I need to pluck up the courage to take DS to a mother and toddler group

[tweetyfish]

DS is now 2years and 7 months and he has never really played with other children. He attended swimming lessons for 2 terms until I got pregnant with DD, which he enjoyed. We have also been to a soft play area and he loves it, he is very interested in the other kids and wants to play with them.
I think the main problem is me - I am scared stiff at the thought of going to a mother and toddler group and talking to people, and also of my son's behaviour. I'm so frightened that he'll hit another child (even though he is very gentle with his baby sister and has never hit her) and that the other mums will think badly of us. However, I know I must rise above it for his sake.

Anyway, I was just wondering really if anyone else has never really taken their kids out, or if they were in the same situation I am in and went to a group and found it good?

glad all went well in the party...we all have the tendancy to think of the worse case scenario and then find it wasnt half as bad as what we thought!!...then look back and think 'why was i so worried'

lesson to be learnt (for me too!!) go with the flow!!

well done for going even though you werent sure

pinotgrigio - I'm so glad all went ok for you at the birthday party! I've psyched myself up that this week is the one, just not quite sure which one group I'll try!

Ok, well I did it! DS and I went off this morning and spent 2.5 hours at a mother and toddler group and it went fine!! He nicked toys off the other kids but no more than kids who'd obviously been going for ages, sat down nicely for juice and a biscuit, and did me proud! Just a shame he didn't want to leave and thought that by lying down on the pavement crying we could go back..... but that I can deal with!!!

tweetyfish, excellent!! glad to hear he had a good time, i take it you will make it a regular thing now?...how did it go with the other mothers, did you get on with them?

I'll certainly try! Next week is the last week before easter so we joined at an odd time! The other mums were friendly but obviously had sorted themselves into groups already - but I did talk to a few of them, so I'm quite pleased with myself!

Pinotgrigio, oh, don't worry! It will be fine. I used to take my stepdaughter to parties if they fell on 'our' weekend, and everyone was always very nice to me...but then I was nice to them! Never crossed my mind not to do it. I suspect you may be projecting your working mother's guilt onto them (not that you should feel guilty at all, of course). Have fun.
And yes, take him Tweetypie, he'll love it and it will be really good for him.

Just read your thread-I live in Plumstead but am happy to drive anywhere to get out and about and I wont think ANY of the things youre thinking cause havent got a brain left from being on mnet all day!!! Would you like to meet and then we could try out different groups???
I have two sons-one three and one of thirteen months-the three year old is a nursery all day on Wed and Fri or if you would like your boy to start with mine,we are notmally free on mon/tues?? I'm not scary,love to chat(for that think"talk rubbish")and also know Orpington pretty well-went to school in St Pauls Cray-
waddya say????

Well done tweetyfish. Obviously DS loved it so that makes it worthwhile. And although they are perhaps in groups you will in just a few weeks get to know a few people IME. I am still friends with some even though the day has been moved to a day I can't make (am working) and it provides my DS with playdates (and people he will know in reception) and actually even DD with playmates (siblings of DS's friends) and me with friends for girly night outs.

And pg agree with every word that twiglett has written. Glad it went well. If it had been me I would have been curious to meet you but in a nice way and nothing more. Deffo agree that the invite was to your DD as well. When DS had his party some kids came accompanied by mum, dad, mum & dad, grandma etc - no nannies but it was a Sunday and most of the kids were from nursery.

doea nayone know of a friendly mother and baby group around london W10?!

Yay! Well done Tweety. I'm really glad it went so well for you!! Especially that DS was an angel (of course!). Did you chat much with the other mums? Are you going back?

Bozza - thanks for the kind words. I never expect that anybody would be curious about me. I'll remember that next time!

Well, we went again today and it was awful He was just running around throwing things, upturning toys and chairs, terrified this poor little one (well, he may well have been older than DS but was smaller height-wise) by shaking the toy car he was on and it all culminated by him stamping on a little boy's shoulders . At that point (after he'd apologised to the boy and his mum) we left...
Talking it over with DP, it was almost like he couldn't contain his excitement and was hyper, and i was wondering if maybe it overwhelmed him? There are about 30 kids there and it is his first introduction to socialising... what do you excellent mums of brilliant socialisers think?!

Try not to give up tweetyfish - they all have their meltdown moments. Would your ds be up for walking there - or part of the way? That might take the edge off his energy rush....

they all have tantrummy moments - or can get a bit hyper if they are overtired.

alternatively could you take him to some sort of gym tots type class, to get him to do something active. i guess you can't take him swimming because you've gota baby to look after