I like a nice warm smile and welcoming hello when I enter - it can be sooooo daunting going to a new group.

I don't like hot drinks being served to adults. I can't relax when I know there are hot drinks around.

I also prefer the ones with adults who don't have children with them. It can be helpful when the occasional dispute over toys occur and you don't want to appear to be favouring your child/mindees.

I like 'safe' environments - so no piles of chairs stacked up around the edge, no rugs with curled up edges ready to trip little toddlers over, no handbag straps on the floors next to chairs as another tripping hazard - a vigilant leader comes in handy again!

I hate groups where the adults sit around chatting whilst the little ones get up to all sorts. I have been to groups where I come across as a bit 'stand offish' because I don't want to sit around and gossip, preferring to play with the children instead. I have also been to one group where I could not get more than a couple of words out of any of the other mums. It was very cliquey and I felt self conscious. The leader did nothing to facilitate an inclusive atmosphere. That one left a really sour taste in my mouth and as I said earlier - I don't even go for the adult chat particularly and am happy left to my own devices with the children.


It really is important to 'see' the adults there, even though the groups are set up for children. Some of the adults will be lonely, may have post natal depression, might be anxious parents etc. I know that when my husband was a stay at home parent for a while he found most groups very uncomfortable as the only male there - even the ones which I loved.

I like the leader to be professional at all times and to model lovely, constructive ways of speaking to children.

Now I'm thinking about feedback that I gave to the most amazing playgroup that I used to go to. One of the leaders, who was otherwise amazing throughout the session, would never give the children a five/two/1 minute warning that tidy up time was approaching. She would just wait for tidy up time and then call out " Okay, tidy up time" whilst taking toys out of the childrens' hands to put back in the box, or take a paper that they were painting on away from them/disassemble the tower they were building etc. I used to find it so disrespectful. Bless them though, after the feedback (which they asked for, and I didn't name the lady) they made a point of announcing that tidy up time was approaching. Such a good thing to model to parents too.