Parent and baby/toddler groups in France?

[Booboostoo]

Has anyone come across parent and baby/toddler groups in France? Do you know what they are called or how to find out if there are any local to me?

I have asked mums around here but they don't seem to know what I am talking about. At best there seems to be a group for nounous and babies/toddlers but I am not sure that would work well.

Have you try "les accueils" at your "mairie", they should pin point you to what you need, the local libraries "bibliotheques" and "centre des jeunes et de la culture" are also quite good or some expats groups where you are?

You need to look for things like "maison de l'enfance", "centre d'accueil parents et enfants", they're often attached to the local crèche, so yes, ask at the Mairie. I just happened to come across one as there was a brochure advertising it at our GP's surgery. And yes, very often it's nounous who go, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't be welcome.

But they're few and far between....(it's one of the things I moan about living here)...people go back to work 10 weeks after the birth, have grandparents living next door, so don't feel the need for such groups!

If you're in a biggish city, there might be an expat group, try doing a google search?

Good luck, hope you find something!

Thanks! We are in the middle of nowhere between Toulouse and Carcassonne (but too far from either city). I asked at the mairie yesterday but they looked at me as if I was mad!!

I will check out the leads you have given me, many thanks.

Hi, I moved to Clermont-Ferrand in August and also struggled to find French mother & baby groups; it doesn't seem to be popular here as it is in England. I joined a group called International Womens Group of the Auvergne (for English-speaking women in the area) and through that accessed a Mother and Baby group. It might be worth checking if there is anything like that in your area.

I think this might be what you are looking for if you don't mind driving to the other side of Toulouse.

:)

Thanks EmmaNicole, there is a 'foreigners' centre' in the nearest town so I will try there.

That would be perfect BizeeBee, but unfortunately it's a couple of hours away! What a shame! Thanks for finding it though!

I went to something like this, one in Montpellier and the other in a town of 7000 people when we were living next to my in-laws in the middle of nowhere in Provence. They used to run sessions where you could just turn up with your baby/toddler and the child could play - other mothers were not all that friendly (!) but it was good to have somewhere to go and I did make one lasting friend through it.

Can you ask at the local PMI (Service de Protection Maternelle et Infantile, where you can get baby weighed and basic health checks)?

That's a good idea Weta, thanks I will ask at the PMI. Funny you should say that about the mums not being friendly! I was at the pool the other day filling in forms with another mum with a very young baby, so I smilled at her, asked her if it was her first time there like me, asked her the age and name of her baby, etc. She did reply but did not ask me a single question back which was very odd! I think people tend to be super friendly if you are a friend of a friend, but totally ignore you otherwise!

I think there's a french site similar to mumsnet with local listings where you could look, I've seen it mentioned here before. Can't remember the name though, sorry.

Maybe you can find something on this site?: www.doctissimo.fr/

Bertiebotts, are you thinking of magicmaman.com?

Had another idea - you could try contacting the local RAM - Relais d'Assistantes Maternelles - they're run by the Conseil Général of your department, try looking on their website. The RAM will be able to tell you when and where the nounous meet up.

I've also found the grannies who look after their grandchildren more open to conversation - I've met a few on my aimless wanderings pushing the pram around our village....they're desperate for adult contact too and also looking for entertainment for the kiddies.

In Paris there is Message.

Thanks everyone! My mum is visiting this week so I intend to make full use of the babysitting facilities, but as soon as she goes I shall check all these links out!

Just in case anyone is still interested in this, I finally found a group run by my local Centre Sociale. It took ages to track down as no one knew about it (not the mairie not the pole mere enfant), but it exists! Result!

Have you been along, booboostoo? What was it like?

Yes I went last week. They run it twice a week, once on a morning, once on an afternoon in a nice big room with loads of toys. There were three mums with a three-year old each who had been attending since the children were 1 month old, so the three kids were having a great time playing, one mum with an 8 week old baby so he and DD bonded (very cute!!), and the lady who runs it. It may be that other mums also turn up on other weeks, I wasn't too sure on that!

They were very friendly, we had a cup of tea and chatted. Sometimes the conversation went on too fast for my French but overall it was fine. They also organise small scale social events like lunches etc.

You have to pay 3 euros a year per adult which is negligeable really and the special social events are changed separately but at a very reduced rate.