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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be completely outraged by baby classes?

50 replies

FruitSaladIsNotPudding · 02/03/2011 10:41

Actually, I know the answer, I am not being unreasonable, but I want to know if others feel the same.

I live in an area of London which is crammed with young families, and it's quite affluent, so I suppose I should expect a lot of companies to be cashing in on that, but I am becoming increasingly irritated by the number/price of baby classes round here.

Baby signing, baby sensory, baby gym blah blah blah. All offering a free first session followed by a terms worth of classes at about £10 a pop.

And what pisses me off the most is parents who blither on about this courses and all the essential stuff their babies have learnt at them. 'Oh yes, little emily learnt to crawl at baby gym.' Right.

I refuse to do any of it, it's totally unnecessary. But I have had people implying my daughter will be missing out because of it.

I'm not articulating very well why I dislike them so much to be honest. I think it's to do with the fact that I think babies need to explore in their own time more than they need set activites.

Of course, loads of parents just go to these classes for the social element for themselves, and I have no issue with that. But some seem to view them as essential, and I find that depressing.

Can anyone more articulate help me out here?

OP posts:
worraliberty · 02/03/2011 10:46

Yes, they're a load of bollocks and babies have survived without them since the human race began Grin

backwardpossom · 02/03/2011 10:47

Ignore ignore ignore. PMSL that little Emily learned to crawl at baby gym. Does little Emily's mother not think that might have happened at some point without the baby gym? Hmm

Just smile and ignore. :)

BuzzLiteBeer · 02/03/2011 10:48

Completely outraged? Get a fucking grip!

You don't like, you don't go, its really not that difficult. what could it possibly matter why anyone else goes?

Spammead · 02/03/2011 10:50

I like them. The babies see other babies, other toys, hear other voices, see other faces, listen to other songs etc. It's just broadening the amount of input they get, which is surely a good thing.

You can't teach a baby to smile, crawl, laugh, roll, walk etc - they do that when they are ready. But sometimes different stimulus encourage them to try out different things.

I took DD to a few courses and plan to do more in the future. She has had lots of 'firsts' during classes, either because of copying other baies or because she is in a different environment. I got new ideas of games to play with her too, along with validation that she was doing OK by seeing what other babies of her age could do. It got us out, got me meeting people and was fun. They are not compulsory, obviously, babies will learn everything they need to all by themselves, but they are nice.

At that price though I would give it a miss! That's extortionate. The class I have signed us up to in May costs 3.60 per class, for 10 classes. And that's Euros!

NinkyNonker · 02/03/2011 10:50

What Buzz said.

The only one we do is Waterbabies, because we love swimming and spend a lot of time around the water so water safety was important to us.

It is a fun thing for adults to do, get out of the house, meet people, have fun with their babies. Nothing to be outraged about surely?

cory · 02/03/2011 10:50

I'd go passive aggressive at them:

'Oh I am soo glad little Emily learned to crawl. Of course there are some children who do need that little extra bit of help'

PlasticLentilWeaver · 02/03/2011 10:51

I'm with you completely. Never done any of it with either of mine. Partly because I work, so not around to do it. Partly because I can't see the point, and babies will learn in their own time. A number of my friends keep trying to sign with my baby, and I have to point out to them that he hasn't a clue what they are doing [shrug] and they seem shocked by my irresponsibility. But hey, DS1, aged 5 is one of the most articulate little boys I have ever met, so I don't think it has held him back in any way.

It's all part of the competitive parenting phenomenon, I reckon.

Schnitzel · 02/03/2011 10:51

YANBU

I have a 9 month old and have only taken him to about 2 baby groups! He is simply happy when with other babies and doesn't need all of the "stimulation" of such groups. A baby doesn't need to go to a "baby sensory" class to stimulate his senses!

However, each to their own and all that.

I have a friend who is at every god damn baby group going. Not sure what's going on there but I personally just don't think it's necessary.

FreudianSlippery · 02/03/2011 10:53

Outraged? Really? LOL.

I've never done any baby classes until now, because I can't afford them and they do seem quite frivolous, and mostly just things you can do at home. But I'm not angered by their existence, or by the fact that many of my wealthier friends do them. They have more money, why shouldn't they spend it on a fun activity?

Anyway - today I complete an intensive Baby Signing course. The first paid-for thing I've ever done with my DCs - I spent MY birthday money on it because I was desperate to try it. In 6 weeks I've learnt hundreds of useful (ie not just nursery rhymes) signs and it has made a massive difference to DS already.

Outraged. Just... LOL.

mrsravelstein · 02/03/2011 10:53

i go to a "monkey music" class, have done with all 3 kids, they all enjoy/ed it. but no clearly it's not in any way 'necessary'.

gorionine · 02/03/2011 10:54

, Sorry to hujack but maybe you can help. I was in London to visit SIL who has a two yo and is expecting second child. She feels very isolated and I asked her if she would consider going to a toddler group and if they were any arround. She said that the places they had checked were £8 per child a go! I was Shock I live in the North West and there is plenty of toddlers group arround (not as posh as sensory classes I supposeSmile)for less than £2 per familiy, according to SIL there is nothing similar arround where she is. Is there really no wquivalen to toddler group at all in London? (she is arround Paddington)

aPixieMomma · 02/03/2011 10:54

We do go baby signing classes but not at £10 a pop. Shock

We started it really for a reason for me to get out the house once a week but we really enjoyed it so continued.

No others though. They are bloody expensive for things you can do at home/the park.

Gotabookaboutit · 02/03/2011 10:54

Actually baby signing has some empirical case studies for encouraging early speech/tantrum modification in toddlers and also baby massage is quite good for helping the mother baby bond with premmies and some cases of colic. Its also a good place to meet people and be social, which can be quite hard in some neighbourhoods

COCKadoodledooo · 02/03/2011 10:56

What Buzz said! Plenty of more important things to get 'completely outraged' about if you feel the need to raise your blood pressure.

Is it the actual classes or the cost you're quibbling about?

aPixieMomma · 02/03/2011 10:56

Does this help gorionine

bran · 02/03/2011 10:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gorionine · 02/03/2011 10:58

It does aPixieMomma! Thank you so much! I will email that to her!

RobynLou · 02/03/2011 10:59

gorionine - I'm in N london and we have 'traditional' playgroups around here, all based in churches or surestart centres. I'd tell her to find her surestart, and have a look on netmums local boards, I found a lot there.

backwardpossom · 02/03/2011 10:59

Is it the actual classes or the cost you're quibbling about?

I read it as the OP being pissed off that other parents in the area seem to think she's doing her DCs some kind of damage by not taking them.

IntergalacticHussy · 02/03/2011 11:00

a lot of those classes should be renamed 'we saw you coming'

it's crap the way having babies has turned into this enormously expensive industry

i remember one music class i took dd1 to was basically lots of mums shaking their bums and banging tamborines whilst singing totally inane words completely tunelessly (in 25 different keys). The toddlers & babies just looked on rather baffled

twolittlemonkeys · 02/03/2011 11:10

I agree some of them seem a monumental waste of money. Baby signing however is brilliant - DS was signing things he wanted long before he could speak - it reduced so much frustration if we knew he wanted food/milk etc...

LOL at 'we saw you coming' - so true. Just ignore the parents who have nothing better to spend their money on and do as you see fit

new2cm · 02/03/2011 11:13

YANBU.

"I read it as the OP being pissed off that other parents in the area seem to think she's doing her DCs some kind of damage by not taking them."

I know exactly how she feels if that's the case.

I managed to avoid most of these classes and as a result, certain individuals claimed that my dd (this was back in 2005) was disadvantaged and that her development would be negatively affected.

My daughter is doing very well at school, thank you very much!

loueytb3 · 02/03/2011 11:14

I would agree that they are not necessary.

However, I agree with gotabook and freudian that baby signing can be very helpful.

I started it with DTs as a way of getting out the house and because friends had done it and found it very useful in reducing frustration in toddlers who could not yet talk/make themselves understood.

As it turned out, DS1 did not do any signing in the entire time we did it (unlike DS2) and it was one of the warning signs that he had developmental delay. Later on he was diagnosed with autism and it was clear that he had been taking in and understood all the signs but struggled to make them. Having already done baby signing we had a head start over others whose children had just been diagnosed because we (and he) knew all of the main signs and signing is used to prompt speech.

In addition, it was one of the few classes in our area that didn't charge twice for twins (plus our teacher is just fab). I'm really looking forward to taking DC3 to those classes. As a totally random aside, DH and I find certain signs very useful for communicating from a distance...

LLKH · 02/03/2011 11:14

FruitSalad I thought I was the only mum in London who didn't like baby groups. I'm not outraged by them; I just find them to be contrived. Can I ask which part of London? We're North London.

bullet234 · 02/03/2011 11:21

"I like them. The babies see other babies, other toys, hear other voices, see other faces, listen to other songs etc. It's just broadening the amount of input they get, which is surely a good thing."

But surely all of that can be achieved through a normal babies and toddlers/parent and babies group that doesn't cost up to £10 a session.