Does anyone else find playgroups a waste of time and money???

[tahira]

Hi all

Been to a few playgroups so that my little one could interact with other kids and also so I could find some new friends aswell.

I found that neither the kids or the grown ups interact with each other at all!!!

I'm finding that I'm paying money for my daughter to go somewhere and play with dirty toys (when she has a housefull of clean ones at home) and I'm having to pay for the privilege!!! OUTRAGEOUS!!!

Has anyone else found this, or am I just unfortunate enough to be going to the wrong playgroups??!!

jojingles and tumbletots are activities that you do with your child-not leave them by themselves.where is your group held?

£3.50 for 50 minutes is pricey.

I frequent two local groups. One is £1 for 2 hours, held in a college gym. No snacks, no drinks. Lots of good toys. Because it's a gym, I can sit on the side and chat or knit, while DS2 runs about.

The other is £1.50 for 2 hours, including very healthy snacks. Lots of little rooms, outdoor space, messy play, lots of fun. A singing session at the end, lasting maybe 15 minutes.

I wouldn't be happy about Haribo at the end, I try to keep my kids away from scary gelatine "treats".

Wow £3.50 for 50mins thats a rip off, see now that there are some advantages to living in inner city london... most of my groups are free or 50p and have friut snacks and lots of craft stuff, soft play,sensory room and nice clean toys.The more you go the easier it is to chat to people.

My god these have been and continue to be a lifeline to me. They cost next to nothing, bout a quid a child or 1.50 at most, and include a biccy and drink. Ok so the toys aren't A1, but so what? It does get them used to just being around other kids, its a new set of toys and you get to talk to someon who isnt 2 or 3 or whatever. My kids have loved them, though I think by 3 and half they have probably had there time......

I used to go to one with DS and was shocked when this lady tried to get us all to sing 'the wheels on the bus'. Up to that point DS had loved MTV and was particularily fond of Britney and Kylie. I hated the 'this is what we should sing and it doesn't matter if the Mum or Dads like singing it' approach. Well sod that DS spent most of his early months/years listening and watching MTV with me singing along like a lunatic.

He is now great at Maths and I put it down to MTV (listening to music stimulates the same part of the brain that is responsible for mathematic thinking) cos he certainly didn't get it from my family or his Dad's.

Went to one last week with DD and it was her first time (she is 14mths) and I really didn't like it. It was smelly and the Mums were all a bit too posh for me. Will try another one next week.

Well i believe that you get out of a group what you put in! I go to toddler groups every morning.
MONDAYS costs £1.50 includes a messy activity, coffee, juice and biscuit.
Tuesdays costs £2 and includes choccie biscuit, messy activity and coffee, juice etc
Wednesdays is £2 and includes unlimited drinks which oyu can help yourself too.
Thursdays is free and you just pay 25p per drink and its run by two lovely ladies who make the refreshments for you.
Fridays is £1.50 in a church and includes refreshments too.
I am a childminder so need to be out of the house every day for sanity! My mindees love the groups and although very lonely at the beginning i am making lots of new friends and my mindees are socialising!!!

bonkerz Im with you there. i go to parent/toddler/childminder groups every day. None of them costing more than £1.50 some of them are free(just a pack of biccies once a term).

Though i do have to admit i didnt go to anything with ds till he was 9 months. We moved into a new area at that time and i thought it was a good way to get out and about and it was Feb and there wasnt much else to do except fester inside.

Ds always got more out of them than me for the first year. I found it very hard to infiltrate the cliques. But a year on and I am there :o Its been good for me as a newly registered childminder to have had my face seen for so long out and about (not that its got me anywhere yet)

Maybe your expectations were a little too high tahira, though at £3.50 i think i would expect more too. I pay that to take ds to a soft play place!

I couldn't survive without my toddler groups and classes..We go to one every day and it is my lifeline.costs me £60 a month mind!

I couldn't survive without my toddler groups and classes..We go to one every day and it is my lifeline.costs me £60 a month mind!

oops sorry didint mean to post twice