To bin off baby sensory

[autoclave]

Hi all, FTM posting for advice.

After a long time on a waiting list, I recently became eligible for baby sensory in my area. It's incredibly popular here and one of my friends raves about it.

I've now been to 4 sessions and I hate it, I'm just wondering whether it's important for development to go to the class. From what I've experienced everyone sings a song with matching sign language (which seems a bit culty to me but I admit that it could be my opinion clouding my judgement). Then the leader seems to go around the room handing out rattles. We listen to a song shaking the rattles, and then they're collected and we get given pom poms to shake while we listen to music, and the rest of the class follows in the same way.

I find it incredibly tedious to attend, but I'm not sure if I'm missing something as it's so popular! Baby doesn't seem to care about any activities and I'm just wondering whether doing things like rhyme time (free at the library) might be just as good as paying for the class.

YABU: Baby sensory is important for their development. Suck it up and do the class.
YANBU: sack it off and get a coffee instead

I hated it but endured it for the sake of the child and it got me out of the house and I hoped I would bond with another mum (I didn't)

I think the second time round I only went because I was feeling sentimental, he didn't attend his graduation, I sacked it off, went to the gym and he went in the crèche for an hour. No regrets at all.

Just bin it off, your baby won't care, you will save some money and might find something else you will prefer instead.

In my area BS seems to be a 'rite of passage' where the mums can take pics and post to 'The Gram'. Not my bag at all I'm afraid. BS seems to be packed to the rafters (20+ mums with babies in each class) the noise levels must be horrendous so it's no wonder the teachers need to wear head mics! It is definitely more for the mums than it is for the babies as all the activities and silly dress up outfits ypu could do at home.
Why not go to a class where you teach your baby a valuable life skill that benefits you both like baby swimming classes or baby signing classes with signing experts like Sing and Sign (BS, for the limited signs they teach, are based on ASL not BSL or Makaton so pretty useless in the UK, especially if your baby is lucky enough to go to a nursery where they use baby signing).
Find a swimming or baby signing class, the groups will be much smaller so you'll make friends and learn a valuable skill at the same time. Good luck x

Head mics? Crikey! That sounds awful! I total agree (as I said upthread) about baby signing. I did lots of classes back in the day but loved Sing and Sign and genuinely learned things that were helpful in developing my daughters’ communication. Shop around OP and definitely don’t be sucked in by the insta-classes.

lol. I thought you meant you still go to Baby Sensory 15 years later.

Sorry, what? Graduatiob?

It's totally not required. I go because I like some of the other mums and we have a nice chat, and sometimes I get ideas if things to try at home. But you can definitely give your baby all the advantages they get from a baby sensory class just by playing with them yourself. If you do t enjoy it don't force yourself along.

Yes of allll the classes I went to and I went to them all this was total tosh. So much swapping in and out items and it was soo clicky. No.

Yes my grandson had a "graduation " from BS complete with silly shiny yellow satin gown and cap.

I kid you not.

Yip me too. Dc1 did the classes....dc2 I haven't bothered. I have friends and DC2 will be going to nursery in August so will get lots of the sensory group sing songs then.

I loved it but it was absolutely not essential to my baby’s development. You can sing to your baby and show them plenty of interesting things, bright colours and different textures at home. Babies do not need to socialize either, anyone who says send them to nursery to socialize them is also wrong by the way!

I liked baby sensory because it gave routine/structure to our week. As a stay at home mum I like getting out of the house for some kind of baby class or activity every day.
We now go to playgroups, gymbaroo, a music class and swimming as well as free things like the library, toy library and parks.

I did this as a first time mum because I thought you had to since everyone kept asking me if I'd been to baby sensory yet! I was so stressed about not knowing the songs and actions I watched the youtube videos to learn it like it was important life skill 😂. How naive of me. Later I found a small independent baby group that was much friendlier and also free groups at the local church. Wish I hadn't wasted my money on baby sensory!

When I read about these trendy things I do tend to think They saw you coming love! I do think it's rather a sad commentary that parents are prepared to pay for someone else to do what parents always did and Yes, I know of the need to go out to work etc but a SAHP in the 50s and 60s probably worked harder than a SAHP today but still managed to interact with their children.

God no! 😂

I wish I’d know you when I had my first baby. This attitude is exactly what I needed to hear as a first time mum! I didn’t go to any classes due to a mix of C-PTSD and PND and I felt so much guilt at the time for not going to baby classes. Needless to say DS is perfectly fine and a very happy healthy teen now.

I did this class with my youngest and loved it. We then did toddler sense classes too!

I'd forgotten about the corn song ha ha.

If you don't enjoy it, sack it off and do something you will enjoy. Baby will be fine. No child was ever classified as deprived or undeveloped due to not attending baby sensory classes.

I liked the routine of having a group or two to go to on some set days in the week but I know other mums whose kids never went to a baby class or playgroup and they have lovely, normal children who haven't been negatively affected by their mum's shuddering at the thought of playgroup attendance.

What has going to work got to do with a baby class? Parents are not dropping their kids off at baby sensory while they go to the office- the parents do it with the child, usually in the first year during maternity/ parental leave.

I never got to go to The Tufty Club when I was little and I turned out just fine.

I think a lof of mums now feel guilt tripped into going to the latest fad or your baby will somehow miss out developmentally.

People have been managing to raise children well before spending money on classes became a great marketing thing

Tufty club? Wasn't that to fo with road safety?

Yes Tufty Club was to do with road safety.
It was about the only social interaction available for children in the 60s - certainly where I lived.

It's for the parents not the baby. I found it gave me a purpose to get out of the house until I discovered playgroups. Got amazing photos from the sessions. No effect development I can see just a more relaxed mum who felt done something. The song I can still sing 8 years later

Could probably do with it now as far more cars on the road. I remember " don't cross between parked cars". However you'd never be able to cross if followed that now

I went to both hartbeeps and the baby sensory. I think hartbeeps is better as it was more interactive but I went to baby sensory with my best friend whose baby was same age as mine minus a week (happy coincidence) so we kind of used it as an excuse to socialise and would go for a coffee and cake afterwards. We did talk to other mums there but most people kept to themselves. I'm quite social and my best friend is shyer so I was happy chatting away to other mums as well but she'd just talk to me 😂. So maybe that's why none of the others really joined us for coffee afterwards (we always asked).

Edited to say: sorry I forgot to actually add my advice! Just sack it off if you're not feeling it @autoclave . Maybe take the wee one swimming? I did that once a week with both of mine just used a drop in local pool, paid a fiver and they had a great time. Brought wee toys etc with me. That's sensory in itself as well and babies love water (well, most do!). Or, as other say, sack all the classes and just do coffee and cake! 😋

I loved baby sensory, but it's a million miles from 'necessary' for your baby. Do something else instead.

Yes when it's their last session they have a "graduation" where they wear those cloaks and hats. I've seen pictures of other babies doing it.