by Charles Merrifield

Created on: September 03, 2009   Last Updated: September 06, 2009

Finding a playgroup for your child is a lot like shopping for a new pair of shoes. No, seriously! The decision is important and you have a few things at the surface of your mind that must be measured carefully in order to find that combination of practicality and flair. Regardless of whether browsing for a new pair of shoes or seeking a playgroup for your child, the following questions must be answered; What is your lifestyle like? What types of activities are you looking to pursue? How frequently will you plan on spending time with your latest obsession? Are you looking for something that runs bigger than normal, or would a smaller size suit you just fine? Are you looking for short term diversion, or a long term relationship that will grow even more comfortable as time passes? Are you interested first and foremost in appearances, or is it quality that counts? The analogy runs deep, and it can help put you in the right perspective for making a critical decision that will impact both you and your child.

What is your lifestyle like? What types of activities are you looking to pursue? The right playgroup partners will have similar interests to those subscribed by your family. A mother who loves weekends at the water park in Las Vegas may not be of much interest to a mother who prefers spending time cross-stitching at the park. It is important to understand that the parents will have the same time (if not more) isolated with each other at a play date as the kids themselves. If they have similar interests and values then the chances are that they will enjoy each others company, improving the chances of forming a successful playgroup. Turning back to the shoe analogy, isn't it easy to see how a pair of evening heels might conflict when you are going to be chasing the child around the park all day?

How frequently will you plan on spending time with your latest obsession? The first thing to consider is finding someone with a relatively similar schedule to your own. A conflicting schedule means that you will have a hard time putting together play dates. Any adult with a regular life to live and who has put a play date together knows that convenience is critical. After a few failed attempts to coordinate time with your new buddies, most reasonable people will decide that it is no longer worth the effort and move on. Making this determination from the beginning will help you and your child save time and angst in making this critical decision. After all, buying a shoe

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