Completely in LOVE with Aidan Kale and Kamden Kane
This hunk of a man I am blessed to call my husband…
And every gift these men have given me as a Wife and Mommy.
With that out of the way…
Are you and your kids part of a playgroup? Do you have other moms and kids that come over to play?
If not and you want to get started…
Here are my suggestions:
Find moms that have kids about the same age as yours: It will be common ground for the moms. Are you kids potty training? Sleeping in their own bed, etc. The kids will enjoy the toys you have because they won’t be too old or too young for them.
Find moms who stay at home or work outside the home: I am not saying everyone has to either work inside or outside the home. In fact our playgroup has two SAHMs and five moms who work outside the home, but it is very nice to have women who understand the challenges that each group faces. I would NOT suggest having only ONE from either group. Working moms might have similar schedules whereas SAHMs might be more likely to get together during the day.
Find moms with children with whom your kids enjoy playing: You might have to kiss a few frogs before you find a fit, but if your kids cannot get along, playgroup will not be what it needs to be for either one of you.
Finding the moms and kids are just the beginning. It takes work to ensure your group succeeds.
Be consistent: Make sure you get together at least once a month. If not, you might have a great group that fizzles out.
Make moms feel comfortable: Nothing is worse than your child treating another child poorly in public. Someone will hit, push, bite or refuse to share. DO NOT make a big deal about it, unless there is a bully in the group, next time it might be your child.
Serve food: Simple, kid friendly food and drink is very important each time everyone gets together. Our playgroup meets on a weekday evening and if we didn’t have a meal people would not be able to stay very long or come at all. Inquire about allergies to ensure NOTHING is served within reach that could cause a reaction. We have two in our group with food allergies and they might not come back if we weren’t sensitive to this.
Rotate homes: It isn’t always one persons responsibility to prepare, host and clean-up the mess. Even if you love to host give other moms the opportunity to open their home and their children to share their toys.
Plan activities for special occasions: We painted pumpkins for Halloween and ornaments for Christmas. We had a children’s Christmas gift exchange and showered new moms with diapers when they had their second baby.
Don’t be afraid to invite new people, but don’t allow the group to get TOO big: We have a great sized group of seven moms with two kids each. If our group was any larger, it would be too big for me to host in my 1460 sq foot home. I also want to make sure no one in the group (moms or children) feels left out or unnoticed.
Make sure your child is having fun: I ask Aidan Kale after every play date if he had fun. Though I love the women in this group I want to make sure my child is just as happy as I am. Luckily he has ALWAYS said yes!
Great places to find moms and kids are places you already frequent.
Church: Who do your children play with in the nursery?
Kindermusik: If you have this program in your area I HIGHLY recommend it.
Internet Social Networks: Reconnect with High School and College friends through Facebook and some of these friends might be local and have kiddos the same age as yours.
Volunteer Organizations or Groups You Belong: Our playgroup started with women in Junior Service League. Several members had children the same age and so we all got together one day. We are no longer part of that organization but we still get play montly.
The Neighborhood: If you live in a neighborhood that is full of kids about the same age as yours, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and ask if your children can play.
Where have you found playmates for yourself and children? Any fun playgroup ideas or suggestions?
