Lauren Wilson appears with a smile on the screen, resplendent in the colours of her daughter’s artwork, plastered across her backdrop. There are pinks, yellows, greens and blues. Each brushstroke is clearly defined. It is reminiscent of the brightness and boldness of a Ken Done work on a sunny day. Lauren’s youngest is now five years old and her eldest nine. Looking back, she fondly remembers her playgroup days alongside her three children. Time has quickly rushed on, but those early years are cherished. Friends made then are still friends today.
Lauren was new to town when she joined what was then St John’s playgroup in Mount Waverly. She was soon was swept up in the camaraderie, community and fun of playgroup days, joining the committee. The playgroup was renamed Munchkins and became a staple for Lauren’s family and the community over the years.
“It was really nice for me to meet some local families and for the kids to have a lovely play space with all the toys and things.”
Through playgroup, Lauren met lots of parents and found the shared experiences extremely valuable, finding commonalities and support.
Working part-time, it was sometimes hard to gather all the threads, but on those playgroup days, it was a time to enjoy, relax and link up with others who related to the everyday life as a parent and all that brings.
“It was a really lovely support for people who had kids in a similar environment. We could laugh about when we failed at things and compare things from there. It was a really lovely support network for us and then some of the mums were having their second or third baby at the same time I was so sometimes when you were really knackered and tired it was a nice opportunity for your kids to have another mum or dad to play with them for a period of time and for you to have a break. It was a lovely network of people and support from there.”
Alongside the socialising, it was a safe space for Lauren’s kids to have a good run-around and play with other kids.
As time has passed, friendships solidified, for the kids and adults alike.
“A spin off from that, some of the little girls that my daughter met became dance friends and did other activities together. They made some really good friends that they still have got now.”
The youngsters that attended the Munchkins group have now grown, heading off to kinder and school. Lauren and her playgroup would now love other families to have the opportunity to enjoy the early years like they did. They have generously donated their remaining funds to Playgroup Victoria, endeavouring to assist other playgroups to get together once more or begin for the first time.
“We really wanted the funds to go to another group who perhaps didn’t have access to resources or have access to what we had to get something started. Or for a playgroup that needs a bit of a refresher, or needs the ability bring some people in from there. We just wanted to make sure that someone else got to enjoy playgroup like we did.”
“It needed to be shared so that other people get the same benefit that we did.”
“I hope there are some parents out there that can get the support from playgroup and make some really good friendships.”
Coming off the back of lockdowns in Victoria and the uncertainty surrounding Covid, Lauren has observed how everyone is going at their own pace, and encourages others to do what they feel most comfortable with.
She does worry about parents who have missed out on opportunities to catch up due to the pandemic, especially those with babies.
“I had the privilege of having a really good mothers group so I had lots of support from my eldest at a really young age, from there onwards. I’ve watched for the last two years, lots of new parents haven’t had that opportunity to network and get that support from each other.”
“I would be encouraging families to go to playgroup, start playgroup, for the benefit of the kids socialisation skills starting- but also for the parents, getting the support from others in their local area, whether it is a little tip or something that you feel a little bit lost with, you need to have that connection with other people because it takes a village to raise kids and we really need to have that network of other people who are at the same place in their lives that can give you a tip or support you with something.”
Article by Sinead Halliday
During National Playgroup Week, Munchkins Playgroup in-kind donations will be shared with local playgroups and newly starting playgroups- giving back from where it all began. Learn More here.
