Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

Magazines and flyers bombard new moms with every kind of class to share with your tot.  Mommy & Me, Gymboree, My Gym, baby sign language, baby swim lessons and more.  Do babies really belong in classes?  Are these classes really worth it? 

In my opinion, the answer is yes and no.  It all depends on what you’re looking to get out of the class (and, sometimes, how old your baby is).

If your baby is just six months old, she’s not going to “learn” and retain much of any skill that is taught at these classes.  Your infant is not going to be an independent swimmer at the end of your swim session.  But you know that.  She will likely, however, get acclimated to being in the water which will make your summer months a lot of fun.

Your baby doesn't need to take any special gym class for his or her motor skills to develop. These skills develop with normal daily activity – just playing at home. These kinds of classes can teach Mom and Dad some fun new ways to play with baby though. 

Once your child starts moving around (crawling and walking), movement-based classes like the ones offered at Gymboree, My Gym and The Little Gym are great fun.  There are padded ramps, bridges, steps, slides, mini-mini-trampolines, toddler obstacle courses and other great things for babies to play with. Your child’s emerging gross motor skills will get a workout. 

If your child has some physical or development disabilities, baby play and exercise classes may be just the extra help they need.  Talk with your doctor and physical therapist if this is your baby’s situation.  

Baby sign language classes are, in fact, designed to teach the infants (usually six to 18 months) a small vocabulary with signing.  I never took my kids to these classes but had friends whose children attended and did retain and use the signs.  So, this is probably an exception to my previous statement that the baby isn’t going to “learn” per se.

The biggest benefits I found from classes like these were less tangible.  First, scheduled classes got us out of the house and out of the normal day-to-day grind and routine.  New scenery!  New toys!  New music!  Entertained and usually happy kids!  And sometimes even a new friend or two for Mom!

Second, even for the babies, these classes are socialization.  Okay, so the six month olds aren’t learning about sharing and making friends.  But they are learning that people other than Mom and Dad exist – and at 9 to 12 months when separation anxiety kicks in for some children, this realization might be very helpful to you!  They are also checking out other babies.  Have you ever watched a baby watch a baby?  It can be the greatest entertainment.  They LOVE to look at one another.  And as they grow, this fascination transitions into play and sharing.

Finally, classes helped me enjoy and bond with my children.  Any parent knows that the stresses of day-to-day life and the frustrations of raising a child can take their toll on a person’s energy and attitude on any given day, week or month.  But while you’re in class with your baby, you don’t think about the deadlines or the dishes.  You’re the luckiest person in the room.  You get to hang out with your baby – the coolest person you know.  Observe his fun.  Hear the joyful noise of his laugh.  Sing silly songs.  Get great big hugs.

So, I guess the answer to my question is really yes.  Baby classes, as long as you haven’t scheduled every waking moment of your child’s day and stressed yourself out in the meantime, are absolutely, totally worth it.