So, you’re staying at home and you are just so in love with your new baby. But after a few weeks, you may be thinking, what should I do with my day besides feed my beautiful baby, go to the grocery store and clean the kitchen? Well, you may want to branch out and meet new friends with babies the same age as yours. You may be thinking to yourself, “but I already have plenty of good friends.” Well, let me tell ya, you will have your “day friends”, your “night friends” and your “weekend friends”. I know it sounds confusing but this is just how it works. And then it gets really tricky when you have children at three different schools, like myself. Well, I don’t really have any good advice yet for that one. But let me get back to what I was saying. My oldest child is 6 and some of those “new” friends are still my closest buds. Here are just a few things you can do with your infants/toddlers that will be refreshing and healthy for both of you:
Gymboree
3419 Toringdon Way – Charlotte – (704) 759-8521
Lake Norman/Cornelius: Jetton Village,19902 North Cove Rd., Cornelius
I did Gymboree with my older two children and I think this is a great place to meet moms and to learn all the baby essentials such as songs (I couldn’t even sing the Wheels on the Bus when I first started, which is a sin in mommyhood) The classes start as early as six weeks old and go up to preschool age. I started with my first daughter when she was three months old and then we started a playgroup from the class. Make sure you look around at all the moms in your class. I actually switched to a different day because I just didn’t think I had much in common with the first group of moms (hope you guys don’t recognize me!).
Music Together of Charlotte
Wow! Just checked their site and there are now 5 locations: Spirit Square, South Charlotte, Dilworth, Ft. Mill, Lake Norman. They have definitely grown since the last time we were enrolled. This is definitely one of my fave activities that I have done with my girls. We all loved it and the music was incredible. You get CDs for the class and we played them in our car and I found myself singing them in the shower. Definitely a step up from the Wheels on the Bus! I will say that I haven’t signed the twins up though. They are 20 months old and I’m just not sure how to take both of them. I guess I could sign one at a time but to me, that just seems like more work than it’s worth. Great for singletons (that’s twin lingo for one child) – not sure about twins and multiples until they are a little older, maybe three or so.
Kindermusik
I haven’t personally taken this class but have heard good things. Very different than Music Together. I’m going to be biased here, I would pick Music Together every time. They are just way cool.
YMCA Gymnastics
Beginning at the tender age of 1 (must be walking), you can sign up your little one for a great class that will definitely tire him out. This is definitely gender neutral and competes with My Gym and the Little Gym and is WAY cheaper even if you’re not a member of the Y. I’m a huge fan of this program for toddlers and preschoolers. If your child gets really serious about the sport, you may want to switch to a specialized facility, but that will be down the road.
My Gym
3 locations :
Park Selwyn – 5110 2D Park Road, Charlotte, NC 704-522-6966
Matthews – 10412 Independence Blvd, Ste 410, Matthews, NC 704-846-0500
Village Shops at Blakeney – I know there is one here but can’t find the # yet – sorry!
I like My Gym for birthday parties and for children who can walk. Not sure if that’s a prerequisite. But I think it’s more of a rough and tumble place and you’ll have a little more fun if your child is steady.
The Little Gym
8700 Pineville Matthews Road, Ste 900, Charlotte, NC 28226 – 704-541-2940
I feel the same about The Little Gym as I do about My Gym. Definitely for children one and up.
–Charlotte Libraries – look into story time at your local library. They have one for all ages and it’s free. Gotta love that! This link takes you to the full list of Charlotte-Meck locations.
Bookstores – Joseph Beth, Barnes Noble, Borders all have free story time. Free is the magic buzz word but I’m sure you’ll walk out with a new book and a latte every time. Brilliant subtle marketing scheme by these retailers.
Do you have comments on the activities above? Feel free to share!
10 comments
We LOVE music together — my sister and I have brought our babies since they were 9 months old (now 15 months old). Great locations, great teachers, great music and so many nice parents and children in the classes. My sister has done really well bringing her twin girls with an extra set of hands: a friend, a sitter or her husband (they do have off hour classes like weekdays as late as 5pm and saturdays)Astrid
Check out Charlotte at Play (old Goodwill in McMullen Creek – near Lowes)……tons of cool ‘stations’ (mini grocery store, construction area, race track, band stage, painting, etc.).
Kids Musik of Charlotte is wonderful! They used to be Kindermusik of Charlotte, but then they decided to branch out and do their own thing. I think their website is still under construction, but you can call them at (704) 544-2504. They have two locations: Johnston Road (a few doors down from Charlotte at Play) and Providence Baptist Church. Sandy Barber is the director and instructor and she is great. Susan Rudisill is the other instructor and she is amazing! My son loves Susan.
Charlotte Jr. Gym would be a great addition to this list. Mom and Me classes for 18-30 mos. And drop off classes for 2 1/2 to 5 year olds. Located in the South End area…they do not advertise. charlottejrgym.com
Another FREE activity to include on the list – Mommy & Baby Yoga at Destination Maternity. Your baby won’t learn how to do headstands, but the instructor, Debbie, gives great play ideas and calming techniques. It’s a perfect place to take your 6-8 week old besides the mall. Plus, it’s REAL laid back. No one thinks twice if your baby is screaming his/her head off, or if you need to feed/change the baby. Definitely check it out if you’re new to the area – the moms in the classes are very friendly and supportive. The class meets on Mondays at 10:30 for pre-crawlers.
We adore Music Together as well. Most people like going to the Dilworth location, but I would suggest trying out Spirit Square uptown! Morgen Champney teaches up there, and she is by far my favorite teacher. Parking is easy too… 7th Street Station is free for 90 minutes, or you can park on the street along College and pay the meter. We love to hit Imaginon afterwards since it is right down the street. Makes for a really fun morning.
Could you give more info on YMCA Gymnastics–the link doesn’t work–big bummer. My child is 14 mos, so doesn’t qualify for others, but I was interested to learn more about what the Y has. Also, where is the best Santa (best line for Santa is maybe a better question…)
We’ve been going to Gymboree since my daughter was 6 weeks old, she’s now 10 months. She loves it and has gotten a lot out of interacting with other children. I’ve made some great friends and gotten a lot of playdates out of it. It’s great to be around other babies her age and to be able to have someone to talk to who is going through the same thing. The classes are always fun and the equiptment is outstanding. I reccomend Sarah and Marianne for teachers, they are wonderful.
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