What do i need to start a mommy and me group?

Question

i want to start a mommy and me group in my home town and i was just wondering how i go about doing that and what do you actually do at one?

Answer 1

You need to find a place to meet.
It could be at your home, or maybe somewhere like a meeting room at a local library or community center. They often will rent out rooms free of charge.
You can put up flyers in grocery stores, obstetrician or pediatrician's offices, baby stores - any where you see moms and babies hanging out!
Then you just meet up with the moms and babies and get to know each other.
It is a great way for new moms to get support in the community.

Good luck!
My mom's group is still supporting me and my oldest is almost 4.

Answer 2

I have been to two, all you need is mommies and babies. One called smiles and tears were for babies under 2 we all sat together in a room with lots of toys and visited. One person in charge would help keep conversation going by asking a general question.
The other were for children under the age 5, it is 2 days/week and 2 hours long. The 1st hour we all play and read stories and do a craft then the second hour the moms all go to a seprate room leaving the kids with 2 capable ladies for a break.
Both ask the health nurse to come once in a while to answer questions.

Answer 3

I started my playgroup through meetup.com. There's a charge to be able to get in touch with everyone, but after one month we had a good group and canceled the membership and continued meeting on our own.

We started in the spring and we just picked a park and time (Mondays at 11am worked well for everyone) and then everyone just brought lunch and the kids all played together and the moms got to sit around and talk. In the fall when the weather got bad we started rotating hosting at our houses. The host mom provides snacks and drinks. I always organize a craft for the kids (usually try to coordinate it with whatever holiday is close) and each mom contributes monthly to the cost of crafting supplies.

Each week we run between 1.5 to 2 hours long and I've made some really great new friends. Being the organizer takes a lot of (usually thankless) work. But its worth it to me to be able to interact with other adults and have the kids make friends.

Here are some articles that might help you more, including top reasons why playgroups fail:
http://www.expatwomen.com/mothers/top_5_tips_organizing_kids_playgroups_overseas.php
http://www.parenthood.com/articles.html?article_id=5272

Answer 4

They are so GREAT .
I started when I was pregnant .
After my daughter was born we transferred to another one , she loves it , she is now 21 months old and we go once a week .

We sing songs at circle time , play with lots of fantastic toys and do arts & crafts .

The program I attend also has a toy lending library and a registered nurse and dietician on site ready to answer all your questions .

For me as a parent I think two of the big benifits are the time my child has to learn social skills with other children and also the fact that you as a mommy can meet other moms for support .

Answer 5

You could check out meetup.com and look for a mommy and me group already in your area. Or you could start your own on there. Looking at other groups and seeing the kind of meetups they have will probably give you some good ideas.