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The Art of Baby Wearing
There is a learning curve with any baby product, including baby carriers. It is important to think of babywearing as a skill that can be learned. See a demonstration of the four main types of baby carriers which include adjustable slings with rings (these come padded or unpadded), pouch slings that are not adjustable, Asian-style carriers, and wraps that simply tie on. Come to this class to examine and try on the different types, brands and sizes of baby carriers to see which suits you best. See why babywearing will become one of your most important parenting tools!
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Baby Sign Language
Babies as young as seven months have the ability to communicate using sign language. In this class you will learn the basic vocabulary necessary to build communication skills with your infant. In a playful, educational and language-rich environment, caregivers and children will learn the basic American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary through instruction, interactive games and songs. You will learn recommended first signs, the benefits of using ASL with infants, and demonstrate easy techniques for successfully integrating signs into everyday life.
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Breastfeeding Basics
Breastfeeding is a natural, but also a learned art that takes time and patience. This workshop is designed to support and educate you about the benefits of breastfeeding, and give families the tools they need to successfully begin nursing their newborn. The course includes discussion of the health benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby, basic anatomy and physiology of the breast, recognizing baby’s cues, correct positioning and latch, tips for problem solving, bonding with your baby, and strategies for successfully locating community resources.
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Finding Quality Childcare
Date night? girls night out? last minute emergencies, or some help with the kids while you are tackling the spring cleaning? We know that no one can take care of your baby as well as you, but when the time comes to seek childcare for your little one we want you to have all the tools that you will need to find quality childcare. This workshop will provide useful resources, tips for researching facilities and red flags to watch out for.
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Nurturing Creativity
Is creativity related to intelligence? How do we support our children being more creative? This interactive workshop will help parents, teachers, and caregivers to promote creative thinking in young children. Creativity is not developed through an uncontrolled "let-the-kid-run-wild" strategy or simply through the arts; early childhood creative development strategies require intention from adults. Let us show you how be creative!
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Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood is the blood that remains in your newborn's umbilical cord after birth. It contains stem cells that can be banked for future use in a variety of medical treatments for life-threatening diseases such as genetic diseases, cancers and blood disorders. Should there be a need, your baby will have a source of stem cells that is an exact match, with no risk of rejection. This workshop will discuss benefits and options for choosing to store your newborn's cord blood.
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Car Seat
Safety
The safety of our children at all times is paramount. Since car crashes are the #1 cause of fatalities for children and young adults ages 2-39 in the United States, safety on the road is just as important as the precautions you take at home when welcoming a new baby into the family. This workshop is taught by Certified Child Passenger Technician and designed is to educate caregivers on the importance of proper installation and use of child safety seats inside the family’s vehicle.
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Greening your Nest
One key aspect of keeping a "green" home is to reduce the chemicals that your family is exposed to. The most common ways that we are exposed to chemicals in our homes is through cleaning products, pesticide, and fertilizers. These toxic products put children and families at risk for disease and accidental poisoning. Your home can be kept clean and germ free through the use of nontoxic alternatives. This interactive workshop will provide simple and safe solutions to clean green and protect against germs.
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Meditation & Peace Circle
This workshop is focused on centering your child’s mind, body and spirit. This Zen activity, which is part of our school's daily curriculum will educate mothers on how to inspire and enable their children to enhance their concentration through breathing and relaxation techniques. For the past thirteen years,our vision has been to create a unique environment where children are inspired to evolve academically, spiritually, and socially within a community committed to the Montessori philosophy.
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Photographing Your Baby
You’re a new parent. And no baby will ever be as wonderful and interesting as yours! From the moment they are born, you’ll want to capture every magical moment—especially those milestones and physical achievements like first smiles, turning over, sitting and standing up, and eventually walking. The photographs you take will record and preserve the special, everyday moments and preserve them for family members & friends to enjoy. Taught by an experienced photographer, this fun workshop is designed for parents of young babies of all different skill levels who want to improve their photos of their babies.
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Preventing a C-Section
In a city where the rate of Caesarean rate is over 51 percent securing a vaginal birth requires lots of education and maybe a bit of luck. There is no question that C-sections save lives. They are an important option when complications arise and surgery becomes medically necessary. The problem is that definitions of "medically necessary' vary greatly between care providers and often normal physiologic birth is not prioritized. This workshop is designed to provide women with the tools necessary to have an optimal chance a having a vaginal birth in a city with one of the highest c-section rates in the United States.
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Introducing Solid Foods
Learn how to provide healthy and safe meals for each stage of your baby’s development. We’ll discuss how to make your own baby food, a timeline for introducing new foods, and ways to make feeding your baby fun and easy. Discuss how to successfully introduce solids and how to develop healthy eating habits for life. Topics include figuring out when is your baby developmentally ready, selecting and preparing food for your baby, product recommendations to make meal-time easier, how to identify food allergies and tips and tricks on reading your baby’s food cues and including water in your baby’s routine.
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tiny bundles
Babies six weeks to six months begin their first visual, audial and spatial exploration as My Gym's precious Little Bundles, while their parents are guided through a program designed to carefully introduce music and movement in a variety of fun ways. Baby exercises, songs, dances, infant-safe rides, unique swings, and other adventures await. This fun and movement class also includes a brief parent discussion element where parents participate in a dialogue about their children's development and leave with informative handouts that provide guidance for creating activities at home.
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Vaccinations A-Z
The U.S. government advises that by age 6, children should have vaccinations against 14 diseases, in at least two dozen separate doses. Vaccinations aren’t mandated–but they are strongly recommended by Federal law. Parents still have options: refusing some shots, delaying others or abstaining entirely. Taught by a pediatrician this workshop will discuss each vaccination in the childhood series providing an explanation of the relative disease, how the vaccine is made, possible side effects, benefits and points to assess a child's at-risk level when considering if the vaccine is necessary.
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All About Doulas
A doula is trained birth professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during and after childbirth. Quality labor support is an essential component for achieving a rewarding birth experience with many studies showing that women who feel secure during labor have shorter, easier and less complicated births with little to no medical intervention. Many families have questions: How do I find the right doula for me? What are some of the benefits ? This workshop offers the opportunity to have these questions answered.
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Your
Amazing Newborn
This workshop is offered to new parents and adoptive parents interested in learning important caregiving skills before their new baby arrives. We'll cover basic techniques to care for your newborn including a discussion of infant cues, sleep and feeding habits, the signs and symptoms of illness, newborn characteristics, infant milestones, bathing/hygiene, diapers/diapering, strategies for coping with crying and tips for adjusting to life with a new baby. This is a great class for first time parents. Expectant mothers are encouraged to bring a support person – partner, mother, best friend, etc.
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Emotionally Intelligent Children
Emotional intelligence is a child’s ability to perceive, understand, and effectively manage their own feelings. It is also the ability to read subtle cues and relate empathically to the feelings of other people. The foundations of emotional response and attachment are set in the earliest months and years of life and determine in large part the degree to which we do or don't flourish as adults in relationships, socially, at play and at work. This workshop will help you draw on your parental expertise and style, and help you nurture your child’s ability to make connections between thoughts and feelings.
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Choosing
Out of Hospital Birth
If you are considering or planning a home birth or a birth center birth, you must be well prepared and confident in your choice. In the end, it comes down to you making an informed decision based on the balance between the risks and benefits of out of hospital birth versus hospital birth. This workshop is designed to help you gather the information you need to make this assessment, weighing your particular circumstances and the skills and experience of the practitioner you choose against the local hospital care available to you. Time for questions and answers is provided.
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Gearing Up for Baby
Aside from medical care during pregnancy, baby products represent the largest financial investment for new families. Even though babies are small and seem uncomplicated, there’s nothing small or simple about their accessories! Selecting products for your baby can be confusing, especially with all the new gadgets and features available (not to mention the many product recalls). When choosing baby products, whether you’re buying, borrowing, or accepting a hand-me-down, practical information often helps. Designed for pregnant families, this workshop offers practical advice and purchasing tips for newborn essentials including nursery items, toys, feeding, baby gear and carriers.
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Cloth Diapering 101
Have you considered using cloth diapers? Are you sure you want to use cloth but are confused by all the options? Then this workshop is for you! We’ll discuss the benefits of using cloth diapers, washing your own diapers & using a diaper service. Then we’ll show you the different cloth diaper products and how to use each. If you decide to buy cloth diapers, we can help you come up with a system to match your budget. This workshop is a great tool to help you wade through the seemingly options - all in ones, pockets, hybrids. If you have a specific question about cloth diapers, or have a little one who won’t sit through a workshop, come to our vendor table and we will be happy to help you one-on-one.
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From Diapers to Diplomas
Financial planning for parenthood is a bit like preparing for a long journey. As parents, you may have to stretch your budget to accommodate pediatrician bills, music lessons, and pilgrimages to summer camp. The cost of rearing a child until the age of 18 can be more than $100,000…and then there’s college. When negotiating the road from diapers to diplomas, what are your primary financial needs? How do you establish an emergency cash reserve to provide necessary funds for unexpected events? As you concentrate on your long-term goals, what types of investing should you consider? This workshop provides essential tips to ensuring bright and prosperous financial future for your family.
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