Your feedback: Playgroups

[BellyBelly]

Hello Everyone!

I'm after your feedback if you've gone to a Playgroup or if you currently go to one, and how it's helped you.

How did you find the Playgroup? (word of mouth/website etc)
How many mums/children go to your playgroup?
How long are the sessions?
Why did you choose to go to playgroup?
Do you have a free play session or pay a leader (art/craft/teacher)?
What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for child?
What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for you?
What would you say to mums thinking about going to playgroup?
Other comments?

[christy]

How did you find the Playgroup? (word of mouth/website etc) Some girls I know started one.
How many mums/children go to your playgroup?Things are changing and we are going to start regulating numbers to 12 maximum
How long are the sessions?30-45 minutes then morning tea
Why did you choose to go to playgroup?To socialise with other mums & tire Matilda out
Do you have a free play session or pay a leader (art/craft/teacher)?We have a 15 minute free play session, than organised songs/dance/sometimes craft that the leaders organise.
What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for child? Matilda loves socialising and playing in other environments, and its helped give ideas on things to do at home.
What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for you?Socialising with others.
What would you say to mums thinking about going to playgroup? Definately investigate and find one that suits you & bubs. There are so many out there that are run differently. We decided we enjoy having a free play session as well as some structure. Matilda doesn't like structure, but its good for her to be around it.
Other comments?.... :-k not yet...

[Astrolady]

How did you find the Playgroup? (word of mouth/website etc) Saw it when I took Kameron to CYH that was once held at the kindy (CYH no longer there)
How many mums/children go to your playgroup?We are meant to have 20 names on the list for each session (both parents and kids), but we are over that 20 names for each session cause I am the co-ordinator and people keep ringing me and I don't like saying "sorry we are full" hahahah :-$
How long are the sessions? 2 hours
Why did you choose to go to playgroup? It was convienient (3min walk) and also Kameron needed social interaction
Do you have a free play session or pay a leader (art/craft/teacher)? It is free play, but we ensure there is plenty of stuff for the kids to do craft wise as well. There is tea/coffee for the mums/dads which is free
What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for child? Kameron has become less shy, and talking has greatly improved
What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for you? I have met some great new friends and have become more actively involved by becoming coordinator
What would you say to mums thinking about going to playgroup? Definitely do it. We are a great bunch of people and welcome new mothers/children with open arms, and I'll squeeze you in to one of the 4 sessions
Other comments? Our playgroup is $2 per family per session, and we have 5 sessions per week. Monday Tuesday Wednesday and Friday mornings. There is also now Wednesday Afternoons.

Love

[mooshie]

How did you find the Playgroup? way back when i had first dd in 1998 - we started one up from our first mums group.

How many mums/children go to your playgroup? From memory as it was held at a centre, the council had rules i think maximum of 12 walking children

How long are the sessions? 2hrs per week

Why did you choose to go to playgroup? We were all first time mums and got along extremely well and it was great to go to the one place as the littlies got older rather than meet at each others house.

Do you have a free play session or pay a leader (art/craft/teacher)? Basically free play session, but we did try to have a little bit of structure, ie get the kiddies to do a craft activity, then fruit and water time then play outside.

What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for child? Lifelong friendships - socialising and learning slowly to respect and share

What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for you? Life long friendship - as i said started playgroup in 1998 until end 2003. these girls are my best friends, we are always there for each other, we go away one weekend a year (girls only) and we meet one night each week - even just for coffee and cake and also we meet once per week with the littles (the original's children are now at school) the second ones are at kinder and well there are a few of us with our 3rd child lol

What would you say to mums thinking about going to playgroup? Definately - it is a great way to get to know others, and by the time you start kinder and school your child and you would have formed many friendships and know alot of people in the area - i think it makes it easier for the children to develop special friendships which they will hopefully have for a long long time.

Other comments? As i said i stopped playgroup end 2003, but will definately probably rejoin next year for lani as jay will be at school - it will be different for me again as i will be going in meeting a whole new bunch of people but it will be good for both of us as lani needs to meet others her own age not just the bigger kids.

[/b]

[layla]

I am a huge fan of playgroups, the trick is finding one with other parents you can relate to.
I joined a playgroup when Sean was a baby, and now, nearly 10 years down the track the friends I made there are my best friends.
We have seen each other through the births of our second and in some cases third babies, helped each other through rough times (divorce, cancer treatments etc) and we've had some wonderful times, trips away together, celebrated important milestones together, and shared the joys of watching out children grow up together.

[Vanessa]

How did you find the Playgroup? (word of mouth/website etc)was convinced by a friend who organises one to join, but the playgroup I attend I found out about through visiting the Playgroup Website.(Her group runs on a day I work)

How many mums/children go to your playgroup? There are about 10-12 mums with at least one walking child, several have babies less than 2 months old.

How long are the sessions? Sessions start at 10:30am until 12:30pm

Why did you choose to go to playgroup? To interact with other mums and to allow Liam to interact with children similar in age. For Liam to experience activities that he would not experience at home.

Do you have a free play session or pay a leader (art/craft/teacher)? We pay $4 each week for the hire of the hall, Children participate in activities set up by parents, every parent is on a rostered job each week.

What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for child? Liam is learning to play with others, we have only been 5 weeks, and today I saw him trying to initiate play with others, he is also experiencing new things such as craft.

What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for you? . For me, just the socialisation with other mums is satisfying, meeting new people, also seeing Liam enjoy spending time with other children, seeing Liam discover new things, spending time with Liam creating

What would you say to mums thinking about going to playgroup? JOIN!!!!


Other comments? When I had Liam, I had met a group of mums through the local CHN, we formed a first time mums group and met at others houses every week, I was the first to return to work, and the group changed days and we met regularly, as the children got more mobile it was difficult to get together at our homes, so we went out, and more mums went back to work. We still meet, but it is once every two months since they turned one.

Joining my playgroup five weeks ago, helped me get back into a regular play thing, meeting people and allowing Liam to socialise with other similiar in age.

[Kellee]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but this is kind of related... I've been putting off joining a playgroup for a couple of reasons. I would love your feedback about this.

1. I'm anxious that the 'comparisons' would drive me mad - you know, comparing what Baby X is doing that Baby Y isn't. I think I would find that really hard to deal with.

2. I'm nervous about having nothing else to talk about other than babies!

Are either of these concerns realistic? Or am I just being a woos? Would love to have some feedback about this. Thanks ladies.

[christy]

I can understand where you are coming from Kellee, I was concerned about the same. While truthfully there are some comparison's made, I have found that its not too much and those that I hear have helped me understand Matilda better. Does that make sense? Just hearing someone else say how full-on Matilda appears to be, helps me understand that she is full-on & its not just all in my head...

Talking about kids is how we get to know each other yes, but through our kids I have met girls that I can relate to better...so I guess its a way to start or form friendships with others who are in the same situation as you.

So I guess I would say you are right about both things, there are comparisons made and we do spend some time talking about kids, but its not all that there is going on. And I guess its a stepping stone for some of us who don't know heaps of other people with kids.

[Astrolady]

Hi Kellee

We do the comparisons if there is two kids of the same age, but it is only minor stuff ie "oh wow he/she is short/tall for age" and then that is it, definitely isn't anything we go on about.

If it is a largish group then you are going to find someone to chat to about stuff other than babies. We talk about anything and everything.

Love

[barbie-up]

How did you find the Playgroup? (word of mouth/website etc) - our mothers group turned into a play group

How many mums/children go to your playgroup? started with about ten, got to 15 and broke up, and then broke up again

How long are the sessions? two hours

Why did you choose to go to playgroup? the first one just happened after mums group stopped and the second one I went to and joined.

Do you have a free play session or pay a leader (art/craft/teacher)? both were free time ones

What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for child? to play with other kids !

What are the benefits you have found going to playgroup for you? it was good to see what other kids were doing at the same age and how other mums were handling things and to find out my child was a good sleeper/eater etc !
What would you say to mums thinking about going to playgroup? JOIN fer sure. find a friend and join one together or just go around and visit places.

Other comments? when the first playgroup we went to broke up for the second time, i knew there was one at the bottom of my street, so i just went there and joined up.

Barb.