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Original poster

How many baby classes do/did you attend?

51 replies

NoNamesLeft234678 · 02/01/2022 22:37

How many baby classes do/have you done? We do sensory and music and did massage and yoga too. I've booked him in to start swimming next weekend too 😋 I actually love doing all of these classes with him and definitely think they're helping him to develop loads 😄

OP posts:
newtonsthirdlaw · 02/01/2022 23:21

Oldest- 1 until I went back to work.

Youngest- none. I went to try one but due to dc's age (9 months) the expectation was that they should be in the crawling babies class, with activities geared to more mobile babies. The group leader wouldn't back down either on this. Having a severely developmentally delayed child who can't even hold their own head up in a class full of crawling babies is a special form of hell, trust me.
Suffice to say a complaint went in pretty quickly.

ShinyGreenElephant · 02/01/2022 23:45

@newtonsthirdlaw that's really shit of them, sorry that happened to you

WheelieBinPrincess · 02/01/2022 23:46

@newtonsthirdlaw that’s awful. Did you get a response to your complaint?

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Ozanj · 02/01/2022 23:46

None because he was born just before covid. I do take him to 2 toddler classes now though, and plan to add a third.

Ozanj · 02/01/2022 23:50

@newtonsthirdlaw

Oldest- 1 until I went back to work.

Youngest- none. I went to try one but due to dc's age (9 months) the expectation was that they should be in the crawling babies class, with activities geared to more mobile babies. The group leader wouldn't back down either on this. Having a severely developmentally delayed child who can't even hold their own head up in a class full of crawling babies is a special form of hell, trust me.
Suffice to say a complaint went in pretty quickly.

This is just horrible but unfortunately some class leaders do like to filter out babies with special needs. My friend got the ‘health and safety’ excuse when her DS baby was kicked out - strangely enough the day before the leader took photos of all the ‘cute babies in her class’ for her Facebook page. She complained and got all her class and travel expenses and fees reimbursed.
Wafflesnsniffles · 02/01/2022 23:57

Zero? Except Toddler and baby time at the library I guess. And mums n toddlers. Nothing I paid more than 50p or so for.

elelel · 03/01/2022 00:00

I actually love doing all of these classes with him and definitely think they're helping him to develop loads

A bit of sensitivity might have helped here. Not everyone has access to 'all of these classes' and their children are not disadvantaged.

I never did any with mine because I'm autistic and hated that kind of thing. It did them no harm.

eeek88 · 03/01/2022 00:07

I reluctantly agreed to join a friend at a local baby group (very unstructured, we just bring a toy, a baby and a coffee each and meet in a local hall) and to my surprise found that I love it and my baby seems to get a lot out of it. I got lucky and have met a fabulous group of people on my wavelength. There are one or two I think will turn into long term friendships while the others are nice acquaintances who I’d be very happy to socialise with if our kids end up good friends. It’s free as well!

There’s plenty on for babies locally but I’m happy with one class a week because we do lots of other stuff on our own and I work 3 days a week so it’s nice just chilling at home some days.

RedCandyApple · 03/01/2022 00:13

4 kids, didn’t go to any

McNuggetsAndMcFlurries · 03/01/2022 00:17

@elelel

I actually love doing all of these classes with him and definitely think they're helping him to develop loads

A bit of sensitivity might have helped here. Not everyone has access to 'all of these classes' and their children are not disadvantaged.

I never did any with mine because I'm autistic and hated that kind of thing. It did them no harm.

I'm also autistic and can't do small talk or anything but it's surprisingly going okay 🤗 We don't have much money but I'm making it work as he's most important 😊
McNuggetsAndMcFlurries · 03/01/2022 00:18

@elelel

I actually love doing all of these classes with him and definitely think they're helping him to develop loads

A bit of sensitivity might have helped here. Not everyone has access to 'all of these classes' and their children are not disadvantaged.

I never did any with mine because I'm autistic and hated that kind of thing. It did them no harm.

I'm not saying it's wrong to not go to classes but I think it's helping us both 🤗
massiveblob · 03/01/2022 00:21

Loads cos it gave me something to do and I met loads of people. Not sure DC were bothered lol

SleepingStandingUp · 03/01/2022 00:30

@newtonsthirdlaw

Oldest- 1 until I went back to work.

Youngest- none. I went to try one but due to dc's age (9 months) the expectation was that they should be in the crawling babies class, with activities geared to more mobile babies. The group leader wouldn't back down either on this. Having a severely developmentally delayed child who can't even hold their own head up in a class full of crawling babies is a special form of hell, trust me.
Suffice to say a complaint went in pretty quickly.

That's awful. DS hated them but I was grateful when we tried they had the sensitivity to take the money and keep quiet.

How old is DC now? HV (specialist not generic) got us into a paly group at the local CDC that was just for kids with additional needs, we're still friends now although the babies are now all 5-7 years. It was a god send to connect with Mom's like me

SleepingStandingUp · 03/01/2022 00:33

How old are they @nonamesleft234678? Up to a certain age, they're for your benefit not baby's. You're more than enough for your child providing your interacting with them, you don't need someone else to structure that for you. So go if you're enjoying it but don't feel locked in because "their development". They'll develop any way

Footprintsinthegrass · 03/01/2022 07:15

Not many, I wasn't looking to socialise or make new friends though. I did an arty/messy play type one where I could be involved in what was happening and didnt need to talk to others which I did enjoy. I went to a village hall group one at one point but the mothers were just gossiping about other people in the village and I didn't enjoy that so didn't go back

4pmwinetimebebeh · 03/01/2022 07:23

First baby I did loads! Sensory, baby massage, church groups, toddler gymnastics, very wanky ‘arts and culture’ toddler group at local museum/gallery Blush. I moved house when she was 6 months so threw myself into groups to make mum friends then stayed on doing some as I worked PT.
DC2 was a lockdown baby so I did homemade baby sensory Grin. She now does swimming and being dragged to various coffee shops to meet friends. Her speech is delayed but I don’t think that’s anything to do with groups!
I also did the odd trial session at some groups and found some really uncomfortable/didn’t like (not 100% sure why) whereas others we both loved and found comfortable. We are lucky as we live in a city and loads of the group were drop in so low commitment (not sure these days as missed them all with DC2 and not sure how covid has affected them Sad.
Groups were 90% for me 10% for DC until toddlerdom when I used to go to one DC1 loved which I didn’t mind but wasn’t my fave IYSWIM.

newtonsthirdlaw · 03/01/2022 08:08

Yes I did complain.
As well as reminding the group leader that equality doesn't necessarily correlate with equity and her policies should reflect that.

OP, you'll find what works for you and your baby. It's just a matter of trial and error until you do. However, depending on how old your baby is, things like going to the park to feed the ducks and play on the swings and giving your baby a wooden spoon and a saucepan are just as much fun.

rainbowandglitter · 03/01/2022 08:32

None.

Hockeyboysmum · 03/01/2022 08:41

@newtonsthirdlaw

Oldest- 1 until I went back to work.

Youngest- none. I went to try one but due to dc's age (9 months) the expectation was that they should be in the crawling babies class, with activities geared to more mobile babies. The group leader wouldn't back down either on this. Having a severely developmentally delayed child who can't even hold their own head up in a class full of crawling babies is a special form of hell, trust me.
Suffice to say a complaint went in pretty quickly.

Been there!! Anytime we join sonething i feel obliged to give a big explanation of his age and then development age along with all issues. Most places have been great but not all. A swim group wouldnt take him unless his neurosurgeon signed a letter - he has a shunt in brain which means can dive below a certain level. How many babies do you know scuba dive at a few months old?!?!
OnceuponaRainbow18 · 03/01/2022 08:45

Eldest- a music class and swimming

Youngest- a toddler church group and swimming ( swimming isn’t actually a class but we go every week)

Thecomfortador · 03/01/2022 08:53

Tried a couple but I found the effort of getting ready and out of the house for a certain time not worth any benefit of going. The anxiety of what would happen when we got there / where to go etc never really dissipated and there was never a lovely group of people just wanting to chat and make friends. People tended to go with another friend anyway I found and being there on my own I just felt out of place. In fact one mum once said she wasn't there to make any more friends as she already had her own circle (not in a nasty way, she was just nattering).

We went to a couple of playgroups occasionally but I found I was mainly just spending time interacting with my own DC rather than socialising with anyone and felt we may as well be at home.

pradavilla · 03/01/2022 18:13

We did yoga (which really was 5mins baby related and the rest for me) 😆 Was great until ur baby got mobile then impossible.

We also did baby swim classes until she was about 8 months as it was hurting my back too much because it was baby and fitness for me related. My baby was a chunk so I cldnt lift her up and down Ul and down my arms and back cldnt take it any longer lol. She'd always be knackered after it but so was I 😂

I do not believe either of these helped her develops in the slightest! It's not cheap to do lots of baby classes especially when ur on maternity pay! Yoga was £8 a class and that was nearly 5yrs ago. Second born got none as born just before lockdown 1.

WorraLiberty · 03/01/2022 18:15

Absolutely none

I remember thinking I'd rather shit in my hands and clap 😂

Each to their own though, obviously Blush

SmallElephant · 03/01/2022 18:19

I did several at different times - Gymboree, a music class, local toddler group in the village hall, swimming. My DC liked to be active and I liked chatting with other mums Smile

Doofas · 03/01/2022 18:34

We went to the free sing and story group at the library and did baby swim until I felt confident enough to take him on my own. I also went to a learn to knit group at a local community cafe that a few other people with young children went to, they had a play area so the children would play together while the adults knitted. Like others, I think these initially were more for my benefit than his, so I made a few friends or got to spend time with friends i had who went to the same groups. Swimming I would say was of the most benefit to him. He's still super confident in the water. Mind you a book is one of his favourite things so maybe weekly trips to the library and other people enthusing about books has done some good in the long run But do what you think is right for you and what your and your little one can manage, it can be easy to feel you always need to be out and about and then it's possible to miss out on spending time just with your child in the long run.