5 Biggest Mistakes I see in Caregiver & Tot Dance Classes

In this episode of the Dance to Learn® Podcast, Jessica Strong gets real about the 5 biggest mistakes dance teachers make when structuring Parent and Me (Caregiver & Tot) classes — and how to fix them for good! Drawing from her own early missteps, Jessica shares why these classes are vital for early childhood dance programs, how to avoid common pitfalls like too much technique or structure, and why active caregiver involvement is essential for child success and family retention.

✨ Plus, get a peek inside the upcoming Back to Dance Teacher Challenge and discover how to access Jessica’s Parent and Me Mini Course and ready-to-teach curriculum in the Dance to Learn® Library.

📌 Join the conversation: Submit your questions in the Preschool Dance Teacher’s Forum on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/groups/preschooldanceteachersforum

🏆 Accept the Back to Dance Teacher Challenge (Starting 7/1) — https://library.dancetolearn.co/pages/back-to-dance-challenge

📝 Explore the 10 Week Ready-to-Teach Parent and Me Dance Curriculum — https://library.dancetolearn.co/bundles/curriculum-mommy-teddy-bear-and-me

🔓 Unlock your Dance to Learn® Library — https://library.dancetolearn.co/pages/join-us

Transcript

Hello! Welcome back to the Dance to Learn® Podcast - the Preschool Dance Teacher’s Podcast! I’m your host, Jessica Strong! I want to thank Dance Dance Hooray for sponsoring season 6 of the Podcast! This week, I have been working on finalizing the resources in our Back to Dance Teacher Challenge starting on 7/1 - one of the resources is a Mini Course on how to Create and Structure a Successful Parent and Child Dance Class. Mommy and Me or Parent and Me classes are becoming more popular - which makes me happy - because they are such an important aspect of growing an Early Childhood Dance Program - but with that, also comes the propensity for mistakes. I feel comfortable talking about this - because my personal journey with Parent and Me classes was founded in frustration and I gave up my program before completely revamping it. 

Before I leap into this topic today, I want to pause and remind you of my hope for the Podcast. My goal for the Dance to Learn® podcast is to elevate real voices from our dance teaching community — yours! I want to hear your stories, questions, and challenges, and help you feel more confident in your classroom. This is a new layout for the podcast, so it’s going to take me talking about it for the first few episodes to get the word out!

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If your question is selected, I’ll feature you using your first name and last initial — or you can remain anonymous by emailing me at podcast@dancetolearn.co and I’ll post on your behalf.

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On today’s episode - I’m sharing 5 mistakes I see made in Caregiver and Tot Dance Classes, I always start mistake episodes saying, that I’ve made all these mistakes - so if you’re listening and say, oh my gosh I’ve done that, or that’s how my class is structured now - don’t worry. If what you are doing is working for you - that’s fantastic! Don’t change something if you’re finding success. These are mistakes that I’ve experienced and I’ve made myself and using these mistakes as a learning platform to make improvements, has resulted in a successful parent and me dance program - which I now sell and make available in the Dance to Learn® Library. 

Before I begin, let’s quickly hear from our Season 6 Sponsor - Dance Dance Hooray! 

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Thank you Corey at Dance Dance Hooray. She has created a spectacular Tap Curriculum for our Library and our membership. I’ve shared links in the show notes to view our Dance Dance Hooray Tap Curriculum.

Let’s get back to our topic - the 5 Mistakes made inside a Caregiver & Tot Dance Class, and I’m thinking I’m going to share a Bonus mistake - that is, not offering a parent and me tot class at all. Offering a Parent and Me Dance Class isn’t just about filling a time slot—it’s a strategic investment in the growth and culture of your studio.

These classes provide a safe and supported starting point for children who may not yet be ready to separate from their caregivers. Instead of struggling with anxiety, these dancers thrive with the comfort of a familiar adult right beside them. If you don’t have a parent and me option, you may lose these dancers and families to a studio that does offer them. 

There’s also a great bonding opportunity for parent and child in these classes. For the grown-ups, it’s a chance to share in their child’s joy and development—something that’s often missed once children enter independent classes. This creates a deeper connection between the family and your studio.For the child, a Parent and Me class provides a secure and supported entry into the world of dance. At this age, children are still developing their sense of independence, and new environments—especially those with unfamiliar adults and peers—can feel overwhelming. Having a trusted caregiver by their side allows them to feel safe enough to explore, try new movements, and participate in class routines.

This co-participation builds confidence. Children can take social and physical risks—like joining in a circle dance or trying a new movement—because they know their grown-up is right there cheering them on. It also strengthens early learning foundations like listening, following directions, and taking turns, all through joyful play and movement.

These classes also allow you, as the teacher or studio owner, to build strong relationships with parents from the beginning. When families feel seen, supported, and included, they’re more likely to stay with your studio for the long run, enrolling in future classes, camps, and events.

Simply put, Parent and Me Classes help you grow your community while laying the foundation for future success.

Now that the importance of a Parent and Me dance program has been shared, let’s chat about the first big mistake I see inside these classes. 

Mistake #1 - The Class is too focused on Dance Technique

One of the biggest missteps is trying to teach traditional dance technique in a Parent and Me setting. At this age, children aren’t developmentally ready for structured technical work. Instead, they need gentle movement, playful repetition, and exploration. Trying to focus too much on posture, turnout, or perfect steps can lead to frustration—for the child, the parent, and even you as the teacher. This class should feel fun, musical, and interactive. Think of it as movement education, not technical instruction. I like to focus my Parent and Me Classes on general, developmental skills that children between the ages of 18months - 3 learn. Skills such as running, walking, marching, galloping, jumping, spinning, crawling. None of these technical dance skills - just ways that children enjoy moving naturally - tapping into their movement instincts. Additionally, 95% of my Parent and Me dance classes involve the use of a prop - parachutes, stretchy bands, egg shakers, scarves, teddy bears, bean bags and bubbles are utilized every week. You won’t find us practicing plies or tendus. They will learn those skills in time. 

Mistake #2 - The Class is Too Structured

Making the class too structured at a young age is going to cause stress for both children and parents. I’ll share a story. In one of my early Parent and Me dance classes, I structured the class as a 30 minute ballet class. I had an existing ballet class for young kids ages 3-4, that I was struggling to manage. My thought was if I had the parents dance too, all my classroom management struggles would magically disappear. It takes much more than having a parent in the room to understand these classes. You have to know how children learn and develop! My first Parent and Me dance classes were structured just like a ballet class. I expected my parents to come in, sit on a spot and start stretching. The kids didn’t want to sit down. Guess what they did want to do? Run (which is developmentally appropriate!) Parents were constantly chasing after their own kids. After stretching I expected them to stand and do plies and tendus and releves in the circle. Guess what the kids wanted to do? Run around the room. Then it was time to go across the floor. I expected the kids and parents to line up and wait their turn. I’ll give you one guess what the kids wanted to do. My parents became so frustrated that they just stopped coming to class and that ended my early Parent and Me classes. 

We need to remember, young children thrive on routine, but they also need space to move freely, explore, and make their own choices. Over-structuring the class—where every minute is rigidly planned—can stifle their curiosity and overwhelm their attention spans. A successful Parent and Me class blends predictability with flexibility. A loose class flow with built-in moments of exploration will keep both toddlers and parents engaged and at ease. An example would be instead of sitting on the floor stretching, sit on the floor and play with a parachute. Instead of standing on a spot performing plies and tendues. Dance around the circle waving scarves. Instead of across the floor, create an open ended obstacle course where everyone can explore together. 

This leads me into the 3rd mistake I see, not Incorporating multi-sensory props! Every activity we do in my 30 minute parent and me class (with the exception of our active listening song) incorporates a prop. We start with a group prop such as a parachute or stretchy band. We include musical instruments, our favorite being egg shakers. We play with scarves. In some classes we use bean bags for balance games. We snuggle with Teddy Bears and pop them in a parachute. Then we finish with an obstacle course. If there’s ever extra time at the end, we incorporate bubbles. 

Props aren’t just fun—they’re essential! Toddlers are sensory learners. They need to see, touch, hear, and move to understand new concepts. When props like scarves, shakers, teddy bears, or parachutes are left out, you lose a major opportunity to engage multiple learning styles. Sensory props also help children regulate their energy and attention while providing parents with a shared tool to interact meaningfully with their child.

Mistake #4 - Not Involving the Parents

A Parent and Me class only works when the parent is part of the experience. This isn’t a spectator class—it’s a shared journey. When caregivers are asked to sit on the sidelines or only observe, it can lead to confusion or disengagement for the child. Young children—especially toddlers—learn primarily through imitation.

They watch closely, study movement, and mirror behavior from those they know and trust. In fact, mirroring is one of the earliest forms of learning and bonding, observed in infants as young as a few months old. When a parent claps, stretches, tiptoes, or makes silly faces, their child doesn’t just notice—they respond, absorb, and often try it themselves.

This is why the caregiver’s active participation is not just helpful—it’s foundational. When a grown-up sings, claps, and dances alongside their child, they’re modeling how to engage in class, how to move, and even how to express joy. The child sees that the environment is safe, the teacher is trusted, and the activity is worth participating in.

In these early classes, the adult isn’t just a helper—they’re a co-dancer, a movement model, and a bridge to independence. Their involvement creates a ripple effect: it builds trust with the teacher, strengthens the parent-child bond, and deepens the child’s confidence to explore and eventually dance on their own.

Simply put, a Parent and Me class is not just for the child—it’s for the relationship. And when that relationship is centered in movement, the learning becomes joyful, natural, and lasting.

Mistake #5 - Forgetting about Family Engagement

Think beyond the 30 or 45 minutes of class. Family engagement is key to retention and growth. Parents of toddlers often feel disconnected from extracurricular activities, especially if they're used to dropping off and leaving. Involve them by sending home visuals, sharing playlists, encouraging post-class routines, and making it easy to celebrate their child’s progress. When parents feel seen and supported, they become your studio’s biggest champions. In the Dance to Learn® 10 Week Ready-to-Teach Parent and Me Dance Curriculum, we include the following resources to help keep our families engaged. First, each participant receives their own personal take home prop kit to encourage the dancing to continue outside of the home. Secondly, each week includes a coloring page. Since we explore a different concept each week, the coloring page is conceptual and relates back to the lesson. Next, we create a parent group inside the band app. In the group we share the week’s playlist so parents and children can play with their props at home throughout the week, continuing to explore the lesson at home. Lastly, we include a bonus activity that we do not explore in class, as an extra way to continue the conceptual learning outside of class. Why is this important? Because what happens outside of class matters just as much—if not more—than what happens during the 30 or 45 minutes you're dancing together. For toddlers, learning is reinforced through repetition, routine, and emotional connection—and the caregiver plays a central role in all three.

When parents are engaged beyond the classroom, it strengthens the impact of your teaching and increases the likelihood of long-term retention. Parents of toddlers often feel disconnected from other extracurriculars. They’re used to drop-off classes or sitting in the hallway with no real sense of involvement. A Parent and Me class is a rare and valuable opportunity for them to feel included in their child’s growth.

I go in depth into our Back to Dance Challenge and the Parent and Me Mini Course, if you’re looking for more ways to revitalize or revamp your Parent and Me Dance program. If you’re thinking, you’d like to start a program, but don’t know where to begin, I also invite you to explore our 10 week ready-to-teach Curriculum available in the Dance to Learn® Library! I’ve shared a link in the Show Notes! 

Our Back to Dance Teacher Challenge is your step-by-step roadmap to launching a successful dance season with preschool and early childhood dancers. Over four weeks in July, you’ll receive drip-released resources, tools, and interactive community support to help you plan, organize, and feel excited about teaching again!

This challenge is exclusive to members of the Dance to Learn® Library and Community and is packed with ready-to-use content, expert tips, and engagement strategies to ease the back-to-class chaos. Accept the Challenge by clicking the link in the show notes! 

That’s all I have for you this week! If you want your questions answered on the show - join us for Ask the Pod every Friday-Monday in the Preschool Dance Teacher’s Forum on Facebook! The link to join is in the ShowNotes! Happy Dance EdVenturing!