How many groups per week?

[Katiekoo]

How many groups do you tend to go to per week?

I tend to alternate weekly between a CM group, and a messy play group. I find these groups quite challenging but I go.
We also try to have a play date every other week, but my CM friend just had a baby so is not coming over/ having visitors at the moment.
I go to the playground/ swings and see other children there too. My dd nearly 4 goes to preschool in the afternoons.

Is this enough social time for the children (aged 1, 2 and nearly four).

Do you think the 2 yr old would benefit from more time in a group setting?

[2kidsunder5]

I personally think it is up to you and what you are comfortable with. I know some childminders who like to stay home most days and do activities and others who are out most days.

I think variety is the key. I run a childminder drop in which is once a week where we either have free play (loads of resources available) or we may do an organised activity. I go to messy play every other week as I dont have the opportunities to do messy play at home and we go for lots of walks and park and library visists,

Diane x

[Tatjana]

We go to 2-3, really depends on how everyone is feeling, if they seem tired or not 100% well we don't go. Sometimes I get bored of going to them and we'll go to soft play or just something different. I think a bit of variety mixed into routine is good. There have been weeks we don't go to any.

[flowerpots]

We go to 2-3, really depends on how everyone is feeling, if they seem tired or not 100% well we don't go. Sometimes I get bored of going to them and we'll go to soft play or just something different. I think a bit of variety mixed into routine is good. There have been weeks we don't go to any.

^^^^ This is exactly what we do.

[kellib]

There's one toddler group at soft play that we go to most weeks and that's about it, I am planning on going to another group at the city farm some weeks though as it sounds like fun!

Some weeks we don't go to any groups but we do visit people with LO's, spend time in the park etc and some days we don't leave the house at all!

[mrs robbie williams]

im just about to go from working 3 days during the day to five - at the moment i go to a singing group on a monday with my 18m but will be doing a surestart on a thursday and a stay and play on a friday with new 7m mindee xx

[rachelle]

I go to 3 or 4 but with different children. There are 2 I like on a Tues so we alternate them. We go on a Tues, minding group on a Weds and one on a friday. Sometimes we'll go to soft play (we have an under 5s only one here which is fab) too or instead.

[Dragonfly]

1 only and termtime only.

[JulieA]

I was out every morning and then by the time we got back and had lunch and naps the children were going home and hadn't really played with anything at my house.

Recently I have reduced this to 2 mornings a week (termtime only), and the mornings I have chosen mean that all the children I have get to spend one session at a group and the rest of the time at home (or out and about to the park, zoo etc).

I am much happier and less stressed and the children seem more relaxed too.

Sometimes we don't go to groups at all if the children are engrossed in an activity I leave them to it.

[BucksCM]

I've not long had my 2nd mindee(9 mo lo) so for the last year only had one lo in the day, so I tend to go out most mornings to several different groups.
Monday-surestart bumps and babies
Tuesday-daybreak drop in...last tuesday in month, childminding group run by NCMA in children's centre
Wednesday-surestart stay and play
Thursday-childminding group-at each others houses
Friday-tescos! although I don't normally work on a friday
All of this is subject to change if children not 100%, tired etc. But we have made quite a few friends.
If I have an activity that I'd like to do with the children then we do it after the school run at 9am(this was when I had two that went to afternoon nursery) then on to a group for a play.
During the summer months this changes more so that we get outside.