As did many organizations, the parent/child program Together For Children (TFC) took an imposed hiatus during the pandemic. They are now returning to Sisters, reconnecting at SPRD with a weekly program for families with young children.

No matter how resourceful parents have been during the pandemic, socialization and interaction with others has been limited, making it hard to introduce those important skills to their toddlers. TFC is a proven antidote to that problem. The same is true if parenting a two-year-old seems baffling. Parents who attend often report that the joy of parenting is rekindled.

Most parents enter the role of being their child’s first and most important teacher, unprepared and untrained. New brain research informs us that the first three years of a child’s life are crucial to the success of later years, and it has been said that a day in the life of an infant equates to a year of working on a college degree. With that in mind, TFC considers itself the “teacher training” of parents. Combining play with parent education and early childhood education, parents join their youngsters in activities that stimulate brain development and encourage loving relationships.

Under the direction of a professional early childhood instructor, play labs provide the children opportunities for large-muscle activities, manipulation of puzzles and building materials, and activities that encourage the development of socialization skills. At the same time, parents are guided to understand the stages of child development, learn new ideas to use at home, and appropriate activities for the age of their child.

Storytime, singing, and rhythm activities bring everyone together during this time imagination.

Visit http://www.together-for- children.org to learn more.

Play labs at SPRD will be held every Wednesday morning from May 18 to June 15, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The cost of the program is $10 per visit or $40 for the five weeks when a family registers at their first visit or at www.together-for-children.org.