To have never been to a baby/toddler group

[HeyThatsNotMyName]

Just that really.

My DS has everything he could possibly want to play with at home, socialises with family, friends and children at nursery and I have never had the inclination to want to go to a group.

Am I the only mum out there who hasn't been to one of these groups?

Starting to feel like I'm depriving him of something that I don't know about! Mum guilt is kicking in!

If I were to take him to one, what type of group would you recommend? He is almost 2.

mamabear and others.

Glad it's not just me then. It definitely seems to be the done thing on MN to find playgroups a bit naff.

Paid for classes are a total con, waste of money, class dividing bull shit. However, £1-2 church hall parent and tot type groups are actually brilliant once your baby is a toddler, they get to burn off some energy on slides and ride ones and eat biscuits and then go home for a nap. I totally rate them. At busy ones you don't even have to talk to anyone if you don't want to. Far cheaper than the likes of soft play and toddlers love them. I don't think they are necessary for socialising whatsoever though.

We stretched ourselves to pay for water babies and it really was money well spent.

We did Gym Babes. Money well spent IMO. No con.

I don’t do any classes as I hate small talk.

DS doesn’t go to nursery either so may be socially deprived after reading your replies

I've made the best friends I've ever had through playgroups. Maybe I'm just lucky Me too, I loved going to baby groups and meeting friends.

But OP didn't you fancy getting out to groups when your child was very young, i.e. before they went to nursery? I started taking DS1 when he was 6 weeks old to a post natal group and met friends from then on. It was great not to be stuck in the house and I wouldn't have wanted to just see family all the time.

I didn't go very often with my own kids, I go to toddler group regularly now with childminded kids - we go to a nice little group, lots of messy play activities that you might not want to do at home, arts and crafts, some different toys to play with and other local children and adults - some are good , some are a nightmare, why not go along to one or two (maybe with a friend?) See what you and your child think? They are usually only a couple of £ and as it's pay as you go if you don't like it, just don't go back x