Playdates with toddlers and preschoolers are a great way to help your child learn social skills and spend time with friends. However, playdates are valuable even before your child is running, jumping, and speaking. In fact, there are many benefits to getting together with other families even when your baby is brand new. Baby playdates may be less common, but they still have lots to offer.
Develop Gentle Flexibility
The early days with a baby, especially one who gravitates toward routine, can feel suffocating. Everything in your life is dictated by your baby’s schedule. Naps, meals, and bedtime rule your schedule and limit your social calendar. Baby playdates are a gentle way to develop flexibility in your routine, getting you out of the house without the stress or demands of errands or a schedule. Playdates are often very fluid, allowing attendees to come and go as they please. This allows you to arrive when you are available and leave when your baby’s schedule requires it. In this way, you get social interaction and a different environment without concerns about disrupting your baby’s routine.
Nourish Your Sense of Self
New parents often find themselves completely enveloped in the world of babies for the first year of their child’s life. Consequently, new parents may feel lonely or less like themselves. By prioritizing social interaction, such as baby playdates and family events, parents have the opportunity to nourish their sense of self. In fact, these events often help parents feel more connected to the world and to their baby. Even if a baby playdate is the only time you get out of the house for the week, it is an opportunity to connect with other parents and be yourself in a different context.
Discover What’s Normal
Babies develop quickly, and every baby is so different. If you are ever wondering if your child’s development or behavior is typical, spending time with other babies and parents can give you some perspective. It’s important to remember that babies develop at different speeds and comparison is not always helpful. Still, being around other children of different ages and other parents who are raising little ones can help you realize that your child is within the range of normal. There is great comfort in knowing that you are not the only parents losing sleep because of new teeth or looking for quality childcare. Additionally, spending time around other babies helps you develop a sense of natural development so that you can identify concerns later on.
Gain New Tools
As your babies lay on the floor, nap, or explore, baby playdates give parents the opportunity to discuss the varying challenges and joys that parenting brings. As mentioned before, this is a great time to rediscover yourself through non-baby interaction. At the same time, these exchanges give you the opportunity to share tips and tools that have helped you in your parenting journey. While no sleep solution or feeding trick comes with a guarantee, meeting with other parents allows you to pick the brains of others who have been in your shoes. And who knows, you may discover a simple solution to a parenting issue that you haven’t yet been able to conquer.
At first look, baby playdates may seem pointless or silly. However, there are many benefits of bringing babies and parents together in low-stress and friendly situations. Both babies and parents profit from these gatherings with new relationships and flexibility. If you are looking for childcare that encourages connection and growth, consider Legacy Academy Suwanee. Call or visit today for more information.
