Getting
into a social scene when you have young children can be hard .Kidookid!
reveals how to easily meet other mums. Have
you recently moved to the area? Is Toddler talk getting you down? Do you
sometime find being a stay at home mum gets a bit lonely?
Well this was my
story November 2004 when we arrived here from the UK – the weather
was grim, the children too young to go to school and the parks to cold
to hang out in ..Where could I meet other mums? How could my children
meet others to help them improve their sociability?
  
Much as I loved my
little angels I was in serious need of MTT - Mummy Time Too: an adult
conversation and some mental stimulation so that when Daddy came home
I had more interesting things to talk about than dirty nappies!
Very gradually, here
and there, I started to hear on the grapevine about the Mum
& Toddler groups and I went to investigate 3 of them before choosing
the one that suited me and the kids best.
First the Cornerstone
in Vallauris (large group, very friendly and full of energy), then Tumble
Tots in Sophia Antipolis (Good equipment to climb on in the wooded setting
of Sophia) and finally the AVF group in Vence (a smaller group where I
felt right at home) . I found all these groups were wonderful - the same
but different. I settled on Vence as it was that bit closer to me and
thus I made friends who are more local. Indeed I know some people who
belong to all of them and select which one they go to according to their
mood that day! (Find addresses in Mum
& Toddler groups)
I cannot recommend
these social networks enough .. so now that Winter is behind us and we
can watch the flowers start to bud and bloom why not look again at those
New Year’s Resolutions and join a club, meet a mum, and have some
fun…remember you and your child will benefit from this group!
So what are
these Mother and Baby Groups
Well firstly they
are not just for babies, think of it as “Pre-Schooler” age
group + Mum. They are an invaluable and easy way to meet other Mum’s
like you and me. From Monaco to Cannes we have found many different groups
ready to welcome Parents with open arms and their babies and pre-school
kids.
Generally held one
morning a week in a hall these non-profit groups are there to provide
a supporting network for mums. You will find a range of children at these
groups from tiny babies up to around 3 years old when they tend to leave
to go to the Maternelle.
and what
happens?
It varies from group
to group, there may be rugs for the children to sit on where they can
play with the toys, freeing Mum to enjoy a quick catch up chat over coffee
– it’s good to talk, share and generally just get things off
your chest..reminds us that around the country, in all 4 corners of the
world other Mum’s are having the same kind of day as us!
Coffee over, and
its time to try an art and craft activity or perhaps gather around for
story time. There is also generally a sing-song with nursery rhymes in
all languages which helps your child with their own speech development
and awakens the ears to other languages - did you know it’s a proven
fact that singing is good for the soul even a jolly round of Frere Jaques
can lift your mood!
And if you can’t
go for yourself then think of your babe – they need company too,
little people of their own size so these groups are the perfect way to
make new little friends too. |
