Playgroups Key to New Mothers' Mental Health
One of the best choices I made as a new mom was to join a playgroup. When I had my daughter I really had no idea that I’d feel so alone and locked within the walls of my home. Most of my friends were single without children at that time, so I also felt as if I lost my friends too. It was hard…really hard. I knew I had to change my outlook and get other mommy friends for my mental health, plus I felt my daughter needed interaction and playtime with others outside of our home. I started talking about how I was feeling.
My sister-in-law gave me the best advice – join a mommies group. My search began within days. I looked online and was so happy to find Mamasource.com and Meetup.com, both of which were tremendous resources for me. My head was spinning with all the possibilities of playgroups, mom’s day out programs, and meet ups just for moms that also offered childcare.
That very same week a girlfriend of mine invited me to her playgroup that was starting out. I remember it distinctly. Five of us, children in tow, met at Graeter’s (an Ohio favorite when it comes to ice cream) and just talked. All of our children were under one at the time and they just sat on our laps and played with toys or tried to dump our milkshakes. We discussed meeting up once a week to let the kids play, and have been doing so for over four years now. Our group has expanded its members and goes to parks, the zoo, each other’s houses, we have celebrations for the holidays, and give gifts for birthdays. We’ve created our own little family.
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