COST: FREE
EVENT INFO:
In this small group, parents and babies come together in a calm, infant-friendly environment to observe and enjoy their infants exploring, interacting, and playing. Parents will learn how to respect their baby's needs and wants, let go, and watch the incredible wonder and exploration. Toys will be provided. You are welcome to bring your own snacks.
***BIG NEWS***
Beginning in March, we will be offering this group EVERY Thursday from 11-12:30
MEET THE MOMS WHO RUN THIS GROUP!
Photographer: Siarra Lynna
www.siarralynnstudios.com
Caryn is local mom ready to help others explore their new life as a parent. As a Kindergarten teacher in NYC for many years, she fell in love with young curious minds and met all sorts of different families. She has her bachelors in Childhood Education, Masters in Literacy, and additional Certification in Gifted and Talented education. Once pregnant, she became excited for her new role. As much as she knew about children, she knew teaching and parenting were very different. She researched whatever she could to prepare for birth, labor, and the start of parenting. She learned that having a support group throughout your journey into parenthood is absolutely essential. With the support of her loving husband, doula (Silvie Falschlunger), Midwife (Nuranisa Rae), and birth assistant (Tanya Wills), her son, Hudson, was born at home in September 2018.
Caryn started going to local parenting groups and loved meeting all types of families, listening to their birth stories, commiserating about sleeping or feeding, and learning so much from other new moms. She read about the RIE method (Respectful Infant Educater) and "latched on" to the idea that babies are a lot more capable than we think. With these ideas in mind, she started her own play groups for babies to interact with one another - where parents observe their babies and allow the babies to explore and problem solve through play and minimal intervention.
Emily Kim is a physical therapist who worked in a special needs-focused preschool in Brooklyn before becoming free range mother to her son, Sonny in November 2018. An Iowa native, Emily is new to the Westchester area and has been fortunate to connect with other families through NUR and other play groups.
After meeting Caryn and being introduced to the writings of Janet Lansbury, Emily has been integrating the RIE methods into her own parenting style. The simple truths affirm her natural instinct to enjoy quietly observing her son as he explores the world while also giving her courage and the words to set loving boundaries.
Sophia also facilitates this group. She is a crunchy, stay at home mama to a very curious, fluff-bummed (cloth diapered) 1 year old. She runs a Cloth Diapering 101 group at NUR Space as she’s passionate about this topic. And Sophia also owns a small jewelry business handcrafting adornments for mamas and babies with recycled silver. Many of her pieces are multi-functional and with proper care, can last for a lifetime. Find her work at https://www.sophiafayejewelry.com/
MIXED AGE GROUP - This group will meet the 4th Thursday of each month.
In this group, parents and children of all ages come together to play, explore, and learn from one another. In mixed-age settings, children have the opportunity to lead, nurture, learn tolerance, and improve cooperation and interpersonal skills. This environment will also help older children increase responsibility and gain self-confidence. Parents will be able to observe their children as individuals, noticing their unique learning styles and gifts in an atypical setting. Toys and games will be provided.
As the mother of three young children, Abby is eager to engage with parents in the community about the role they play in creating the space for kids to explore, learn, and become global citizens who advocate for themselves and others. Starting her elementary teaching career in NYC nearly twenty years ago, Abby discovered her love for building deep and meaningful connections with both her students and their families. Abby later transitioned to talent recruitment, supporting schools in hiring teachers and administrators who hold a commitment to social justice and the mindset that all children can achieve and thrive when given the right support.
As Abby entered motherhood, she was surprised to discover that while teaching first graders taught her many valuable skills, it did not prepare her for the world of babies and toddlers. After a traumatic birth experience in 2015 with her first child, she was determined to give birth on her own terms, and welcomed two more children in an empowering approach. It was through having open and vulnerable conversations with other parents that Abby learned her place as a mom, forming (always-evolving) beliefs about how young people develop socially, emotionally, and academically. Through watching her children interact, she has become particularly fascinated by how kids benefit from each other in mixed-age settings.
Abby holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Master of Science in Teaching, Childhood Education. She is passionate about the importance of play in childhood and stays connected to teaching through leading kids movement and yoga classes in the Bronx.