When did you start going to Mothers and Toddlers group?

[sharond101]

DS coming up on 5 months and my Mother insists I should go to a Mothers and Toddlers group. I thought these were for older children? What age did you start taking your LO?

Never did. Had such a great time doing my own thing on mat leave that never felt any inclination to go to one. The Sure Start children's centre I went to for anti natal classes did not fill me with confidence that I'd 'fit in' with anyone there once I'd had LO and I had my own friends (some retired, so were around during the day) to go and see anyway. I started taking LO to our local library song and story time at 5MO but sadly that had to stop when i had to go back to work when she was 10MO. It was good though, nice for her to hear others sing (not just me all the time) and to see other kids of different ages. She had great concentration, despite being the youngest there, and several years younger than some of the others, which the librarian reading the stories always found very funny! Of course this all changes once they start being mobile and they're not a 'captive' audience an more! LOs CM takes her to two playgroups though and of course there are other kids, some younger, some older than her at CMs, so she gets plenty of interaction.

DD is 3.4 and DS is 2.10 and I've still never been to one. I hate the things and couldn't see how they'd benefit either of us.

I've been going for about 6 weeks but my baby is only 5 days old.
I moved in April, and didn't manage to find a job, so thought it would be s good way to meet people. And it certainly has been. Made a few new friends already. Took new baby in on thurs this week too. :)

About 11 months as I imagined they were only for toddling children (though DS was only crawling at that point). I was surprised to see younger babies there, and not just the ones accompanying their older siblings. They're a good way of getting out of the house. DS really enjoys them, though I think would have been less bothered when he was six months old.

Before that I went to a Bumps and Babies group occasionally, Baby Sensory, Sing and Sign, Bounce and Rhyme at the library and a 0-6 months postnatal group.

They tend to be rather clique-y places, so I tend to avoid them. I can't stand cliques.

The ones I go to are not cliquey places at all.

I attend regularly, have been doing so for a couple of years, and make effort to be nice to new parents, welcoming etc.

If a place is cliquey it is easy to change it...

I've been to a couple and both times they've been very cliquey. Have tried going for a few weeks but really did not feel comfortable with it all. That was a few years ago now though.

Have heard of this happening to other mums too so I do know it's not a 'just me' thing.

Baby yoga and Jo jingles when dd was 6 months because I was climbing the walls. She's 3 now and I'm still v close with mums I met there and we hang out with the kids all the time. Dd has benefitted immeasurably from it and has about 6 v close play mates she sees several times a week. Dd and one of the little boys are v best friends and are v attached to each other. I and she would have missed so much of we hadn't bitten the bullet.