BENGALURU: Parent-toddler programmes are catching on in Bengaluru. It is where they do fun activities and learn a thing or two with their waddling children.
Divya BA, who runs a popular children’s bookstore My Little Bookshop, has announced one such. ‘Maa and Me’ is the first Waldorf-inspired programme, and targets one to three-year-olds and their parents.
She adds they are more than fun and learning.
“They are about knowing the child, understanding the needs of the child at a particular age, what to expect from the child at that age, how to get the child to do what you want without instruction, what kind of stories the child enjoys, and much much more,” says Divya.
Young and inexperienced mothers, she says, feel lost and stressed out. They try online forums and such programmes to meet teachers and other parents, consult them and understand their growing child better. “This makes them feel more empowered and confident as parents, ” she says.
A Waldorf-inspired programme, such as hers, is driven by the philosophy that a child’s brain is fully developed only at around 7 years and only then should it be introduced to formal training.
“This programme does not use any pre-recorded songs, instead, the songs are sung in a soft, melodious voice by the teacher, and most of the songs are composed by the teachers themselves,” she says. The lyrics of the song draws from elements found in Nature which the children can identify with.
“It focuses on keeping the child in his or her dreamy consciousness by keeping the environment as mild and natural as possible,” says Divya.
The classes will be from November 7 to December 2. For details contact 93791 19945.