Sleepless nights, soiled diapers and self-help books can leave new parents feeling like they’re wading through a swamp of confusion for the first few years of their child’s life. To help alleviate some of the stress, Edina Community Education Services offers free Baby and Me classes at the Edina Family Center.
These monthly classes offer children and parents an opportunity to bond with one another during a one-hour class through activities ranging from reading, art and endeavors that foster basic science and math skills.
Baby and Me classes are targeted to parents with children from birth to one year. The goal is to “provide educational foundations to support the parenting journey,” Laurie Denn, Edina Family Center coordinator, says. Denn participated in Early Childhood Family Education courses with her children before becoming a program administrator.
Classes provide parents a space to ask questions or voice concerns they have about their child. These classes also combat feelings of doubt and isolation by bringing together parents who are having similar experiences to support one another, Denn says.
“Parents are bombarded with commercialism and competing research,” Denn says. “We try to quiet those other voices and empower parents and their decision making.”
For information about all Early Childhood and Family Education courses, go to edinaschools.org and click on community education.
