Mom & Me Program

Unless you have been living under a rock, chances are you have heard of the Mom & Me programs which are becoming super popular with Madras mommies. 

A Mom & Me program is basically a program offered by play schools for you and your li'l one aged between 9-18 months. It comprises a group of about 8-12 moms and their babies, with classes twice or thrice a week. Each class has a set of activities that has to be done jointly by the mom & baby, such as painting, singing rhymes, etc. All these activities are aimed at developing various skills and abilities of the baby such as fine motor development, co-ordination, vocabulary building, and many more. 

It's a lot of fun for the moms to watch their kids enjoy the activities as well as bond with other moms cribbing about their baby's tantrums and food habits! You can gradually see your child's development and also see him/her shed their inhibitions. 

My baby and I go to the Mom & Me program at Alphabet and we absolutely love it! My daughter loves it so much that on days we don't have school, she still asks me to sing all the rhymes and dances to them. Their campus is extremely well maintained, the staff very well trained and cordial. Additional features include a sand-play pit area and a splash pool.

The average cost for the program ranges between Rs.12,000 - Rs. 25,000 for 3 months. Listed below are schools which offer these programs:

1. Alphabet - No 178 B, Opposite Rain Free Hotel, St Marys Road, Alwarpet, Chennai - 600018. 

2. Vanilla - 89 Bishop Garden street, R.A Puram, off Greenways road, Chennai - 600004.

3. Kids Central - 246 Ranjith Road, Kotturpuram, Chennai - 600085.

4. Weebees - 86, 2nd Main Rd, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai - 600020.

5. Amelio - Multiple locations across Chennai.

6. Hansel & Gretel - 11,Jagadambal Street T.Nagar,Chennai - 600017.

Weeeeeebeeeeeees!

Once my li'l one turned about 10 months, it was evident that playing at home with a truckload of toys was not good enough. I wanted to take her out some place that was fun, safe and entertaining. More importantly, a place that where she could interact with other kids.

I went around the city, hunting for good play gyms. There are quite a few play schools which offer their play space/ play gym on an hourly basis. My favourite among the lot is Weebees. 

Weebees is tucked away inside the calm residential Gandhinagar area. It has a gorgeous outdoor play area lined with trees & plants, bird cages, a small water play area, a trampoline and bikes. The interiors are done up in bright colours with neatly arranged toys, a ball pool, a play gym, books, a kitchen set and even a toy ice cream vendor stall.

If your child is less than 18 months, an adult can accompany the child in the play space. They also have staff who are friendly and play along with the kids. So if you wish to leave your child alone, you could opt for the "Drop off" facility by the hour. Charges for the former is Rs.150/hr +100/ additional hr and the latter is Rs.150 for every hour.

I take my li'l one atleast twice a week to Weebees and we have a fantastic time. She loves to explore every part of the play space and make the most of her time there, jumping from one activity to another.

They also have a cafe for the mommas to sit and relax which is a big plus! Just a word of advice, if you plan to visit Weebees over the weekend, do make sure you call them ahead 'cos they hold a lot of birthday parties at the premises and the play space will not be available.

Address: Weebees, 86, 2nd Main Rd, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600020

Phone: 088 70 043373