Normally this girl isn't this bad, but today it was really bad. She likes to hug. So I let her hug me quickly and get back to dancing. However, today, she would not let go. She wrapped her self around my legs and almost made me fall over. She jumped on my back and wrapped her arms around my neck while tying another students shoes. All during class she was doing this. (She's five, by the way.) Oh, and she grabbed my boobs and said "I know what these are! Titties!"

I was nice at first and asked her nicely to go back to her spot. Then I threatened to take her sticker away. Then I tried to ignore. My assistant was late but even with her there neither of us could get the girl to let go.

Oh, she went to the bathroom and while in there she started yelling for me. So, of course I had to go to make sure she was alright. She was on the pot peeing and told me she was scared to be alone. So I left the door cracked open and went back to teaching.

The SO wasn't there but I let her know about this. She said if it happens next week she will talk to her.

P.S - One of my students was wearing those Bella Ballerina shoes before class started (if you guys remember that thread.

It can happen once, that is something we have to accept. If it happens again, talk with her mother about it. She might be able to clearify why it happens, and/or talk with the girl to tell her to stop this.
In class, give the girl a time out when it happens again. Again and again untill she understands sitting most of the time is too boring.

^ Agreed. If it happens once, you just get to add it to the "fun things about being a dance teacher" list. But if it happens again, it's definitely cause for concern.

It wouldn't surprise me (if the behavior continues) if Mom told you that she was suddenly more clingy because she lost someone close to her — like an aunt, grandmother, babysitter, etc. I certainly hope that's not the case, but little ones handle grief differently than we do, and maybe she's afraid of losing other people.

Keep us posted!

I also remind my students that hugs are for before or after class (or when we fall down). I think at five she can start to understand that they need to wait.

But I agree with others, I would see what happens next week.

Oh my lord! After she jumped on your back, if that were me I would have pulled her off, got down to her level and given her one of my stern, "NO - absolutely not!" s. My crazy hooligan son is 4 and even knows that is not acceptable behavior. She's 5. She's little, but she knows better...I would be stern with her from now on when she does something like this.

One time we were at the grocery store and my at the time four year old (he's now five), began playing my butt like bongo drums.

I waited until we were outside, and calmly went "I understand that you were just playing, but it is absolutely not appropriate to touch me like that in public." (I threw in the "in public" because if we'd been at home, I'd have probably laughed at it. In the middle of the grocery store is a totally different matter though...)

He went "Ok, sorry." and that was the end of it.

She's probably got some chaos in her life right now sure, but she knows how to behave. She doesn't get to do that stuff at school.

I have had them and my granddaughter is a hugger, too. I have to just say that we can hug between classes, or end of class, but during class we cannot. They get it, after a while.

Thank you!

I think I need to use a different tone of voice. I feel like there is a delicate balance between disciplining the kids and angering the parents.

If you want to shut the bathroom thing down, you could say that from now on, you're going to require that each kid has an accompaniment to the bathroom from their parent/representative at class. You could even say that you've had problems with kids screaming in the bathroom, and you can't have that as it's disrupting to class, causing you to have to leave the room to correct the kid and what not.

Believe, if I got told my kid couldn't go to the bathroom by himself, because someone was screaming in the bathrooms, I'd start asking if it were him!