Baby Groups

[Racoonworld]

Will these be able to go ahead? They aren’t social gatherings, they are businesses with organised groups. They can’t take these away surely after months of isolation?

Also surely babies don’t count in the 6 person limit if the can’t walk yet?

A list of exemptions is being published today I believe, so you will know very soon. Although of course given current form, who knows if that list will be clear and easy to understand!

All I can say is I really hope they will be exempt, it’s been a long lockdown for anyone on Maternity Leave without the usual supports :(

Hopefully soon! I've got a toddler and my fiancé works for the nhs (long hours). Zero family nearby so baby and toddler groups were my lifeline! I try to be positive but really there isn't a day that goes by when I don't wonder when baby and toddler groups will be back.

@firstimemamma

Hopefully soon! I've got a toddler and my fiancé works for the nhs (long hours). Zero family nearby so baby and toddler groups were my lifeline! I try to be positive but really there isn't a day that goes by when I don't wonder when baby and toddler groups will be back.

They are back, I’m booked onto one starting this week. Really hoping they don’t have to be cancelled now

All the baby classes (as in organised groups yoga, massage, Sensory etc not play groups) are all back on where I live. I really hope they are able to remain running

I hope classes stay on. This does mean groups ie playgroups are off the cards for some time though I expect (although sadly I didn't expect them soon anyway)

Due another baby soon and my toddler loved playgroups, I miss them so, so much

Tbf I've been told our local baby sensory is restarting this week but have made the decision not to attend. 12 parents, who I dont know, all mixing indoors in an area where cases are massively increased just makes me feel uneasy. Ds2 is 12 weeks old.

This decision is making me so angry that yet again,it might be young people/children and women effected the most. I gave birth in May, did a virtual NCT classI had an hour with my partner after the birth,I attended midwife appointments on my own, I've had to take her to vaccinations on my own where I struggle to understand and remember instructions and hear what HCP's are saying through masks. I signed up to every baby group going now they've reopened because getting out and about and having some kind of structure is essential for my mental health and thus my family. My son had his final year at primary stolen- he and his stepsister have been stellar through this. But they've just started back and my biggest fear is not us getting the virus,it's them closing schools again. My second biggest is them stopping the baby classes/groups. I've copied all the way through this,just. If they leave me and other parents for another 6 months with nowhere to go/no one to see,it will be very very bad for some people.

I doubt it now, that would mean 2 mums, 2 babies and the person who runs the group......but then that’s probably 3 households, so not allowed. If that’s how it is?

@Layladylay234

This decision is making me so angry that yet again,it might be young people/children and women effected the most. I gave birth in May, did a virtual NCT classI had an hour with my partner after the birth,I attended midwife appointments on my own, I've had to take her to vaccinations on my own where I struggle to understand and remember instructions and hear what HCP's are saying through masks. I signed up to every baby group going now they've reopened because getting out and about and having some kind of structure is essential for my mental health and thus my family. My son had his final year at primary stolen- he and his stepsister have been stellar through this. But they've just started back and my biggest fear is not us getting the virus,it's them closing schools again. My second biggest is them stopping the baby classes/groups. I've copied all the way through this,just. If they leave me and other parents for another 6 months with nowhere to go/no one to see,it will be very very bad for some people.

I had a baby in may too and feel exactly the same. My anxiety has crept right back up becuse I'm so worried about school being swept away from my kids again and like you, baby groups are all I have atm haha!

They’ve not reopened yet in my area. Especially the ones run by what used to be the children’s centre and the health visitor lead ones. I can’t see how they can open and I know how rubbish that is for everyone with young children who rely on them.

We used to go to a play group run by our Family Hub every Friday. Dd is 3, not been in over 6 months and she still asks me if ‘singing’ is open when we drive past , she obviously misses it.

The paid for ones will be on, the free community ones off I reckon. So if you're a low income family who can't afford the extortionate cost of Baby Whatever Time you're still stuffed and isolated

I think there's a difference between baby groups and play groups though. In play groups children roam around playing with toys and eachother. At a baby group parents are on their own mat spaced 2m apart.

The paid ones won't be able to afford to run if they can only have two parents and two babies in each session though. The person running it,would have to work all day to make what they would have made in one session.

@SavoyCabbage

The paid ones won't be able to afford to run if they can only have two parents and two babies in each session though. The person running it,would have to work all day to make what they would have made in one session.

Exactly, so worrying for them.they couldn't do that either because of the masses of cleaning that needs doing between sessions. At hartbeeps we get our own prop bag of things that have been sterilised. Nobody else gets the bag until the next day once she has spent her whole evening sterilising the stuff.

Hopefully we’ll get clarification today.

Worried for the baby groups and also group exercise that have just started up again.

I really hope they can go ahead. I've just booked to start one next week with my 11 month old. The leaders have put so much time and effort (and probably money) into making sure they're covid secure. They shouldn't be different from any other business.

But the government don't care, so I doubt they'll open

Have received this - hopefully baby groups should be going ahead

None of the playgroups are opening local to me until January 2020 at the earliest, a number of reasons why all the cleaning evolved, having to maintain social distancing between all adults and the children, then most of the groups Locally are run by childminders and currently we are not allowed to attend groups where the public also attend, if we had been able to open with even limited numbers the public would still not get a look in as once all the committee are in ( the childminders running it) there would be no space for anyone else.

Sorry January 2021

Yeah they should be able to. I work in the industry (though personally not with babies). There has been a lot of general angst with the latest late night announcement but the faq that came through this evening makes it quite clear that if it’s either related to children, education or exercise it’s ok.

Oh brilliant, I was hoping that was the case after reading the exemptions.

The FAQ is here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do

Playgroups are exempt but none of them around here are opening. Impossible at the moment when kids are still (technically) supposed to be social distancing.

Baby groups can open because it's much more controlled and the baby and parent stay in their zone. Whereas kids at a playgroup go off and play together - that's the whole point.