mainly babies
When pēpi/baby arrives, the interaction with their matua/parent is a beautiful sight. Eyes lock. Smiles form. Strange guggling sounds are communicated.
Gaining confidence in parenting, especially at the start, is ideal. We know ‘life happens’ and those are the times we want the emotional bond with our child to assist them to be more resilient under stress. As they grow and develop, we want them to be able to form lasting relationships. And when the time comes to start school, we want them ready to learn. The qualities of our emotional ‘intelligence’ are permanently acquired by only 2-3 years of age yet impacts on every aspect of our lives as long as we live. It’s critical we get it right with children when they are young to give them the best opportunities to mature into happy, confident, well-adjusted adults.
Literally, love grows brains.
mainly babies is a series of eight weekly sessions designed to connect you and not-yet-crawling pēpi/baby in these early months. The structured 30-minute sessions will be followed by 30-40 minutes of time to enjoy kai/snacks and refreshments, and for you to create a tribe; parents who become lifelong friends.
The sessions include music, rhyme, interaction, tummy time, and reading to your pēpi/baby. Just like a mainly music session, there are a few songs with faith messages. Overall, the sessions are full of delight and joy. Your confidence will grow as you interact with baby and as baby responds. Did you know that many parents report feeling positive and confident after singing with their young one? mainly babies is great for your emotional wellbeing.
I thought mainly babies was great! My pēpi/baby and I had a lot of fun. I thought the amount of time spent on the songs/rhymes was perfect. It was good to have a bit of time at the end to chat. The conversation topics kicked off the conversation; it was also nice to be able to go off topic as well and generally find topics of mutual interest. This is a fantastic way to bond with your pēpi/baby and meet others.
The local team of volunteers are there to care for and encourage you. Many churches have access to other support, like counselling, kai/meals, and babysitting. Their focus is for you to find friendship, be encouraged, connect with your baby, and over the eight weeks, realise you’ve just said, “This has become a highlight in my week.”