Parent & me classes
Our philosophy and approach
Wallaby’s thoughtfully-designed parent & me classes offer children aged 10 months to 3+ years and their parents or caregivers a wonderful range of experiences and materials that meet typical developmental needs while catering to and rejoicing in each child’s uniqueness.
Unlike many classes that focus on just one domain of children’s learning (i.e., art or music or gymnastics), Wallaby offers a comprehensive, developmental and dynamic preschool-like curriculum that includes freeplay, music and movement, arts and crafts, storytime and a healthy snack. Wallaby’s qualified and enthusiastic teaching staff guide children and their grownups through an age-appropriate class routine that emphasizes choice, creativity, communication and community while supporting children’s social-emotional, physical and cognitive development in a non-academic, non-competitive way.
Although we don’t adhere to a particular educational philosophy, you’ll probably feel that our parent & me classes have much in common with some of the more progressive approaches that emphasize child-directed play allowing children to choose the activities they want to engage in, emergent curricula that are responsive to children’s constantly shifting interests, and the use of more natural materials (where possible, wood rather than plastic, and developmental instead of battery-operated).
Our arts and crafts curriculum is a great example of our philosophy in action. How many times have you watched your child participate in an activity that was supposedly about making art but felt more like an exercise in trying to get your child to follow unnecessarily rigid instructions, or that emphasized tidiness over creativity and innovation? At Wallaby, we value process more than product, and believe that mess-making is an integral part of exploring and learning about how to use materials like paint, glue, confetti and playdoh. Plus, it’s fun! We understand if you don’t want your gleaming hardwood floors covered with purple glitter, but while here at Wallaby, your child can feel free to spread the sparkly love. Our idea of an art project is to let children put their hands into a bowl of whatever we’ve got on the table that day and make whatever they want out of it (other than a meal).
Your participation
In a world in which parents are constantly pressured to do more to foster their children’s development – more reading, more home-cooked meals, more interacting and playing, more spending money on more toys – we want Wallaby’s parent & me classes to be a sanctuary where grownups can relax, talk to each other, and enjoy letting their children play independently if they are happy doing so.
Of course, we also encourage you to actively engage and play with your child whenever he or she needs or wants you to, or whenever you need or want to. In addition to our freeplay time, we also have a variety of semi-structured activities – such as music and movement, or arts and crafts – that provide a perfect opportunity for you and your child to have fun and learn together. We say “semi-structured” because these activities are intended to be exciting options that you and your child can choose to participate in if you feel like it, but hey, if you’re happier building a city with our colorful blocks, making a mess at our outdoor sand table, or rearranging our dollhouse furniture again and again, feel free to keep doing it and join us for snack in a little while.
Please note that moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nannies… any adults who care for your child are equally welcome at our classes.
Teaching and learning (and playing!)
As a parent, you already know that children are natural learners, ever curious about their surroundings and constantly motivated to touch, explore and find new uses for objects and materials. They also love to observe and, as they age, develop friendships with other children, and they generally take great pleasure in getting to know adults besides their parents and caregivers. At Wallaby, we believe it’s our job to support and guide – not direct – children as they strive to learn about their world. By simply providing them with a stimulating, comfortable and safe environment in which they can be themselves and explore freely, we are helping them develop the confidence and creativity they will need throughout their lives.
Although we do provide a wide array of materials, activities and experiences that will naturally facilitate children’s cognitive development, we’re not especially interested in teaching your child the ABCs, 123s, how to read or how to write. As you probably recall from your own school days, there will be plenty of time for academic pursuits later on in your child’s life.
At Wallaby, we believe that nurturing children’s social-emotional development – their self-esteem, creativity, and ability to interact with others in a joyful, compassionate and mutually-rewarding way – is the first step toward ensuring their success in school and throughout life. So for now, be confident in knowing that your child will learn everything he or she needs to know by being in your loving presence, being free to explore safely, developing relationships with others, and playing playing playing.
A note about conflict resolution and emotion coaching
At Wallaby, we believe that for all children, a patient and empathetic approach is the best strategy when it comes to resolving the inevitable conflicts that arise when young children are playing together. As you have no doubt experienced, young children often have very strong feelings and opinions, but because they may lack the language they need to express complex emotions and the maturity they need to modulate their responses to disappointment and other difficult feelings, it is not unusual for them to resort to screaming, hitting and even biting. It is of course essential that children learn that some of these behaviors are beyond the limit of what is socially acceptable. However, these behaviors are normal, and it is our job as adults and educators to help children learn and choose to use other modes of expression of strong feelings that are less hurtful to others. In terms of specific strategies, children may respond well to a few minutes in the attentive and supportive presence of a teacher, parent or caregiver to work through their feelings. Other techniques can be effective as well, such as diversion to another toy or activity, offering a comforting object to snuggle such as a stuffed animal or fuzzy blanket, or giving a child something to suck on like a thumb, a pacifier, or even a glass of water. All of our Wallaby staff have received training from the Center for Nonviolent Education and Parenting/Echo Center, and will model the approaches that they were taught there.