Parent and Toddler Groups- what happens?

[PregnantGrrrl]

I've not been (yet) although i will work up the courage eventually.

What sort of things are there to do at the ones you go to?

How long are they for usually?

well, you go in and there's loads of mums/nannies/childminders/dads with the children generally all playing with toys in the middle.

They usually last for an hour and a half - maybe 2 hours.

There is usually somewhere where you can get a cup of tea and a biscuit for a very reasonable sum. Some of them don't charge you to go in, but you pay 50p for your brew, some have a fee to get in, but your tea is free - some probably have a mixture.

If I were you, I would try and get someone to go with you for the first time,everyone will be very welcoming, but at the end of the day, nobody likes walking into a place full of strangers on their own.

If you have a new baby, you will, of course, be the most popular person there as everyone will want to come and coo over babba

good luck

you usually leave feeling shunned and dejected by a very close knit clique.

i do anyhoo.

I've been wondering about this as well. From what age is it worth taking a dd/ds along?

wasn't going to mention that bit, lady
when that happens, you have to come on mn and start a thread about all the beeetches at the toddler group.

Seriously, some are ok, some aren't... you don't know till you go

Mrs Fogi - if you're going for company for yourself, take them straight away, if for company and little friends for baby, probably when they can sit unaided.

ladyoftheflowes- that's what i'm afraid of. i live in quite a 'cliquey' area- reminds me of how people are in Royston Vasey sometimes...''this is a local area for local people'' type thing.

dont want to lie to the girl.
she needs to be prepared for all eventualities.

i went expecting to leave with lots of nice friends and coffee mornings to go to, the occaisional bevvy of an evening....

i was sorely dissapointed!

lol

MrsFogi, most groups I know would welcome you as soon as you could get out of the house in time - it took me 12 weeks before I could manage a 10am start with dd!

For several months then I went because I needed to. Dd wasn't great company for a whole day at that age.

Ds2 is just 9 months, and he is only just beginning to appreciate the toys, other babies, etc.

pmsl! 'royston vasey'!

If your little one is still very little some time toddler groups can be a bit much for both of you. But talk to you health visitor sometimes they run first time mum groups. Me and my dd started of here then graduated to toddlers at about 9months old with a few others. Or see if there is a nct group in your area. Good Luck.

boy liked going to mums and tots at 4 weeks old, I took him coz I wanted company and was invited by another mum with a 13m/o son. for the 1st 4 months he sat on my or some one elses lap and watched. then he "graduated" to sitting on the carpet tinkering with toys, then crawling off the carpet getting in the way of sit and rides and now is pottering about the hall and occasionaly looking in at the chalk board or craft table to splosh some paint. hes 14m/o. Now he has a best mate and I have some friends and acquaintences amoung the parents, we do a "works christmas dinner" in feb and a summer social . Yesterday i spent 6 hours with some of them carpark marshalling a big car boot sale to raise funds for the community hall.
All groups vary, but if you find one you like and are prepared to get involved you can get a lot out of the experience.

perhaps i won't bother. it'd take alot for me to go somewhere i've not been, with people i've never met, and if i'm just going to feel left out, i think it'd knock me back a bit really.

Oh at least give it a go PG - being a new mum can be very lonely if you don't build up a social circle.

I regularly go to 4 groups - one is very friendly, one is getting friendlier now I've been there a while, one is quite cliquey, but new people have joined after me, so I mainly talk to them, and the 4th I went to with an existing group of friends (made through a 'first baby group' that my area runs).

Give it a go. I've been to two. One was awful with the notorious clique and i had 1 conversation while was there. The other one was brilliant. Someone met me at the door - said 'you must be new' and introduced me to everyone.

If you dont enjoy it then check out your library for a song time session or something as then you are 'doing something' and the chat comes over time.

You don't lose anything by trying. I've tried two. One was awful - no real organisation, very cliquey, and I stopped going after a while. The other is really nice, with friendly people .

Both are quite small because they're in small villages. My mother runs one that is huge (40-60 childen each week), and they have lots of different activities going on each week.

Definitely give it a go.
It doesn't matter if you don't have anyone to talk to at the beginning as you can concentrate on looking after the kids and playing with them. The organiser will hopefully make you feel welcome.
I go to two. Both are £1. The kids get juice and a biscuit and we get tea or coffee.
There are loads of toys and it gets you out of the huse and gets the kids socialising and learning to share too.