A group of local parents are looking to set up a new Bumps and Babies group in Stone through the local NCT branch.
They would like to get some feedback about what parents want from a group so they can cater for as many local families as possible. Here are some of the ideas they have heard and come up with so far:
- Open to all ages, from expectant parents to those with children aged 5 years. Older children would be welcome during school holidays
- Run all year round (excluding Christmas)
- Weekly groups each lasting two hours – Thursday morning has been suggested.
They would also like to hold themed meetings, for example:
- Week 1 – general parent-child group with toys and refreshments
- Week 2 – messy play
- Week 3 – general group with specialist support present for any questions parents want to ask (this could be breastfeeding antenatal, baby carriers, cloth nappies)
- Week 4 – general group with a representative from a local parent-child related business (not every month).
Kerry Dawson, Stone NCT member, said: “The NCT is the UK’s largest parenting charity and we provide support for new and expectant parents. A hugely successful part of our support network is NCT Stafford, Chase & District’s Bumps and Babies group which currently runs in Stafford on a Monday morning. It is an increasingly popular group and we want to extend this service to Stone as part of our drive to operate over more of the district and include more local parents. The important thing to remember is that the group will be a support base for local parents. We want to tailor the group according to the needs and wishes of local parents.”
If you have any feedback about these ideas or would like to suggest activities for the group, mail Kerry at kerry.dawson@live.co.uk
Report by Jack Taylor
