Toddler groups have been left disappointed at being forced to close due to Covid-19 restrictions as the relaxed measures for those under one-year-old are bitter sweet.
Guidance released last week allowed only five adults in a room for mother and baby groups, with a maximum of 10 people including children.
Nicola Sturgeon updated the advice on Monday to allow 10 adults to attend but only if their child is under 12-months-old.
For many groups, this has been a major set back and has left them confused as to why the guidance is different for babies and not toddlers.
Kids Rock is a musical group for parents and children of mixed ages up to five-year’s-old in Aberdeen.
Leanne Watt runs the group and is disappointed at the strict measures for children as they are “devastating” on her business, community centres and on parents and children’s wellbeing.
She said: “If there is no change in the guidance, I and many others may not be able to reopen.
“I think this update in guidance for parent and child groups is definitely a step in the right direction and many parents and younger babies will benefit greatly from this change.
“However, my situation in running Kids Rock generally remains the same as I have mixed ages from 0-five-year’s-old as do many other groups like mine.
“All I can do going forward is offer my families shorter sessions with smaller groups.
“I love my job but this means doing triple the amount of classes going from five to 15 sessions minimum per week.
“As happy as I am that there has been a positive change in our sector, if the amount of adults can be increased for one age group then why not the other?”
One mum who attends the class, Vicky Andrew, said: “We are absolutely gutted that our Kids Rock classes have been suspended.
“These classes finally brought some normality to our little lockdown baby and also helped me build a much needed support system as a new mum.
“2020 babies have missed out on so much already – daddy having to leave straight after birth, delayed cuddles with grandparents and now just as the fun was starting it’s been taken away again.
“I really hope guidelines are revised so these important classes can continue.”
Bryony Mackay attends with her daughter Orla and said she felt safer in the class than in a supermarket.
She added: “I completely understand the requirement for guidelines and regulations to help minimise the spread of the virus and I am in total support of them but I feel that blanket restrictions based on numbers without a more in-depth review isn’t the best approach.”
Physi-ball in Inverness has also had to suspend their classes for children aged 18-months to three-year’s-old.
Louise Clark has been running the classes for eight years and fears for the significant impact their closure will have on children.
“I feel really sorry for the children, they’re just not getting anything,” she said.
“You can go out into a café and be spread apart – some are operating at 60% capacity – but to run our classes with only four adults, that is around 10% capacity for us and it’s not fair.
“I just want the children to actually get some normality back into their lives. I feel it’s very unfair for children to be penalised as they can’t come without an adult.
“It’s a catch-22 as I am so happy for all the parents who have classes to go back to but for me me, I’m a bit disappointed. Why can 10 parents take a baby but not an 18-month-old?”
