Having started with Molly when she was about 6 months old, and going through the rigmarole of having to get a friend to put a good word in for me, and a massive waiting list (For a Toddler Group for Gods sake), I started attending the Tuesday morning Christchurch Chorleywood Group with my NCT friend Kim, and her little Isaac. A very friendly group and welcoming, unlike a number of others I've come across and heard about in the past, I managed to last it out through Molly turning three and then Lucy being born, so barely a week during term time went by without my Tuesday morning visit to the Church hall.
Toddler groups are a funny old thing. They can be so cliquey, not always friendly and sometimes quite exhausting (depending on the age of the child and their enthusiasm for getting involved). When I first joined, I was lucky to meet some of the loveliest local people I could wish to meet. And most importantly, Pamela was there every week to serve us tea and coffee and biscuits. General rule was that you only had one cup of hot drink, but, if you're really "in" with Pam, you could often get a second cup.
A great array of toys put out each week for the children to play with, and surprisingly, all in very good condition and all put away (by us parents and carers) in exactly the right place at the end of the session. When Molly was younger, I think things were taken a lot more seriously. We had a rota for reading during snack time (For the kids of course), a rota for organising crafts (all expenses reimbursed) and sometimes even a rota to start off the singing at the end of the group.
From barely being able to remember a single nursery rhyme when I first started with Molly, I now have a full repertoire under my belt, from the likes of "Wind the bobbin up", "Sleeping bunnies", "Dingle, Dangle scarecrow" and of course the obligatory Jesus and God based songs ( we were in the church hall, and at times the church after all) "Jesus' love is very wonderful" and "Who made the twinkling stars".
Once a month, instead of sitting in a circle for singing time, we went into the Church with one of the Youth Workers, who would tell the children a bible story. Barely a single child actually listened, but running up and down the pews is so much fun! It was the constant running around the alter that sometimes got them into a bit of trouble, and left a few red faced parents chasing them around, trying not to upset God's place.
When I went back to Toddlers with Lucy, it was a little different. A lot more relaxed, and dare I say, Lazy planning. The toys were still there, and still put away in exactly the right place each week, but the craft ownership was luckily taken on mostly by one lovely lady Jo, and the reading during eating was dropped in favour of the Mums chatting whilst they didn't have to chase the children around. Singing was generally started by the lady who runs the group but everyone had a little shy go and starting something off, or at least putting a recommendation in.
Molly and Lucy have had such a great experience of Toddlers, and I've had some fabulous cups of coffees with some lovely people over the past 5 years. I think, if I were to have another baby, which is definitely not going to happen, I'm not that sure I could do another three years of this though. I was starting to get a few looks when I would tell people that Lucy, at the ripe age of ONE was perfectly able to join in the craft by herself without my help, because I was too busy sitting on my big behind, chatting to my friends about 3D-Lipo, numerous birthday parties and other lovely gossip. Crafts were becoming an interference, as was sitting on the floor playing train sets or doing puzzles. I can do that with the girls at home when I've got no one else to chat with, but for the past term, Toddlers has been about having a bit of me time!! Its been a wonderful experience, and I'm sure I will miss it, but I won't pine for it, thats for sure!
Thank you again Pamela for all those lovely coffees!
Todays Cake is the MARVEL AGENTS OF SHIELD cake I made my wonderful husband for his birthday. It was a wheat free, light sponge with Almond icing. All eaten by his work mates and none came back for the children. But they eat too much anyway!
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