Many mothers today are eager to start playgroups for their babies. Playgroups and socialization will have an important place in the lives of our children and you in the coming period. We can recommend you to make a smooth transition when starting these groups. It is great if you are doing these groups for reasons such as your baby’s getting different warnings, feeling good in the crowd, observing different environments, learning songs. However, you should know that it is still early for your baby to learn to socialize during these periods and you should shape your expectations accordingly. Real socialization enters our children’s lives after about 2.5 years of age. Our babies discover themselves in their first year, they bond with their close circles and families; After the age of 1.5, their ego starts to develop and they say “me” and “mine” a lot. Even though the playgroups are nice during these periods, your child will prefer “parallel play”. So even though he likes to be with other children, he will not play “together” yet; rather, children of this age will watch each other from time to time while they focus on their own play in the same environments. There are also occasional rough moments as most of them don’t like and don’t know how to share yet. However, after the second half of the age of 2, your child will begin to be ready to share and play together. Especially after the age of 3, these features become stronger. In short, playgroups can be good for you these days, not in terms of socialization, but in terms of preparing the ground for socialization in the future, not to be afraid of the crowd, to enjoy being with others, to receive the developmental warnings that the playgroups will give them. However, it is also important to be prepared for minor crises that may occur during these groups. If your baby is not feeling well, do not insist on being in the playgroup.
Playgrounds
