BabyCHAT

Designed to support you to 'tune in’ and recognise your child’s cues,
developing a shared understanding and reciprocal responsive communication 

“Babies come into this world primed to communicate with adults, who are primed to communicate with them. Their survival and well-being depend on their ability to connect with their caregivers… Language play is central to thinking, social exchange, and sense of self worth” (Bardige B & Bardige K, 2008).

It is with these thoughts in mind that BabyCHAT has been developed to enhance and encourage authentic communication between parents, caregivers and children. Children send us messages every moment of the day, as adults sometimes our busy lives get in the way of the thing we value the most, listening and communicating with our children.

Think of a time when you were busy cooking dinner and your child came in from outside excited and started talking to you. You half listen and then get impatient with your child because they are demanding more of your attention and dinner needed to be cooked. The child has a tantrum, which causes stress for both, you feel guilty and dinner is late. If only you had taken the chance to give your child some ‘full attention’ when the moment occurred, dinner may still have been late but harmony and peace would have been maintained.

Stephen Covey suggests that we all have emotional bank accounts that need to be constantly topped up in order for us to maintain a happy balanced life with good self esteem and deal with some of the daily stresses we feel. This is the same for our children - positive language, compliments, a nurturing voice who responds to the needs immediately and maintains full attention are some strategies useful to provide a reciprocal responsive relationship which will nurture the attachment process and build a healthy emotional bank account.

This course consists of 2 x two-hour sessions
Please contact your local area office for further information