Erin is nearly 2 and it has been quite some time since we stopped going to any baby classes or groups. We stopped going to our last one, Music in Motion a while ago now. That one in particular runs past toddler age but Erin’s nap times were making going impossible so we were just throwing money away pretty much.
The thing about baby classes is always having something fun to do with your child. We used to go to Baby Sensory and Baby Yoga, as well as swimming. I used to love having something planned two or three days a week and I loved getting out of the house.
I guess now I feel like we’re stuck in a rut.
Monday is our day for swimming and I love going with Erin. Seeing her learn and develop is amazing and I’m glad I get to do that with her most weeks. If John is off work I get him to take her because it’s important for her to know she doesn’t only have to swim with me. John and Erin have loads of fun together too and I like them to do some things without me as well.
I think what I miss the most about going to baby classes is regularly seeing my other mum friends and their children. Some now go to nursery, some friends have had second babies and sometimes, people are just really busy. Not being able to drive makes it quite hard for us to get about sometimes as well. Going to baby classes each week meant that Erin got to see other babies and she doesn’t really see many other children her own age now.
We have a local play group that runs on a Friday and only costs £1 so I do try to take Erin now and again. The problem is, it only runs during term time so we have had a whole summer without it. That’s a whole summer with only swimming to go to each week. I miss the routine.
Erin will be starting nursery herself in January and will be attending 3 days a week. With this, and swimming, our weeks will be quite busy. I know I should make the most of the time I spend at home with her now before she’s at nursery for a large part of the week but I miss doing the fun classes with her. I need to try to make more of an effort to utilise some of the free activities we have in town and get us out more!
Did you do baby classes when your children were little?