How much time with people outside the family?

[Jane91]

I'm a little worried that we're not getting our girls (8 months) enough time outside the immediate family.  We're so busy with work, renovating our house, etc., etc., and generally exhausted that we're not being very social lately.

Right now the girls are going to a baby hour at the library once a week.  We take them out for errands and dr. appointments, etc. and they spend time with my parents once or twice a week.  Maybe once a week, we go out to do something else -- dinner at a friend's house, etc.

I am looking at enrolling them in Kindermusik and Gymboree but I am still wondering if that is enough.  Sometimes I do have the strongest feeling that they are bored and I would say the general level of fussiness when we are outside the house (even running errands) is less than when we are at home.

So -- how much is enough?  What levels of activity do you do with your babies?

[akind1]

I don't know if there is a good answer to that, as each baby will be able to tolerate different amounts of outside people time. DS sees both sides of the family about once or more per week for at least a couple hours. He is in church nursery once a week, and the daycare at the gym 2-3 times a week. Other than that, it is mostly us, unless we get together with friends during the week for something. He is and always has been very social, loves playing and following around other children, and isn't shy. I feel he is getting plenty of outside people time. He could have more and be perfectly happy, and less, and he'd be happy. He is happiest when around other kids though. I told DH I wish I could give him an older sibling, he loves the big kids so much!

FWIW - the above habits have been in place for at least the past 6 months. We tried both a My Gym and a the Litte Gym class (you get to go to one for free) and decided that for him, at this age, it really seems silly. When he is more independently mobile - like 2-3 years old - we may consider it again, because I think the activity + the structured environment is a good thing.

[Smidge]

I honestly think you're doing great.  At that age, we got out of the house 3-4 times a week to do errands or visit my parents. About once every 2 weeks we'd meet up with friends and they'd "play"

[MeepyCat]

They're 8 months old?  Twins, it sounds like? 

On the one hand, I'm very aware of issues with twins and other multiples being undersocialized (I have a twin, it was sometimes an issue), but I also think that babies don't get a whole lot out of most activities.  At 8 months, I honestly think my kids could have cared less whether I took them to Kindermusik or let them bang on pot lids in the kitchen.  Actually, they'd probably have preferred the latter - in our own home, I don't feel so driven to insist that they have pants on, and there's no need to be strapped into one of those (per my babies) evil contraptions called a car seat.

I love library story time because it's such a useful way to connect with the local community for me.  Our neighborhood library has provided me with endless opportunities to talk to other parents while a librarian helps our kids navigate board books.  It's awesome.  And I, too, notice that the kids are less fussy when we're out, but I've attributed it to the magic of outside.  My kids will stop crying almost instantly if we take them outside.  I think it's their special evolutionary way of guaranteeing themselves fresh air.

[Knitting Mama]

I found a wonderful AP mama group on meetup.com, and we go to at least 2 playdates a week. Cecilia loves it, and I love having the adults to talk with, too!