Parent & Child (Age 0-3)

Cherry Tree Parent and Child Group (0-3 years)

New: Afternoon sessions starting Sept 2010

New: Parent and Baby sessions starting Nov 2010

If you are caring for a child or children from 0 – 3 years, you are welcome to our sessions on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday morning, or to our new sessions on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. You do not need to book or give advanced notice. We are always happy to welcome new people. (If you are caring for a baby, under one year old, please see Parent and Baby Group below for sessions especially for parents and young babies on Friday mornings.)

The morning sessions run from 9.00 to 12.00 and the afternoon sessions are from 1 to 3.15. All sessions take place the Friarswood building in the school grounds. Follow signs to the Kindergarten and ask! We have up to about ten families at any one time. The atmosphere is relaxed and the children soon get to know the pattern of the session and feel safe in it. In the course of the morning, adults have plenty of time to talk and make friends while the children play. At the same time we foster a connection to nature and the cycle of the year, through play in our beautiful garden, songs, stories and other activities. All the materials and playthings are of natural materials, as far as possible.

The cost of each session is £6.00. After one or two “taster” sessions when you can pay on the day, we ask you to sign up to a regular session. This helps friendships and communities to grow within the groups and will also be beneficial to your child as it provides a weekly rhythm.

In addition to the weekly sessions, there is a termly parents’ afternoon on a weekend.

The morning sessions are run by Oona Alexander, who has a background in Steiner education and has been running groups for parents and children for several years. She is a trained and experienced teacher, as well as a story teller and parent of a young child. The afternoon sessions are run by Moni Lebon, who is trained in Steiner early years education and experienced in running parent and child groups. She also has two young children.

The Pattern of the Session:

We start with free play in our welcoming room: there is a “house area” with wooden cooker and washing machine, baskets of crafted wooden toys, some lovely horses to ride/rock on and a very fluffy sheep called “Woolly”. New children are usually quick to feel at home in the inviting play space. During this time there is usually a craft activity which is seasonally inspired, or an activity such as baking, painting, planting, going for a walk, collecting wood or picking elderflowers or apples.

We then have a “ringtime” with songs and rhymes accompanied by gestures which engage the children. Then we wash hands, go to the table and say a blessing. There follows a cooked snack, usually savoury rice with warm herb tea. We sometimes also have seasonal produce from our garden. After this there is garden time when the children may play in the sandpit or playhouse. And finally, in the summerhouse, there is a short story which portrays seasonal events as a gentle puppet show.

This rhythm provides children and adults alike with a peaceful and nourishing morning. As one parent said, “I feel as if I’ve had therapy!

Nature and the Cycle of the Year

The activities of the morning are inspired by nature and the cycle of the year. We might start the school year by grinding wheat and baking bread and end it by making bark boats to sail off into the summer. We also change the colours and other features of the room to reflect the changing seasons: there is a nature table with, for example in spring, snowdrops, woven nests and handmade ”bulb babies”, which can strengthen the experience of the natural year. Experiencing rhythm is reassuring for children, and can be nourishing for adults too.

Parent and Baby Group (starting 6th November 2010)
These practical sessions are for parents in the first year of their baby’s life. We offer a place for you to relax and enjoy the support of a caring community. For babies, these sessions provide a safe and calm space to explore the environment and develop their natural movement.
You will be welcomed by a cup of herb tea and some warm home baked bread rolls. There will be a chance to talk about how your child is doing and any questions you have. We also dedicate some time each week to being fully present for the children by quietly observing them, and reflecting together on what we have learnt. We close the session with some songs, rhymes and little touching games for babies. Our aim is to strengthen the authentic parent in you.

These sessions are on Fridays from 10.30 to 12.00 and the cost is £5.
They are specially for babies. If you have an older child as well, you would be very welcome to any of the other mornings or afternoon sessions which are for mixed age groups. When your baby outgrows the Parent and Baby Group, you will be welcome to join one of the other sessions.

If you are interested in attending the Parent and Baby Group, please call Oona Alexander on 01923 266447 (home) or email oona.alexander@btinternet.com (Please note this group does not start until Friday 6th November 2010)

Parents’ Afternoons
These events are held on an afternoon at the weekend during term time. They offer participants the chance to hear more about early years parenting issues from a Steiner perspective. Previous topics have included “How do we speak with children?” and “The Senses”. There is always space for questions and discussion. These are usually lively events in which differing views are aired and we don’t expect parents to conform to any one parenting style.

Small babies may come to these events, but otherwise it’s a space for the parents to go deeper into topics which it’s not possible to discuss with the children there.

We recognise that parents are the most important people in a child’s life are our parent child groups aim to support both parent and child equally.