Study's show that playgroups give children early life lessons and I completely agree. An interesting article in this mornings Sydney Morning Herald discusses playgroups. If you've never atttended a playgroup with you children, this article is well worth the read. Click this link here HERE.
Most groups are run by voluntary parent/co-ordinators at a minimal cost to families.
After 40 years of operating in parks and church halls, playgroups have undergone their first serious independent evaluation - and the results are impressive.
We've been attending playgroup on a Monday morning for years. I joined a playgroup with a local church when my son had just turned 2 and my daughter was just a baby. Every Monday morning, we'd get dressed, pack our morning tea and head on out to play with friends.
I toook my DD to playgroup; I think we started going more for me than for her. But I became concerned that there was no structure (ex primary school teacher) - the parents played, the mothers talked. So I visited the head office of Playgroup NSW and joined the committee and worked hard for change.
ReplyDeleteI think Playgroup os as important for mothers as it is for kids; and therefore am trying to convince my DD, whose boys are seventeen months and three weeks old, to find one and get out of the house!
I still get to go with my grand daughters on a Wednesday at a local Baptist church. I first went to playgroup in a church hall in Springwood 30 years ago, since then I have been a part of a few and lead a couple along the way as well. Yes they are a great time for all who attend and great for new mums to get to know others in their community. I am a carer at the same Baptist church in a program called MOPS a(mothers of preschoolers) which is almost the reverse, we mind the kids so the mums can do craft, chat, have yummy morning tea and have someone talk to them about stuff.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter just turned 7 months old and we attend playgroups several times a week. 2-3. Not only is it good for her to see other babies and interact with them, it's a good way for me to meet other women with similar interests.
ReplyDeleteWe got to 2 playgroups. One is just for fun playtime the other one has more strutured play areas.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy the chatting with other mum's knowing your not alone.
I totally agree that playgroups are great - both for the kids andparents!! We started going to one when DD was really little through a different church than our (now) home church, but with her sleep patterns in the first couple of years being either right before or as the group was beginning we didn't really get there very often, and then they disbanded.
ReplyDeleteWe now regularly attend a mum's bible study (well, study for mums, play for kids) on Wednesdays and Playgroup (during the dry season, though we often catch up another day during the week during the wet) on Fridays at our home church. The kids there are all in the same sunday school (well, creche, but they run it as a sunday school class) group on Sundays, and some of the mum's at the sessions during the week run the SS sessions on Sundays. So, essentially the kids get to hang out and play and learn together at least twice a week which is great!
DD also goes to childcare once a week and between the two she has just grown in leaps and bounds in her learning!!
Yes and at age 33 yrs old she still refuses to share:-)
ReplyDeleteI have taken my boys to a playgroup they have at the local Library a few times. My problem is having the time to fit everything in.
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