If you're spending your day caught between diapers and feedings, you might be longing for moments of adult conversation and time away from the humdrum of home. Wouldn't it be nice to know a place where crying babies make beautiful music and spit-up stained blouses are en vogue?

Playgroups are popping up in neighborhoods all over America. They can be as formal as weekly dates with Gymboree or as nonchalant as get-togethers with the girls – and the kids. While it might seem like "everybody's doing it," playgroups aren't for everyone. Here, two moms describe the ups and downs of toddler playgroups to help you decide what's right for you.

When Amy O'Malley's son was 1 year old, a neighbor invited her to a weekly playgroup. O'Malley, the mother of one from Oak Park, Ill., welcomed the opportunity to get out of the house. After one year, she's realized that the weekly meetings are about more than adult camaraderie; her toddler has gained some things, too.

"I think it's helped his language skills," she says. "After almost every playgroup, I notice new words."

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