Do you take child no 2, no 3 etc to playgroups........................................

[Mandymoo]

and encourage them to be with children their own age or do they simply tag along with your first child and fit in with their routine?

bump

tag along mainly, although the age gap with mine is just over 3 years between all 3 so usually get the morning with the youngest on their own so can do stuff for them then.

When DD1 started school, I started taking DD2 to a toddler group. I now run it!!

She spends much of her time tagging along with DD1 and I htink it's nice that she now does something of her own.

I only ask cos i'm not sure whether i can be bothered to go through the whole toddler group thingy this time round but at the same time i dont want ds to miss out on being with children the same age. I just find these groups tedious tbh.

I have lots of friends who i met when my daughter (3.8) was a baby and some of them have younger children.

I might carry on with the baby group (wed mornings for 2 hrs) for now but not go to every single one going.

MT - i take it your dd1 didnt miss out and has turned out "normally"

I took DS to playgroups when we moved here so that I could meet people. Couldn't be bothered with DD - playgroups aren't really my cup of tea - I find them really dull from an adult social point of view .... but I suppose I will when we move again to meet people again.

I just find them a breeding ground for cliqueyness and "trying to outdo" types of behaviour but at the same time i dont want ds to lose out.

went to lots of toddler groups with dd1 and dd2. they were both babies/toddlers at the same time so it worked well. Can't be bothered 3rd time round with dd3. but she's a very easy 2yo so I do "adult" things with her like meeting a friend for coffee or going shopping. she doesn't really complain.

but she gets constant playing with her 2 sisters for most of the time and also nursery 2-3 days a week so she has plenty of contact with children.

So i wouldnt be a bad mum if i didnt take ds to these godforsaken groups?!!

Nooo, I didn't take to the groups first time round, tried a couple, hated every minute, DS1 didn't exactly fit in either, at the time he was under observation for autistic spectrum type behaviour and he spent most of his time careering round the places in a very odd way inciting glares and tuts from other parents. Haven't taken DS2 to any M&T type groups at all. However both DSs attended the leisure centre creche and then playgroup/nursery that you can get away with leaving them at.

I did but found the new moms with their first babies and didn't make my older ones feel welcome, the looks etc. so I stopped going.

I'm lucky enough to have a fabulous M&T group near me and took the twins there and now take dd4 until she starts Nursery although she also goes to playschool.
This one is due December and I will take him/her from babyhood up to Nursery