I’ll admit, I used to think mommy and me classes were for wealthy SAHMs with too much time on their hands. After all, the classes usually cost more than an adult gym membership and does a little baby who can’t do anything but lie there on the ground really need them? However once I decided to try a couple of classes before going back to work, I changed my mind about mommy (and daddy – many dads go, too!) and me. I now see it as an invaluable resource and something I hope to be able to continue to do even after going back to work.

We tried two different places for classes: Gymboree and Outside the Box. Our favorite, by far, is OTB. The classes are more expensive than Gymboree, but worth every extra penny, in my opinion. Here are my experiences with the two facilities:

At the Gymboree we went to, many of the teachers are very young without kids of their own. They seem to come from a more musical background than a child development background, so while they have good voices and can sing the songs well, they don’t seem to know much about babies. They also only play music for one song during the hour long class and just sing a capella for the others. This makes most of the moms and dads feel uncomfortable singing along because there is no music to drown out those of us who don’t have the best voices, so it ends up being very quiet and a little awkward. Again, this is just my opinion based on my limited experience with the level one class. I know many people who love the classes at Gymboree, so maybe I was just spoiled with OTB.

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At Outside the Box, the facilitators are very knowledgeable about babies and children. They play music the whole time and the songs are recognizable, which helps the moms and dads feel comfortable singing along. The songs and activities are different at each class, so I really felt like I was learning a lot of new activities I could do with Liam at home to aid in his development. Some of the things Liam loves at OTB are baby body painting, playing with scarves, being draped in beads, shaking maracas, ribbon dancing, beating the drums, stretches to baby beluga, and massage with lotion.

In addition to stimulating the baby’s brain and aiding in his or her development, these classes are a great way for moms and dads to connect with other parents socially. It can feel pretty lonely hanging out with a baby all the time (we talk to them, but they don’t talk back quite yet), so it’s nice to meet other parents of babies that are the same age to share experiences and chit chat. While I wasn’t able to attend enough classes to form really strong bonds, it was nice to meet new people and get out of the house a couple of times a week, without feeling like I was dragging the baby somewhere he didn’t want to be.

Since I started work, I’ve been back to class once (last Saturday) and it was even more fun now that Liam is rolling and scooting and (kind of) sitting. Since weekends get really busy with activities, I know we won’t be able to go every week, but I love having the option if there’s nothing going on and we want to get out of the house to do something fun and engaging. I look forward to the next time we’re able to go back!

Have you tried mommy, daddy, and me classes?