Being With Baby is designed to help parents discover ways they can understand and enjoy being with their baby in a simpler way, through observation and play-based classes. For babies 4 - 14 months.
What infants need is the opportunity
and time to take in and figure out
the world around them.
MAGDA GERBER
Between the sleepless nights, shifting identities, and a baby that changes each week, the first year with a little one is very overwhelming. Once you get through the first three months, many parents wonder "okay, what do you do with a baby?".
There are plenty of sensory classes and mothers groups out there. Being With Baby is different in that we help parents discover how to understand and enjoy being with their baby in a simpler way, without activities and entertainment. Less is more.
There are plenty of sensory classes and mothers groups out there. Being With Baby is different as we help parents discover how to understand and enjoy being with their baby, without all the stimulation and entertainment. Less is more.
At Being With Baby, we help parents learn to;
Observe more Help babies explore safely Make days simpler Trust in their growing competence Get time to themselves back
Babies don't need constant engagement and entertainment. They're naturally curious and hardwired for exploration. As caregivers we need to provide a safe space for play, then get out of their way. Do less.
Being With Baby sets the stage for independant exploration using play-based therapy techniques, and helps parents bring it into their homes.
Many parents think they need to provide stimulating activities on top of an already busy day caring for their babies. But what we all need is active attention from the people we care about, not more things to do.
Being With Baby guides parents in making ordinary activities like nappy changes a special time to reconnect, rather than a chore to rush.
When babies can enjoy competent uninterrupted play, and parents have given them moments of focused attention, the foundation is laid for connected separateness.
Babies play confidently when their emotional 'cup' is filled up, which means parents can enjoy extended amounts of time to themselves in their babies presence.
I started Being With Baby because I wanted to help other mums through the transition to motherhood.
My daughter is nearly a year old, but it wasn't until she was around 7 months that I felt confident and calm in a way that meant I could really enjoy being with her.
Being With Baby encorporates what I've found makes days easier and babies happier — time for self-directed play, moments of focused attention, and respectful caregiving.
Before you have a baby there are classes about giving birth and changing nappies, but nothing that supports parents and babies through what comes after. Until now.
I'm excited to be joined by Talena, a calm soul and mother of 5; and Georgia, a paediatric physiotherapist with the biggest heart.
Talena Benedet
Facilitator
Jillian Ghiculescu
Program Director
Georgia Schuller
Facilitator
Through the Being With Baby program, small groups meet each week for 6 weeks. Each class is 45 minutes long, with time for free play, observation, and parent support.
The core of the program, where conversations stop and the babies explore under the active attention of their parents. Our facilitator helps them work through conflicts like toy grabbing and face touching, but parents are encouraged to watch and wait. See how independant and capable your baby already is.
Time for settling in and any feeding or nappy changes. Parents are encouraged to catch up and help themselves to coffee.
After the quiet observation, we look back on what the babies did and didn't do. How did they react when another took their toy? How did you as a parent react? It's a time to reflect as a group on your own assumptions, and whether your baby surprised you.
Time for group questions and common concerns. Teething remedies? Separation anxiety? Short naps? We provide age appropriate guidance while other families are encouraged to share what has worked. We finish with a couple of songs.
