This is a post I wrote for Babycentre back in 2017 – it was so popular over there I wanted to share it here! Enjoy (and look how tiny Violet was!)
As a new parent, stepping into the realm of ‘mummy groups’ can be a daunting prospect. Going to my first baby group felt like I was going back to school as I felt all eyes on me as I walked into the busy room of mums sitting round in a circle, their bouncing smiling babies on their laps.
I arrived in a complete fluster, with a screaming baby and panicked expression, so it was clear to see I was a new mum. I could feel the other mums scoping me out, silently assessing what type of mum I may be or whether I was fresh-meat, able to be preyed upon, captured and taken away into their den – never to have my own opinion again.
Ok – maybe it wasn’t as bad as that – I’ve made it sound like I was on safari on the African Plains, but baby groups felt as foreign as that to me.
So, I’ve written this post on the types of mum you might find in their natural habitat – Baby Boogie. Don’t be disheartened by this though; I’ve actually met some of my good friends at baby groups. But for now, I hope this makes you chuckle. Can you see yourself as any of these mums? I give you two guesses which one I am!
The competitive mum
Your baby sleeps through the night? Oh yes, my princess has been sleeping through since she was five weeks old. Your baby has started to roll? Oh yes, we were doing that a while back now. Your baby did a poo? Oh yes, mine did two. You get it – this is the competitive mum. Be warned, she’s feisty!
