When a baby is born, So is a parent

Mobile offering: New Parent Groups

Being a new parent is an exciting, exhausting, and magical time. Only you truly know the emotional and physical toll a new baby brings, and what a unique and personal experience it is.  

Our New Parent Groups are geared towards preparing and supporting new parents in this journey.  Whether you're pregnant or have a new baby, you'll likely have questions about a variety of topics.  

Carve out a little special time each week, for you, to connect with other new parents, commiserate, and feel a little less isolated.  

Some weeks, we have an expert in the field joining us to share relevant information -- on topics ranging from pelvic wellness to breastfeeding to baby sign language to child development…and other weeks we simply gather to chat, field questions and share resources.

We invite you to hang out and get to know other new parents, recharge in a laid back environment, and venture to a nearby park or cafe afterwards, if you'd like. 

• Bring a beverage, get settled, and enjoy the infant toys available

• Meet other new parents

• Stay for Q & A and connect

Join Us

We run the groups in 5 week chunks so that we can build community. These meet-ups are a suggested donation of $95 for the four-week series, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Simply pay what you can. At the moment, our offerings are limited. Please reach out if you have a group of new parents interested in connecting in a supportive environment and we can come to you.

• BYO baby blankets, food/drink, anything to keep you hydrated & your babe happy.

• Open to newborns, through crawling infants.  

• Don't worry if you need to take a break to feed, change a diaper, or step away to get some fresh air.  

• We all get it and are happy to have you in whatever form that takes (babies are unpredictable!).

Would you like to bring a new parent group to your neighborhood? Reach out! When we have 5 interested families, we can mobilize.

Welcome, little one! Recess for Under 1's

The first days and months of parenthood (not to mention the nine months leading up to it all) are a crazy trip.  The highest highs and the lowest lows are balanced with the most incredible snuggles and hours on end of pure awe.  

As you find your way through the early days getting to know your little one, we invite you to venture out when you're ready, start to build your new parent community, find folks you connect with, and take in a little support where you need it. We're thrilled to be able to some unique offerings to new mamas and papas (yes, papas are welcome here, too!).  

• New Parent Groups (Mondays at 12:30)

• Free Newborn Membership - Explore the Playspace (anytime!)

• Playspace Activities (Tuesdays at 11 am & Thursdays at Noon)

• Bring your questions to our Drop-in, Moderated Playgroup in the Playspace. (Most Thursdays 11-1). Are teeth emerging? How do you engage your baby through play? What can you do to support development? Sleep??! Come on in anytime during these casual groups to get information, meet other parents, and ease into a space that has your needs in mind as well as your child's.

• Arrange meet ups with parent friends. Many of us in San Francisco don't have enough room to invite a playgroup over to our homes, and the finicky weather makes planning a day in the park a bit tricky...but Recess has plenty of space to host your next gathering. Anything from a casual, "Let's meet in the playspace around 2," to a "I'm organizing a handful of families to come together for a potluck." We have an incredible amount of space and have all the accouterments needed for infants, toddlers and preschoolers to stay happy. Most importantly, this kid space is also equipped with necessities for grown ups to feel comfortable (including, but not limited to, coffee!).

• Easing back into the working world? Check out our co-working space. We offer childcare for infants 3mo+. Members can also book appointments for drop-off childcare. This is great for the occasional break, doctor's appointment, pedicure, nap...whatever you need. Let us know if you'd like to get more info!

Is there something else you'd like to see at Recess?  Please...don't hesitate to let us know!  

Do you have super powers?

CPR is one skill we should ALL have in our repertoire. A class takes 2.5 hours and can literally give you the super powers to save lives.

Join us on November 14 our next evening CPR class or December 8 for a Sunday Afternoon class.

Do you already know what to do when Baby is choking? If you don't, watch the new animated video below on how to save a choking baby.

http://www.parents.com/baby/injuries/choking/what-to-do-when-your-child-is-choking/

The video, titled "The Chokeables," was created by St. John Ambulance, a first-aid training organization with branches around the world, and is being shared on social media. Every parent can benefit from watching the 40-second video, which features objects that babies commonly choke on (such as a pen cap, a marble, a broken crayon, and a nut). The objects are voiced by three British actors, including Sir John Hurt, who appeared as Mr. Ollivander, the wand-maker, in the Harry Potter movie series.

A princess figurine demonstrates the following steps to save a choking baby:

1. Lay your baby face-down on your thigh. Give him up to 5 back blows.

2. If that doesn't work, turn your baby over and give him up to 5 chest thrusts until the airway is clear.

3. If the chest thrusts don't work either, call an ambulance immediately, and start CPR.

GET SIGNED UP FOR THE NEXT CPR CLASS

PLAY: Investing in your child's early development

A child’s brain undergoes an amazing period of development from birth to three—producing more than a million neural connections each second.  Our goal at Recess is to provide space to support that incredibly active time in your baby's and toddler's early learning, while also supporting your core needs. 

We invite you to join in for play in the playspace, and check out our services specifically for parents and grown ups.  These include workshops, playgroups and our co-working space.  "Support" means different things to different parents and caregivers.  If there are ways we can assist your family's journey as you grow, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Learn more about the crucial role you play in building your baby’s brain, get your questions answered, and find some fun “brain-building” activities to share with your little one by checking out our upcoming workshops and visiting our space.

The development of the brain is influenced by many factors, including a child’s relationships, experiences and environment.  Engaging in play with your little one is a great way to connect and support development simultaneously.  

10 Things Every Parent Should Know About Play

1. Children learn through their play.
Don’t underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:

• cognitive skills – like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store

• physical abilities – like balancing blocks and running on the playground

• new vocabulary – like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs

• social skills – like playing together in a pretend car wash

• literacy skills – like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant

2. Play is healthy.
Play helps children grow strong and healthy. It also counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.

3. Play reduces stress.
Play helps your children grow emotionally. It is joyful and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.

4. Play is more than meets the eye.
Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, sociodramatic, functional, and games with rules-–to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects: how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for recess in the school day.

5. Make time for play.
As parents, you are the biggest supporters of your children’s learning. You can make sure they have as much time to play as possible during the day to promote cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional development.

6. Play and learning go hand-in-hand.
They are not separate activities. They are intertwined. Think about them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.

7. Play outside.
Remember your own outdoor experiences of building forts, playing on the beach, sledding in the winter, or playing with other children in the neighborhood. Make sure your children create outdoor memories too.

8. There’s a lot to learn about play.
There’s a lot written on children and play. Here are some NAEYC articles and books about play. David Elkind’s The Power of Play (Da Capo, 2007 reprint) is also a great resource.

9. Trust your own playful instincts.
Remember as a child how play just came naturally? Give your children time for play and see all that they are capable of when given the opportunity.

10. Play is a child’s context for learning.
Children practice and reinforce their learning in multiple areas during play. It gives them a place and a time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a worksheet. For example, in playing restaurant, children write and draw menus, set prices, take orders, and make out checks. Play provides rich learning opportunities and leads to children’s success and self-esteem.
 

Laurel Bongiorno, PhD, is the director of Champlain College’s graduate program in early childhood education, with specializations in teaching and administration, in Burlington, Vermont. She has taught preschool, directed early childhood programs, and studied parents’ perceptions of preschoolers’ learning through play.

Copyright © 2016, National Association for the Education of Young Children. All rights reserved