FESA Learner Stories: Sally and April

Sally and April joined the Parent Child Mother Goose program (PCMG) at Aspen South when April was six months old. Sally hoped the group could help April broaden her social skills because April was extremely sensitive to new situations. When Sally and April went for the first session, April cried for the entire time. Nothing could comfort her. Embarrassed, Sally told everyone that she probably wouldn’t come next week.

“Please don’t give up,” requested Beibei, the PCMG facilitator for Aspen South; “some babies are more alert to new environments and may need more time to relax and enjoy the program.” Other participants encouraged Sally to persevere with the program and shared their experiences to convince her to come back.

Sally and April came back next week, but things didn’t improve; yet, Sally stuck to it.

The third week, April only cried for the first five minutes. Sally was elated.

The following weeks, April would always cry a few minutes upon arriving and then sit quietly for the rest of the session. When April was nine months old, she stopped crying altogether and started to smile when singing the Tickling and Bouncy songs.

December came, and everyone saw a new April, very attentive and active, laughing and giggling, clapping and kicking, showing her fondness and excitement for her favourite songs and rhymes.

April would move around to look and touch other babies, and make cooing sounds to communicate with others; she had come out of her shell! Sally was thrilled with April’s progress.

Sally found the program to be a significant factor for her daughter’s social development and was glad that she persisted. Sally re-registered for the next PCMG session in January 2018. The repetition of singing and rhyming has helped April’s language development, and she may even talk soon!