Parent Child Mother Goose Program comesto Redwater

By Brandie Majeau
The Parent Child Mother Goose Program was established in 1984 in Toronto,
ON, and was created by Barry Dickson and Joan Bodger as an early intervention
program. This program, supported by decades of research, is entirely oral and builds
upon the natural bonds and early childhood development typically provided by the
primary caregiver. The experiences, whether negative or positive, of infants and
toddlers have a significant impact on the development of their brains. It’s important to
note that eighty percent of a child’s brain development occurs by age three.
The Parent Child Mother Goose Program focuses on the positive impacts that
result from using positive tones, facial expressions, and gestures. It also encourages
touch and builds upon these foundations to provide parents and caregivers with a toolkit
of strategies and support mechanisms to assist them in engaging with their little ones.
The program uses singing, stories, and rhymes to facilitate interaction, which is a crucial
part of infant development. One personal story of an attending parent found a focus and
means to connect with her child while contending with her own post-partem depression
and anxiety. Knowing her child needed positive interaction, she used to simple poems
and silly games to speak to her child when she didn’t know what else to say. The
Mother Goose Program taught her to make positive connections when her mental
strength felt lacking.
Redwater Public Library is incredibly grateful and excited to have the
opportunity to provide with Sturgeon Adult Learning to provide the Parent Child Mother
Goose Program on a local level. Redwater Library has expressed their passion for this
program and the amazing opportunity it provides for caregivers of young children. They
expressed the ways the program empowers parents and referred to the Mother Goose
Program as a program disguised as a baby program but is really all about the parent &
caregivers.
The Parent Child Mother Goose Program will begin in April and will run as a
ten-week program, recurring each Friday morning. Registration needs to be made in
advance and requires a $20.00 registration fee per family.