“Relationships, not things, make brighter babies”  William Sears

As a certified Instructor for Make the Connection parenting classes, parents will learn how to connect with their children with LOVE.

Make The Connection parenting program was developed by Claire Watson and Barbara MacKay Ward and produced by the First Three Years organization in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The goal of the program is to strengthen the parent-child relationship, where parents will learn the skills necessary to establish loving relationships, foster two-way communication and nurture the curiosity of their infant/child.  The program is intensive enough that it brings about a change in parents to understand their role in facilitating their infant/child’s attachment, and in their ability to respond sensitively to their baby/child’s needs.

Make The Connection was first published in 2003 and has now reached an estimated 5000 parents, and has been described as a “life changing experience”.

The program is ‘universal’, meaning that any parent will benefit from the bonding and discussion activities throughout the program.

Birth – 1 year

Parents will learn about attachment and the importance of attachment with their infant.  Through a 2 hour session, parents will interact with their infants, participate in group discussions and also have time to socialize and ask questions of the group Instructor.  Songs and rhymes for babies are included in each session, and each parent will receive a CD so they may continue the activities learned in class with their infant at home.

Topics covered throughout the duration of this program include:

• Session 1: Orientation and Becoming Attached
• Session 2: Helping your baby feel loved and secure
• Session 3: Helping your baby feel good about herself
• Session 4: Your Parents – Yourself
• Session 5: Helping your baby understand
• Session 6: Helping your baby ‘talk’ to you
• Session 7: Saying “no” with Love
• Session 8: Helping your baby discover his world
• Session 9: Celebrating our connections

All parents will receive a photo album, Songs & Rhymes CD, magnets and a Certificate upon completion of the program.

1 year – 2 years old:

It is during this time that toddlers start to seek autonomy, and it can put stress on the parent-child relationship.  It can be a challenging time to maintain or strengthen the secure attachment that was established during the first year.  Parents are now faced with a toddler who experiences separation anxiety, saying “no” to parent requests, and is showing their personality.  In this program parents will:

1. Reflect on what it take to maintain a caring, healthy relationship with their toddler;
2. Identify and practice responsive, age sensitive ways to communicate;
3. Discover and practice responsive, age sensitive ways to be a play partner;
4. Feel more confident and supported as a parent

So Their Child will:

1. develop a healthy balance between attachment and autonomy;
2. develop a vocabulary of first words and simple verbal conversation;
3. build a capacity for exploring, pretending, problem solving and accepting help

Topics covered in the training:

• Session 1: Helping your toddler feel secure
• Session 2: Accepting your toddler’s feeling
• Session 3: Setting Limits with Love
• Session 4: Toddler Temperaments
• Session 5: Highlighting New Words
• Session 6: Having Toddler Conversations
• Session 7: Connecting with other children
• Session 8: Helping your toddler Learn
• Session 9: Celebrating our connections

All parents will receive a certificate upon completion, photo album, program highlights and Songs & Games CD.