Weekend and Evening Activities for Working Parents

I recently had a new mom ask me a great question. She is involved with the non-profit that I volunteer with. Her maternity leave was ending soon, and she expressed to me that she fears she is going to miss out on social interaction with other moms in her area. I felt the same when I was a new mom as a majority of the “mom and me” activities are during the traditional workweek.

With so many parents working from home now due to the pandemic (myself included), there is far less time spent interacting with other adults. Social interaction is a crucial aspect for new parents to avoid feelings of loneliness and depression, plus the stress of a career and kids creates a huge need for healthy outlets.

When my second child was born, I was able to stop working for more than a year. I could attend a playground playdate on a Thursday at 11 am or Toddler Time at the James Island Rec Center on a Monday at 10 am. However, when my first child was a baby and I was working full-time, our schedule did not allow for any of that.

One of the best memories during my early motherhood journey was taking a “sick day” during my week from my downtown courthouse job when my now eight-year-old son was six months old and doing Mommy and Baby Yoga. I felt connected not only to my son but to the other moms in that studio. I felt a different kind of unspoken support. I wanted so desperately to return to that class with him.

Feeling isolated as a new parent is a slippery slope, and if there are financial needs that make an extended parental leave not possible, it can turn into an issue very quickly. Weekend and evening activities for new parents are crucial. Friends, hobbies, and self-care are crucial for all parents.

There are some helpful apps for moms looking for their “tribe” such as Peanut and Bumble BFF. There are also a large number of parent groups on Facebook which are usually sorted by areas of town.

The following list includes some activities that I found (with an emphasis on outdoor activities) for a traditional working parent’s schedule. I would love to see more options for social interaction for working parents in the area, including virtual/covid conscious groups, parent book clubs, and/or weekend playgroups.

Weekend and Evening Activities for Working Parents

Monday

• 6 pm, Strides 360 class with Fit4Mom in Park Circle.
• 6 pm, first Monday of the month Art Therapy at MUSC with Postpartum Support of Charleston.

Tuesday

• 6:30 pm, alternating Tuesdays, MomsNext group at the Church of the Good Shepherd in West Ashley.

Wednesday

• Until 7 pm, West Ashley Farmers Market.
• 7 pm, BodyWell class with Fit4Mom at Memorial Waterfront Park Mt. Pleasant.
• Sunset yoga on the beach with Serenity Tree Yoga, babies & little ones are welcome to join. *Tentative spring schedule

Saturday

• 8 am – 2 pm, Charleston Farmers Market downtown, (lots of open space to run and bounce houses, pre-covid).
• 8 am BodyWell class with Fit4Mom at Memorial Waterfront Park in Mt. Pleasant.
• 8:30 am, Early Morning Bird Walks at Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Hollywood.
• 9 am, Birds Parent/Child class at The Little Gym West Ashley.
• 9 am, Little Leapers (ages walking to five years) at SkyZone Trampoline Park in Mt. Pleasant.
• 9:30 am, Sea Island Farmers Market on Johns Island.
• 10 am, Beasts Parent/Child class at The Little Gym West Ashley.
• 10:30 am, Toddler Time Bees Landing Rec Center in West Ashley (ages 1-5, $2).
• 11 am, Super Beasts Parent/Child class at The Little Gym West Ashley.
• 12 pm, Funny Bugs Gymnastics class at The Little Gym West Ashley.
• 2:30 pm,  2^nd & 4^th Saturdays, MOPS First Time Moms group. (Virtual)
• 3:30 pm, Saturdays (current session through March 12^th) Tinkergarten classes at Rosebrock Park.

Sunday

• 9:30 am or 10 am, yoga on the beach with Serenity Tree Yoga (bring those babies-especially the non-mobile ones!) *Tentative spring schedule
• 10 am, 2^nd and 4^th Sunday of the month, CML Superstars for children with special needs at The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry.
• 11 am, Sunday Brunch Farmers Market at The Pour House on James Island (kids love the live music).
• 1:30 pm, 1^st and 3^rd Sundays of the month, Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Groups for Parents with Postpartum Support International. (Virtual) 
• 7 pm, Slow Flow + Restorative Yoga Class with CCBunnell Yoga. (Virtual)
• 7 pm, alternating Sundays, Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Groups for Moms with Postpartum Support International, Virtual

Miscellaneous Days & Times

• Hike it Baby, Hikes are submitted for various days/times. Weekends/evenings hikes are very common.
• Charleston County Library’s Storytime and events are virtual currently due to covid but stay turned for their return!
• Kids First Swim School, Various options for evening/weekend group swim classes.
• Charleston County Parks has a ton of options, (although a majority of kids’ activities are for elementary school age and up).
• Charleston County Parks’ festivals and events.

*Some classes/groups do have a fee.

Please let us know your favorite evening/weekend activities or groups you have found as well!