Mommy & Me Class Co-op

8/26/2013

I love my local mommy group. Love love love! Since I started the group on Facebook in March of this year, we've grown to over 150 mommies strong!! Need a buddy to take a stroll with on a lovely afternoon? Need reassurance that you're not the worst mother in the world because you bumped babies head into the door frame? Looking for baby food recipes or a eco-laundry detergent recommendation? Check, check, and check. Need a babysitter? We've got a babysitting circle going on, too! My most recent creation within the group has been a Mommy & Me Class Co-op.

A lot of us are stay at home moms on tight budgets. We love the classes such as Music Together and Gymboree and Piano Masters, but just can't justify paying $30 per class for our infants. Months ago, a few of us were chatting about how we should go spy on these classes, and teach them amongst our group for free. That idea took hold and came to fruition just a few weeks ago as the Bay Ridge Baby Mama's Mommy & Me Class Co-op. I really had no basis of how it would work, but somehow, it's been working!

The basic principal is that 1) it is free for all members, and 2) you have to take turns teaching. We started with 3 groups, each having a different regular day/time to meet. Each group has a leader who comes up with the schedule for their own group. To join a group, you have to agree that you will teach/lead/host the meeting in rotation with other members. When it's your turn, you can do whatever you want! You can lead the group on a strollercise-esque walk, you can do a Spanish Immersion class, you can read, dance, sign, sing, whatever you want! If you're hosting in a space that can accommodate more people, you can invite members from the other co-op groups. If you're hosting in a space that is very tight and can't accommodate even all of your own co-op members (which is OK if it's not happening regularly), then it would be the first X number of moms to RSVP only.

So far, we've been having a blast!! A couple weeks ago, the mom in charge of leading that week had her professional dance instructor come in and teach us a choreographed dance to "Say Hey (I Love YOU)!" while WEARING OUR BABIES!!! It was hilarious, fun, a nice workout, and did I mention HILARIOUS??? Check out some of these photos:

Should this be a baby wearing commercial or what? haha!! Anyway, this co-op is rocking our mama socks off. I highly recommend starting one of your own!!