A huge benfit to you and your child (Mother Toddler Groups in general)

Member Name: Ann-Marie_B

Product:	Mother Toddler Groups in general
Date:	15/11/08 (125 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interaction with other mums as well as your child's interaction with other children

Disadvantages: None

My initial thoughts towards mother and baby groups were that I simply did not need them. I was convinced that I myself did not need interaction with other mothers, sharing words of wisdom and talking about their children. When I felt I needed interaction I would invite friends over, people I knew and did not need to make any extra effort for.

I soon realised that hidden behind these feelings was a fear of going out and meeting new people. I did not want the rejection of standing with my baby in a large room surrounded by others who chatted to their friends and ignored me.

Initially I did not know that I would become a stay at home mother. It was a little while into my maternity leave that my husband and I had the discussion about our finances and came to the conclusion that I would stay at home. Meanwhile my little baby was gradually becoming a little boy with character and interest.

My son was around eight, maybe nine months old when I realised that mother and baby groups would be of benefit to him. It did not need to be for me, he himself would have the opportunity to interact with babies of a similar age and have a change of scenery, something different to do. So I decided to take the plunge.

I looked into the various options available within my local vicinity. I found that mother and baby groups didn't necessarily mean 'stay and play' groups. There were structured groups, led by an instructor. These I felt would be better as if I did not immediately hit it off with the other attendees there would be no awkward silence or sitting alone.

Structured groups come in many forms, there are baby signing classes which teach your baby to communicate through hand signs before they are able to speak. There are baby gyms where babies have soft play areas in which to explore and develop mentally and physically. Baby music classes offer a fun environment with songs, movements and musical instruments. Then there are also baby swimming groups.

I chose a baby signing group as this particular area interested me. I booked a place and the date of our first class loomed. The night before I attended I was very anxious, I was heading into the unknown after all. Thankfully my husband had decided to take the day off work to attend with me as he felt it was a special day for our son. This helped to take a little pressure away from me.

On the day we entered the room to find a relatively small group of five mothers with their children. The class leader was a bubbly, friendly woman who was leading her first ever class. I mentioned in passing to the others that my son was often rather shy and that was the main reason I was attending. They understood just perfectly.

Over the coming weeks I made friends and saw my son's confidence grow so much. The class leader herself commented on how well he was progressing. I felt a sense of accomplishment after attending a class and seeing just how much my son enjoyed the interaction with other babies.

When baby signing classes came to an end I quickly enrolled on a Baby Bop class which entailed music and instruments for young children. I am currently attending this group once per week and my son is now thriving. He is no longer shy and withdrawn around new people. He now has a new place to explore with new faces to interact with. I will soon be enrolling him in further groups.

The groups I have attended have been through Surestart and are free, so do have a look at what is available in your local area. The website Netmums (www.netmums.com) is a very useful resource for searching for those available to you. Some groups may ask for a small charge, usually £1-£5 per class. Some that charge may also ask you to commit to a certain number of classes, however they will usually offer a free trial class initially and so there is always the opportunity to decline.

My advice to anyone considering mother and baby/toddler groups would be to take the plunge. I am very glad that I gave myself that push to go as I have thoroughly enjoyed each class I have attended. There is quite simply nothing to lose and so much for you and your child to gain!

Summary: A huge benfit to you and your child