Benefits of Parent-Infant and Child Programs

Child:

• Learning alongside the parent or caregiver

• A save, nurturing environment outside of home to explore, discover and play. Becoming like a second home; consistent, loving, with mutual respect

• Creating and experiencing/feeling trust, through relationship with facilitator, as well as with other parents during class

• Experiencing autonomy, while also having the parent/caregiver to return to as a touchstone. A movement of natural independence, which is centered on process, within the child and adult

• Developing interaction and ownership within a social community

• Having more receptive, observant, understanding, and educated parents/caregivers 

Parent/Caregiver:

• Receiving guidance and modeling from the facilitator

• Supporting other parents, while being supported

• Meeting other parents/caregivers, sharing experiences, and forming friendships

• Creating community

• Learning through discovery, process, and practice

• Experiencing new ways of responding and being receptive to your child

• Learning to observe; seeing your child with fresh eyes, as well as other children

• Shifting your relationship with your child, by making changes in yourself

Community:

• Parents are in a process of developing greater self-awareness, which supports their own families, while also modeling more positive parenting to others.

• Children receiving loving care early in life, are shown to be independent, have more self-esteem, and love of learning, throughout their lives

• Parents and children who attend a holistic approach to learning, such as Montessori, practice what they experience in their homes, as well as offering themselves more to the community

School:

• You get parents and families into your school early in their lives, supporting families right from the beginning and helping your program/classes grow

• Parents and caregivers in PICC practice parenting while being mentored, which creates a strong foundation of adults who are actively in their process of learning and understanding Montessori and the Child. They become leaders in schools, in a natural way

• These families stay longer in Montessori programs or schools, leading to better retention of children