Although your baby might not be old enough to play on their own or indeed with other children, play groups are still beneficial for both you and your baby- here’s why.
Parenting on Female First
You get to meet other mums
This is hugely important if you don’t have many friends or family around you to share your worries, stories and experiences with. Who better to talk to than someone who is going through something very similar to yourself?
Your baby will get used to being around other children
Even if they aren’t actively playing with them, it’s good to get your baby used to seeing other children play while watching them interact with one another. This way they are less likely to be overwhelmed when they are faced with a large number of children at nursery or school.
It’s inexpensive
Our local play group is just £1.75 for two hours so even if your baby sleeps the entire time- you can still get something out of it for very little money.
New toys
Once your baby can sit up aided or on their own- it gives them the opportunity to play with toys they don’t have at home. They can try toys out, so you know what is worth investing money in and what they simply aren’t interested in as well as developing new coordination and exploration skills.
It teaches them to share
If your baby is your first and your family doesn’t have and smaller children in it- your little one might be new to the concept of sharing. By playing with other children- this teaches them that the toys are not their own and that other babies should have a chance to play with them too.
It can be a single or group activity
You can go on your own and meet up with people you’ve befriended there, or you can use the time to meet up with other family members with small children if you are too busy at other points during the week.
It gives you a schedule
When you are on parental leave- you may find that a lot of your days are empty and blend into one- this can negatively affect your mood. By having somewhere to go at the same time every week helps to give your week a structure and makes you plan ahead.