Contributors Val Laycock and Sara Norris have a candid conversation about self-care as a parent. Together, they discuss the real challenges and the real need for adding moments to care for ourselves so we can care for our children.
What’s so different about the developmental approach to raising children? Contributor Nancy Macalaster offers insight into observing and knowing our children rather than managing behaviors.
In this 34 minute video, Val will guide you and your family through a gentle and comforting routine that will allow your mind and body to prepare for sleep. The only props needed are pillows and you can even practice in bed.
A short and sweet hand game that will delight your children from infancy up through toddlerhood!
When you are a parent of young children, planning what you have in your home and making a commitment to natural and handmade playthings is time consuming until you get the hang of how simple it can be. With just a few small doable changes, you will ease the chaos, slow things down and discover that creating in your home with young children is both possible and enjoyable.
Because parenting isn’t always pretty… sometimes the best we can do is just show up.
The sequence of self-initiated motor development is generally the same for most babies. However, each baby will progress in their own way and at their own pace. The phases of development overlap, i.e., a walking baby will also crawl, and a sitting baby will also play on their back. In each position, the baby learns to move into and out of the position, maintain it for longer and longer periods of time, and reach and play with toys there.
Every family just starting out feels the need to find a new way of being together. The ‘babymoon’ period, when a family is joining each other as a physical unit for the first time, is characterized by an urge to slow down and pull in close.
It is possible to create a secure attachment if you breastfeed or bottle feed, sleep train or co-sleep, stay at home with your children or go to work, or wear your baby or use a stroller. Don’t get caught up in rigid ways of doing things. Instead, find what helps you to delight in your child.
Listen as Susan Weber and Nancy Macalaster share the history of the parent support work they began over 20 years ago at Sophia’s Hearth Family Center in Keene, NH. Listen as they share about the inspiration and motivation behind reviving and revitalizing this work into an online community for all those who share their lives with young children, aged pre-birth to three.
Hear where Joyful Beginnings is headed from Executive Director, Karen Lamoureux and Program Director, Laura Beatty.
Working as a partner in parenting, the Joyful Beginnings online community offers encouragement and support through the challenges, while also helping parents and caregivers gain confidence in their abilities, bond deeply with their children, and find the moments of joy.
We kick this season off with, Sara Norris, certified Simplicity Parenting Coach and mother of two as she shares her research into Attachment Theory. Her work centers on how to ease anxiety through healthy attachment.
The moment a new baby enters your life, no matter the circumstances, everything changes and there is a lot that goes into adjusting. This can look different for each of us, but the one thing that is always the same is the need for support.
Contributor, Sara Norris and Early Childhood Educator, Jada Berg have a candid conversation about being outside with young children. Together, they share the joys and challenges of getting outside in all weather.