Your Experience of Mothers Groups?

Isnt your child over the age of one? Wouldnt call you a newbie anymore

I think your going to get good and bad experiences in any situation with a bunch of women.

I personally have only had positive experiences, however I now work fulltime so DH takes the kidlets to kidlet things now ... the Mums love having him around ... nice bit of eye candy, so when on the odd occasion I have to take the kids instead of him, the Mums get quite bummed out.

I do however feel that you are going to get on with some women more than others .. thats just a personality thing as opposed to a woman thing in general.

I wouldn't be without my coffee group. We have a bunch of like minded women who really get along.

We don't all have the same parenting values but can see past all that. There is definately no competition type stuff with the kids either. I'm really greatful for my group.

I've found some Mother's groups a bit catty, competition like and cliquey, but have usually found a few people I get on well with, stick with them. I've made some great friends through groups though.

I also have just started going to Mainly Music and we have been going to Wriggle & Rhyme at the library since DS was 3-4 months and they are great for doing your own thing and not having to mingle or meeting people if you want to make the effort.

I love my coffee groups!

I unfortunately never got to meet my antenatal coffee group post baby and would love to meet up with them again but not sure how to contact them!

But I have my OB mums group and we all get on great!

I have my Plunket PIN group and again - they're great! Such a huge mix of women + one of them has 5 kids so very helpful!

And then there is my Space/Playcentre group!

I honestly would be lost without them, while yeah ok we DO talk about babies about 90% of the time it's great to get out of the house, talk to other adults and compare notes/stories about our babies!

I have to be honest, haven't had any negative experiences!

Plus they're all really supportive as some of us are FF, some are BF, some give jarred food, some make their own and only 2 of us do BLW! Some are cloth, some are sposies!

I love my OB coffee group and feel that now am getting to be good friends with them, but friendships take time!

My coffee group, well we started off well, but they are quite cliqey and bitchy and thats just not me. So we don't meet up that often anymore and if you try to plan something most can't commit to a date, just seems too much hassle than its worth!

We go to mainly music aswell and they seem like a really great group but since I have a few friends that go already I tend to stick talking to them but the other ladies are all lovely too

My mothers group is fantastic and we still meet up every Thursday but there is only 5 of us meeting up now instead of 10. The rest of the Mums sadly all work Thursdays now.
I've found it a lifesaver as I don't have any family here and I really needed the support.
We all have different parenting styles and values but I enjoy that and think its important to see other points of view.
Some music classes I've been to have been a bit unfriendly but I just focus on my DS and try not to worry about it.

Edited by CarrieMum

Oh yes, you can definetly get some cattier women at places like that (the ones I know are pretty good tho) but a lot of women also get very ....competitive when it comes to their children ...

I love my (antenatal) coffee group; yes it might have a taken me a year or so to feel at home with them (I'm shy, obviously we're all from different backgrounds, there was a bit of competitiveness in that first year), but 2.5 years later and I really value our weekly/fortnightly catch ups, I come away feeling so revived ... I think it's because we now know each other's lives outside of our children (so we talk about our kids less than half of the time) yet we are also in the same phase of life (mostly SAHM/working PT), so I can usually relate to them better than friends without kids.

As for playgroup, music group etc, the parents are lovely, but (so far) we really only talk about our kids so it's on a very 'small talk' level, and I haven't formed any real friendships there ... yet (I haven't been going to them for long). Like Hannahbil said, good friendships take time! So I'm sorry you've had bad experiences, but keep trying, and give them a good chance!

pickle wrote: My mothers group rocks - its 6 years old now and out of 12 people at the beginning we have 11 left. Few more births, twins, couple of divorces, 1 gay marriage and more!!!

Sounds like material for a soap opera there!!!

I love our coffee group. Everyone seems really nice, although some are quite different from me... they've got 3-month old babies too and wear makeup, and look pretty... I am in awe of them But we all get on well, and I really enjoy a chance to have some adult conversation.

Aaaww I love all the coffee/PIN/La Leche groups I go to...I've gone to heaps and those that I don't 'click' with, I just don't go back to lol.

I don't know that I've found many catty women, I've certainly found some competitive Mums and some mothers who I just have nothing in common with, but even then as long as we're accepting of each others values, even that that hasn't seemed to stop friendship developing.

I love my OB coffee group too (although I sometimes don't get there as often as I like), but we're all cool and enjoy each others company now that the er, how did you put it SMS?...more 'interesting' people have left , my La Leche group allows me to explore my hippy side hehe and my PIN group is wonderful- we have one competitive mum but she means well and we all have a good time. Plus there's my ante natel friends and rock n rhyme buddies....all good sorts.

Keep searching till you find your fit and don't be discouraged cos friendship takes time.