To expect more from a sensory class?

[Mags1993]

First time mum here so please just tell me if my expectations are way too high! I have a 2 month old daughter and booked a sensory class course local to me. It's the first group I have been to other than a free library sing song as she's still very little. It cost £10 for one hour and the course is 3 weeks long (one hour per week). When I booked on it said it was suitable for 0-18 month year olds and each week had a different theme but that each time there would be messy play, tuff trays, toys, sensory things and song time to match the theme. When I got there there was 3 mats out around the room, one with some soft toys, one with a painting activity and one was a photo opportunity. There were paddling pools outside as the theme was Water Splash and these had various toys and kitchen utensils in. I hadn't realised that with it being the school holidays older siblings were also allowed to come so there were about 4 older kids there but nothing for them to do so they were just running around the hall and kept having to be reigned in by the mums and told to be careful of the babies. I totally get it must be hard for parents with babies and older siblings in the holidays but it was quite disruptive and I did feel for the older kids as the activities were for babies and so nothing for them to do. Surely if older kids can come there should have been something for them too, and I feel it should have been advertised when I booked? The main problem was that the woman running it had her own son there who looked about 4 and was running her ragged, turning the music off, asking her questions during songtime, running off when she had asked him to sit down and generally just going a bit wild in the hall. Is it not a bit unprofessional to try to facilitate a class whilst also trying to look after your own child? I don't want to sound off but it did ruin the experience a bit for me as at one point I had to ask her child to be careful as he nearly fell onto my baby! It just felt like she didn't have control of the class at all. Her speakers didn't work so she was playing the music through her phone, the activities seemed half-arsed and there was no introductions or anything despite me being the only new person there. I'll go again as I've paid upfront but should I express my disappointment to her before next week. Is this normal for a sensory class in the school hols or should I expect more?

Sounds a bit crap. £10 isn’t bad though.

I think your expectations are probably a little bit too high for a baby class, they are more for adults than babies really although of course the kids do get something out of them. I always found during school holidays they were chaotic with older siblings.

£10 is quite cheap for a sensory class where we are!

I always assumed the only useful purpose of baby sensory was to meet other mums.

Is it one of these franchised baby sensory ones? Quality can be so variable depending on the people running it tbh. A lot of women take on these kind of opportunities precisely because they can bring their children along during holidays or when they don’t have childcare etc. so it’s not uncommon at all for their own children to be there.

Summer holiday baby classes in general are always a bit like the Wild West because older siblings are often allowed (or they would struggle to run them).

I don't think your expectations are too high personally

I think she shouldn't be bringing her child along no, even more so if it's affecting her job, which it clearly is.

I'm expected to have my child somewhere else when I work so it annoys me really when others don't

It doesn’t sound like this class is aimed at such young babies as yours. Even the description is more for older babies with the messy play and tuff trays. At these kind of things there are often older siblings and also the ilder 18 month babies will be running around. I would wait until yours is at least sitting up independently, and go to classes aimed at young babies instead for now.

Agree, esp with a 2 month old. Just being awake in the world and being cuddled is enough of a sensory class at that age. A tenner isn't a lot these days so I'd make the best of it simply for some structure and a reason to get out of the house.

I didn't like sensory classes anyway, but this is ridiculous. You should absolutely not have 4 yo in a baby sensory classes. In my area, a lot of organisers would even move mobile babies up a group when they start crawling too much.

I would stop the sessions and ask for a refund (at least for the unused sessions) due to the disruption.

At 2 months old, I would look for something fun for you rather than baby, I don't think there is much to gain from it at that age. From 5-6 months they start paying more attention to their environment.

It's solely to meet other mums. If you want sensory activities for your child then put them in a shallow bath with a few ducks or wave a pom pom at them.

Is it not a bit unprofessional to try to facilitate a class whilst also trying to look after your own child?

Honestly these classes are the kind of things some mums run so they can make a bit of money whilst raising their kids and not paying for childcare. I'd expect her to be nice and competent to a point, but it's not exactly a profession, is it?

Absolutely this, especially at 2 months old.

If it doesn't work for you OP then you don't have to go back although it's only two more sessions so I would attend just as something different to do.

Hiya yeah it's a franchise. That's fine, I think my expectations were probably a bit high then! I had imagined it to be all singing and all dancing and give me some ideas for sensory things to do at home but maybe after these classes I will wait until my baby is a bit older and just meet up with friends and do the cheaper council-run groups instead until then x

I actually think it sounds pretty rubbish! I took both my children to the local baby sensory class and it was good. Yes it’s aimed at getting the parents to interact with each other but there were lots of lovely little activities to do. There was 30 mins of structure and then 30 mins free play in the room. If older children were there then they had to remain seated and couldn’t join in the activities but this was well advertised on their website and social media.

The baby club on cbeebies has some ideas. We had to use it when all classes were cancelled during COVID.

I don’t think your expectations are too high. I’m a first time mum and have been taking my 4 month old for 2 months now. I pay £12 per session (discounted from full rate as I book a block) and each week there is a theme. So for example, this weeks theme was fairytale themed. The main middle mat is decorated with fairytale lights and characters, lights dimmed and fairytale music playing in the background. We all took turns to give our names and babies name and age, then the group leader explained each activity and the benefit it would have for the baby. First activity was finger puppet of red riding hood which babies watched, then a fairytale parachute activity, a jack and the beanstalk ribbon activity, quick juice and biscuit break, then a photo op finished off with a goodbye song. There was older children there from the holidays too, but the group leader was great at making them feel involved and creating a calm environment. Might be worth noting this is an independent lady who relies on positive reviews - you can tell she puts a lot of effort into each week. I’d recommend looking for independent groups maybe 😊

Your kid is 2 months, what are you expecting? It would have all gone over her head and zero benefit to her. It does sound chaotic and unprofessional and I would not go back and tell them why.

It does sound poor, but tbh it just sounds like the woman running it was having one of those terrible days when everything goes wrong. You'll have plenty of those yourself once your baby is old enough to cause trouble! Finish up the course and if you don't like it, don't go back. I wouldn't complain to the lady running it.

Hmm is it a big franchise as the one I went to was great! It was split into 0-6 months (non crawlers) and then the next group was around 6-18 months (movers). It was a proper sit in a circle organised activity where the class leader the led the session and there might have been a bit of free play. I don't think it was as cheap and you had to book a term.
I agree that it is tricky for parents with older children and I don't think it's appropriate if they are running around, but I don't think it's up to the class leader to have put something on to entertain them. Surely they should be under the parents watch and if they know they will be bored (which unless they are over 8 and can sit still or help with the baby sibling) then I don't think it's fair these mums attended.

Your baby is far to young. Go back when you have a 6 month old who will by then.be grabbing toys and taking an interest. At 2 months they just need you

I'd ask for my money back on the basis that you booked an 0-18 month baby activity and there's going to be much older children running around for the next few weeks.
Not what you signed up for and wouldn't be what I wanted with a 2 month old.

I found most of these classes crap and waste of money. I met all my mum friends at cheap baby groups in church halls run by volunteers (mainly older ladies), where you got a tea & a biscuit and paid about £2 max.

The classes I found had often been started by mums trying to find an income without childcare for their own child, so they fell into the common hobby business trap of offering what it suited the owner to provide rather than focussing on what the customer wanted/what the demand was for. Their own babies were always in the way and there's not a lot of profit in a baby group so they would always fold/swap owners after about two years
They were always a complete rip off, the baby often slept through half of it, babies don't need "activities".

The only one we stuck with was a music one aimed at 2-4 year olds - 30 mins of simple songs/actions with shakers/bells/drums and funny props like animal puppets.

At 2months, maybe look for a baby massage class instead. I found those to be more supportive and gentle. I took both DDs to sensory classes from around 4months maybe? We did Hartbeeps and Baby Sensory. Then the school holidays will be over as well so classes will be a bit calmer.

This doesn’t sound like the official Baby Sensory franchise to me. Those classes are structured and absolutely fantastic. This just sounds like a sensory based baby group.

Oh and newsflash... babies don't need "sensory activities". Until they are at least 1 you just talk to them and take them round doing whatever you're doing. Honestly that is all they need. Peekaboo with a hankie, bunch of keys, treasure basket of kitchen junk to faff with (corks, nailbrush, clean cloths, wooden spoons/spatulas.

I used to put a bowl of washing up water on the patio and a pile of plastic plates/bowls/cutlery with it. They would "wash up" for ages

It doesn’t sound brilliant tbh!