Are baby groups important?

[PandaMa]

Ds of 9 months and I have regularly been going to a baby group and one or two others which we eventually stopped as they clashed with naptime. Without his nap Ds can be very very grumpy. Now the time for the group we still attended has changed and it also clashes with his nap! We persevered and went anyway last week and he was a night mare during the class and for the rest of the afternoon. We travel by bus so he wouldn't nap on way to class or on way home as he is too nosey. Then by the time we got home it was lunch time.

Basically I'm wondering if it worth persevering with the group or if it would be better for him if we chucked it?

They are really no benefit to babies, only to you if you need the socialisation. Babies can't really learn the sorts of social skills that would be gained in those sort of settings at that age. At 2 or 3, yes, probably important unless they are in nursery or another communal setting where they can learn how to socialise and turn take and resolve conflict. But baby groups are just so parents aren't at home crying alone.

I never went to any and my two children are healthy, happy, clever and very sociable. It makes no difference to a child more to the mother to socialise and meet new friends

If you have made friends with some mums from the groups, then invite them round for a coffee at a time when the babies aren’t napping, so babies can “socialise” and you can chat.

I went to a different one nearly every day ha ha.
But was for my own benefit more than for my baby’s. After working full time for about 10 years before DC, I found it very hard to adjust to being at home on my own all day.

However, I do think it’s important for babies to socialise with people other than their main carer/carers. If you already have extended family or friends nearby that you regularly see, that is great. If baby is mostly around 1 or 2 people all day then I’d recommend making the effort to get out and socialise more - doesn’t have to be a baby group. I also spent a lot of time at the local park and library when my dc were Small.

Not at all for the baby but if you enjoy it and it gets you out of the house great, if you don't want to go you have no need to feel bad about it, it will have no bearing on how your child turns out.

Thanks guys! I feel alot better about it now. To be honest I don't get much out of it so it was just for him. But he does have baby friends we meet for play dates and we see extended family alot so he's not just with mummy or daddy all the time. Think we may stop going until he's old enough to get the benefit of it.