Being a mommy in Singapore, it’s hard not to give in to the pressure of joining the 'Kiasu Parents Club', where it's a norm amongst members to send their kiddos for all sorts of enrichment programmes in the name of giving them a head-start in life.
So few weeks ago, this kiasu mommy took Kenan for a trial FunMOVES class conducted by Sabrina, one of the mommies I got to know from the forum; she's a trainer and co-owner of NurtureWorks. Before the class, I felt a little apprehensive, wondering if Kenan would cooperate or would he fuss and cry. Fortunately, he was in good mood and we all had a great time.
The class was held in the morning (10.30am) at Highland Centre along Kovan Road. Including Kenan, there were four babies for the trial class and it was great that they were all about the same age.
The programme comprises Brain Dance movements (developed by Anne Green Gilbert), singing, baby sign language and flash card exercises. It lasted about 45 minutes, which was a good length I suppose, any longer and perhaps all the babies will become cranky. In fact, some of them were fussing near the end of the programme, which is expected since they are all so young (about four months old) and can easily become over-stimulated and tired out.
What I liked about FunMOVES:
I like the fact that it’s a combination of different types of activities so they stimulate different parts of baby’s brain. It's an added bonus that these are activities which parents can do with their babies at home, unlike some programmes where specific equipment may be needed. What's more, there are few enrichment courses for young babies (to the best of my knowledge), so FunMOVES certainly helps fill the gap.
I’m also glad that hubby came along for the class; in fact, almost all the daddies were there. It turned out to be a good time for us to bond as a family as we took turns to help Kenan through the different activities. It was also a good time of socializing for him and he was really happy to see other babies! And of course, mommies had fun too – it was a great opportunity for us to share about our babies’ developments and exchange parenting tips and information.
I’m looking forward to signing Kenan up for the programme once there is a confirmed class!
Flash card exercise: daddy teaching Kenan about shapes
Kenan and his newfound best friend - the two boys are holding hands!
