To think "classes" for babies and very young children a re a money-making scam?

[Gateau]

I've never heard anything so ludicrous in all my life - "classes" for babies and very young children. I'm talking about the likes of music and singing classes, 'gym' classes, overpriced swimming classes etc etc.. The list is endless.
Recently someone told me their baby learnt to "wave" at a music class and another told me their little one learnt to climb stairs at gymn classes. Ummm, can we not teach them these ourselves??! I did.
I just find them so patronising and more than that, I don't think it's fair to put them in classes at such a young age. There's enough time for classes when school comes round.
I know some Mums, partic SAHMs want their LOs to socialise with other LOs and classes are a social outlet for them, but what's wrong with natural growth - ie nursery,a playgroup or mother and toddler group, soft play, the park, the garden, playing inside with them yourself, inviting other LOs round to play......??
IMO these classes are nothing but a money-making scam; I can't believe so many parents have fallen for it.

Well I had a search Fio and every thread with gateau in seems to end up in a fight. It's most odd. I've just remembered I did some free baby swimming with ds2!

And you accuse me of haing too much time on my hands, jimjam?

You're a saddo.

Gateau i haven't read more than 3 lines in here but it seems like there is some big problem with the overpriced classes.

what i did was, i just didn't send my kids to them (even though their friends were going). i personally did think it was a sham, for me to send my child, but really didn't bother assessing it beyond that!

Well yes a search took ooh 10 seconds. I'm stuck in today as I have all 3 kids at home, thanks for filling those 10 seconds.

Gateau, I have been on quite a few threads with you. Recently. And you have to admit, most of them do get quite ......confrontational.

PSML
Yeah, like talk to the hand...whateeevah....you suck dickhead...loooser!

Do I strike the correct gateaux-esque tone?

i did monkey music with my ds(7) whilst he was still in the womb, start them early that's what i say

Now I am imagining Gateau doing that awful side to side thing with her neck that people do on Jeremy Vile etc

fio

Gateau all the posts I have seen from you are incredibly provocative - NCT waste of time, mothers who leave babies in nurseries are the devil etc etc

Not very supportive of other mothers at all just a lot of misery and bitterness. What is up with you?

I think the point made is a fair one, though, as so many people on here have said how they go to these classess out of loneliness. So it is sad that they are dating agencies for lonely mums and someone's highlight of the day is going to a class. However, there've been lots of counter-arguments as well, just not the aspect the OP was interested in. She wasn't interested in whether they are fun as well, just whether they aren't a little bit ridiculous. Anyhow, what I understood.

I think the wording could have been nicer but then you wouldn't be glued to the thread if it was just an exchange of well-considered, measured arguments

I know it sounds sad CTHEA, but really with an under 1 what else is there. You're hardly going to be living the highlife. IME you get through the days the best you know how . If we lived in closer knit communities with mums / aunts and grandparents next door then we would probably have less isolation less PND and less need to go and sing along with a stuffed monkey.

classes were a lifeline for me i went from FT working to mat leave.knew no one with a baby.

met other mums at classes and through HV group.most others similar position 1st time mums,new to the baby lark,looking for bit of support, a laugh, some adult company

you don't need to pay, but in my area there is a plethora of courses - so why not.accessible and well attended

meet some really nice mums, whom i still see

As cthea said - exactly. Thank you cthea.
And if my threads are provocative - as you call it, Susie100 - so bloody what? Or what you really mean is that they go against the grain. If that's the case - and you don't like it, then nobody is making you come onto the threads.
I do think the NCT was a complete waste of time - if that offends you, then that's your problem. You're easily offended and sound like you live a pretty sheltered life. Maybe you should create a softly softly thread for you and all those other people who have such fragile sensibilities.

As for the ridiculous line about me saying mothers who leave children in nurseries being the devil, I would ask you not to actually lie about what I said to try to make me look shit. You clearly didn't understand my posts, along with most people on that one.Again, not my problem. My own child goes to nursery FFS!!!

Goodness you are so rude!

SM, I love the word 'plethora' it's just so satisfying!- Yep, I need to go out more I reckon.

I think these baby classes suck. I felt that If I didn't attend them like my friends did, I was an uncaring mummy. I hated all that smiley sh*t that goes on with the mums and the competitiveness but it got me out of the house and that's the main thing with LO's IMO.

On the whole, I agree with the OP. The only class I took mine to before the age of 3, was baby massage. I went once, learned a few techniques, and then did it myself at home. I'm not sure if there was any real scientific basis to it, but the idea of massaging your baby is a good one and it seemed to be beneficial.

But Gateau, have you ever thought of going to an Anger Management course? For adults, I mean.

ooh chip on shoulder alert

I know everyone else has already cleared this up, but can I just comment on the 'raking it in' part of things. You'd love my classes gateau cos I do French for preschoolers and primary children . I barely break even tbh but I do it cos I want my own kids to go. aren't I noble I know before I costed it all up it seemed like all the preschool classes overcharged like mad but room hire is about £20/hour, plus insurance £150/year, plus franchise fees of 80p per student. you do the maths. it's a living but hardly what I'd call raking it in or ripping anyone off

French for preschoolers and primary children - IMO these are worthy classes, the earlier they start the better I believe.

For me personally, the waste of space classes were bl Monkey music, Tumble Tots.

Off to bed nite.

I'm intrigued at some posts on this thread as they don't reflect my experiences at all. I hate P&T groups, as does DH - a waste of time and money and full of cliquey parents and kids running riot. And how exactly does one meet parents at the park? I'm afraid my experience of most other parents in such a setting is that they are rude and just ignore you and your DC.

So I take DS to a toddler music group. He's on his second set of sessions now and it's doing him the world of good. He also goes to nursery a couple of days a week, but without the introduction to a structured activity with other children I don't think he would have coped with nursery very well at all.

When DS started the music group he was so shy and stiff and wouldn't take part in anything. By session 5 he was starting to enjoy it, and now he loves it. He's the first up to get the instruments, and put them away, he loves the action songs and he's starting to loosen up generally. The class leader has so many different instruments and other props that I wouldn't have a hope of providing at home. At £3 a session it's definitely not a waste of money.

/hijack

Jimjams - Re:surestart

Am surprised you have had trouble accessing stuff when out of area - (have been to various classes at centres out of area in my city with no objections) but I was told a few years back that if anyone did object to me living out of area, an HV could refer me to Surestart, as they can refer a certain % of out of area people to classes/courses. Also - if your city has any children's centres opened, they are not meant to discriminate by post code at all.