum Up (#5)
lol this sounds right to be! I never attended a disco that young nor did my kids but your description is just how I’d imagine it would be. They really should have the doors locked! #brilliantblogposts
Becky, Cuddle Fairy recently posted…#foodpornthursdays 20
I thought that too! Then I thought maybe it was just me who had kids trying to escape but from the comments it appears others would also have potential escape artists too!
Haidee recently posted…The Weekly Sum Up (#5)
Ohhh I cannot wait for Jack to be old enough, this sounds like a blast! I think he’d be the escape artist! He is rather mischievous at the moment 🙂 This is a top post which had me chuckling. xx #brilliantblogposts
theloveofacaptain recently posted…An open letter to my Niece – here at last
Thanks so much! I miss my boys when they were squishy little babies and toddlers but little boys are pretty darn cool too!
Haidee recently posted…The Weekly Sum Up (#5)
Hahaha…Good description of the kids! There are so many kids but nice to be in an environment where the kids can be themselves and let “their hair down”. My kid was a jumper who thought he was dancing. He was just jump up and down as if in an aerobics class.
That made me laugh out loud! Jumping up and down like in an aerobics class. Love it!
Haidee recently posted…The Weekly Sum Up (#5)
My boys are definitely the runners! Your description of this ‘type’ of pre-school disco goer is so true, and maybe a hint of dancing as long as it’s not Frozen! if they hear that they literally run a mile!
My boys wouldn’t even watch it either Hayley.
Haidee recently posted…The Weekly Sum Up (#5)
Oh this is brilliant. I’ve not been to any preschool discos (yet!) but recognise these categories from various children’s parties and other events! My two girls are both a combination of dancers and blenders 🙂
Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love) recently posted…Pirate crafts
Yep, totally could apply to other events too 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
My boys are definitely runners – that’s all they want to do wherever we go! We’ve yet to go to a school disco but my eldest has one this year so it’ll be interesting to see what type he falls into then! #BrilliantBlogPosts
Maria @ Suburban Mum recently posted…Orchard Toys: Alphabet Jigsaw and Robot Run review
I totally think it is a boy thing! I’m going to have to up my fitness levels soon!
Haidee recently posted…The Weekly Sum Up (#5)
Love it! I think you need nerves of steel for a pre-school disco! The boys totally looked the part, didn’t they? When Cohen grows up, everyone is going to want him at their parties, look how well he “mingles” already, he’s quite the social butterfly!
Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid recently posted…The Ultimate Rabbit Hole #37
I’d have two dancers, a runner and an eater! 😂😂😂
Amy @ Handbagmafia recently posted…Who Would Your Kids Be Online?
This sounds awesomely terrifying. Or terrifyingly awesome. I think my little man would be in all of the categories at various times of the night, but mainly he would be a runner. Especially if there were open doors. Seriously, leaving doors open at a preschool disco seems like a recipe for disaster!
Kyles recently posted…A letter to the guy who ran a red light
Ha, fab post… and that is hilarious about Cohen!! I took Charlie to a 1st birthday party today and he normally doesn’t leave my side but he crawled across the room, pulled himself up on a lady’s leg (someone he didn’t know), tried to get someone else’s drink bottle off them, then pushed another baby out of the way so he could get into the pink car. I think it’s safe to say he’s lost his fear of strangers. 🙂
Rachel @ The Mama Files recently posted…9 games I play with my baby to kill time
Great post! I’ve definitely got a runner! Or more accurately throw yourself across the floorer! It’s going to be interesting to see what he’s like this year. #thelist
Leandra recently posted…|FAMILY|halloween bucket list
I think I would be the little one running around playing chase in an Elsa dress. Oh yes…. I too am obsessed with Elsa! Damn it. Popping over from #TheList x
Haha – yes this sounds about right! My mum taught infant school & I used to help out at their dances. It does seem that nearly every girl currently is dressed as Elsa for everything. I know it is right to let them dress as they want to, but it is getting a bit boring! Mine have never been trick or treating, and not sure they will, but I fear my toddler would also be one for trying to get in the houses! #thelist
Silly Mummy recently posted…Child Safety Kits Are Out to Get Us
What a great blog post that would make, you should do it this year! Lol
I think the runner my youngest would be and my eldest the dancer!
Beth recently posted…Just Another Linky #26
As long as you have a dancer you can just watch the runner. That would be an easier combination than my two! Hehe. Kids huh!