Looking for Baby and Mom Activity Groups

Look at the library for cheap/free storytime and craft activities. Also, look on Meetup.com for local mommy playgroups.

The library is a great place to start. They always have story times, etc. Our local community center does a tiny tot play time thing where they bring in large motor skill toys and use the basketball courts. It's a fun way to burn energy and a good place to meet others.

I met my best stay at home mom friend in a work out class for moms and babies. If something like that is an option for you, check it out. Mine was a stroller fitness class but I know some places offer mom and tot yoga classes and things like that!

I agree that you need a few core friends that you can hang with during your child's young days. They take so much out of you that it's nice to make a friend that can feel your pain and you can talk to! Hang in there!

The gym equals you time and a break from baby. Look at your towns parks and recreation depth and see what they have. Join your local mom's club for a free way to meet other mons. If you have lots of money to burn - gymboree music, my gym, little gym. Also free- Find meet ups on meetup.com of other new mons.

Hire a baby sitter so you can go out with a friend for lunch or a cup of coffee or a movie, etc.
It's ok!
Everyone needs some me time to recharge.
It makes you a better parent in the long run.
You need to look after you so you can look after everyone else!

Where I am from we can find out about such groups in our area from public health nurses, pediatricians offices, the library, local schools, daycares, the YMCA, community newspapers and community swimming pools. When my kids were little there were so many groups and activities offered in my area we had something to do each day, and most of them were free.

Yes you definitely need adult woman time that's not always mommy time!

Call the public library and see if they have an infant story time/puppet time. Call the local Newcomers Club if there is one (our local one doesn't require people to be complete newcomers) and we had tons of play groups on different days/times. Call your town's office of Children & Families - even if they don't have something, they often know who does. Call the local YMCA, YWCA, or Jewish Community Center - all have programs for people of any religion. Many have fitness centers with babysitting too, and so do private gyms. You may even be able to exchange hours babysitting others' children for your own membership and adult time - but if you aren't interested in more babysitting (can't blame you!), there's just a fee for it. I have women in my class who happily put their kids in the babysitting, and even take their showers there so they get tons of hot water and no one fussing for attention!

Look at the local newsstands that have those free newspapers - parenting publications, etc. They are often full of local announcements (free) or paid ads about groups.

Start your own group - ask the children's librarian, if they don't have a program (or even if they do) if you can post a flyer on the bulletin board saying "Mom seeking to start or join a Mommy & me play group for infants" and put your first name, phone number and location. Usually these groups use a public space like the library, or they rotate from home to home. So if you are the hostess, you still have to get out of your pjs and put on a pot of coffee. But if the other 5-6 moms are on the schedule, you're getting up and dressed and out of the house and only have to have people over every month and a half. And the good thing is, the other moms don't care if you clean or straighten up because they understand what you're going through.

Repost this with your location in the title - "Philadelphia PA" may be a little vague so indicate what side of the city you are on.

I used to go to outdoo malls, libraries for reading times, the local zoo, stores that had little areas to play w/the toys, all the park in my area and all 4
nearby malls as they have indoor/outdoor play areas.

Then I joined a mama's club I found online for our area. They usually meet at parks. Nice to let he kids play while we chat.

Then once in a blue moon, I'd have hubby watch the kids while I went to meet up w/an old friend for an hour.

I'd take the kids to apple orchards, local fairs, October pumpkin patches etc.

Check the library, community center, parks and rec, Gymboree, local YMCA, churches etc. The hospital birth centers usually have resources for moms, including mom's groups that meet once a week. Just call or go back to the hospital where you gave birth and ask.
It's hard to be home with your first one when you don't know anyone, I know! So hang in there, maybe join a gym and take advantage of their childcare and group classes? I went back to school at the community college when my first was about a year old. He loved the daycare and I loved the classes and I even made a good fellow mommy friend there :-)

if you can google, you can find things. also look at bulletin boards at the grocery store and your local library.
khairete
S.

Does your area have ECFE classes? (early childhood and family education I think). Those are a great way to meet folks by engaging with them in a group setting with your kiddo. My daughter took a number of infant classes with them and made some great friends that she kept when the classes were over.

I hope you find something - I completely understand what you are going through.

When my kids were babies/toddlers I tried to get with other moms most mornings. It helped me keep my sanity. I joined moms club...and it just became an informal group of moms who took turns meeting at each other's houses once a week for coffee and company. The library had music and movement and storytime tuesdays and thursdays. There was a local family center with couches, a play area with toys, a toy library and a child development book library. Any morning you could go here and sit and chat. They also held classes like toddler arts and crafts, or mommy n me yoga. Once my kids were toddlers we went to the free tot time at the local environmental center on Mondays. I also joined a new moms hiking group...so we would all meet at a trailhead once a week with babies in backpacks or wraps and do a short hike. Sometimes I'd meet another mom or two at the pool to take the babies in the water. And then when your little one gets a bit older (say age 3) there are no end of classes they can take...dance, kindermusic, gymnastics, soccer, swimming lessons, you name it! Good luck finding fun stuff to do!

I don't know your area, but I do know that where I live, the public libraries have tons of free activities for families, including baby/parent groups.