Playgroup=sanity saver

Ever since Ben was about 5 weeks old we have been going to a twice-weekly neighborhood infant playgroup.
I was lucky enough to happen upon this group months before Ben was born, by searching the internet for things to do with babies in Rogers Park. Happily, I came upon the Rogers Park Parents Group and from there found many local playgroups, organized by parents.
The infant playgroup is Mondays and Wednesdays and the location rotates from house/condo to house/condo depending on who volunteers to host.
So far the experience has been a great one for both Ben and for me. Ben now loves to watch the older (he's one of the youngest in the group) kids roll/crawl/walk around, and I enjoy the conversation with the parents.
Some of the moms have organized with-kid and without-kid excursions, all in the name of keeping their sanity during this yucky Chicago winter.
We've hosted three times so far and it's literally as simple as throwing a sheet over our living room rug and putting some washable toys down. The kids and adults start on the rug, chatting and checking in, and will frequently break away to chase a kiddo, change a diaper, or grab a snack. There's no set discussion topic but converstations revolve around all things baby. I have asked a ton of questions and have gotten great advice so far. It's a very supportive group--
I have found this group to be indespensible as a first time parent.
I look forward to the fun adventures that this summer will bring with our playgroup buddies!