Preparing to welcome a baby into your life is a very exciting time, but it can also be scary. One of the things that prospective parents often worry about is being shut at home with a crying baby all day with nothing to do and nobody to socialise with. It doesn’t have to be that way, however; in fact, there are lots of things you can do with your baby in the Birmingham area. Here are some ideas.
1. Workshops during pregnancy
As many expecting parents will know, bonding with your baby and preparing for their arrival starts when they are still in the womb. If you live in Sparbrook, you might be eligible to access a new series of workshops that have been developed by a community organisation in conjunction with GPs, midwives and other health services providers. These workshops will help you feel ready to become a parent by giving you nutritional and other health advice, as well as providing you with one-to-one counselling sessions if you need them. They are also a great way to meet other prospective and new parents, and the support doesn’t end when you give birth; you can access services through the same programme until your child reaches two-and-a-half years of age. Ask your GP, midwife or social worker for more details.
2. Tots play classes
Tots Play offers a huge range of classes for babies and toddlers aged from 2 months up to 5 years. The classes are divided into age levels – discovery tots for 2 to 9 months, social tots for 9 months to 2 years and action tots for 2 to 5 years. Sessions take place in the daytime throughout the week across three different sites – Walker Memorial Hall in Edgbaston, Hickory Dickory’s Playhouse in Kings Heath and The Hub in Hazelwell. Baby and toddler classes are a great way for both you and your child to make new friends and for you to share your parenting experiences, fears and celebrations with others who are in a similar situation.
3. Bilingual singing classes
If you like the idea of your child learning a new language and developing their musical sense from a young age, Bilingua Sing classes will be the perfect choice for you. These are baby classes held in English and in one additional language – French, Spanish, Italian or German – that combine singing with gentle movements as well as elements of baby massage and baby signing to encourage babies’ communication development as well as relieve colic and teething pain. You can start attending the classes from when your baby is just four weeks old, and you can choose from several locations in Harborne and Bearwood or join in online.
4. Sensory classes
Sensory classes are designed to stimulate the development of your baby’s sensory skills, which include touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste. Baby Sensory runs classes across Sutton Coldfield that are suitable from birth, so you don’t need to wait to go out and socialise!