RIGHT FROM THE START

Children's Centre - Thunder Bay, in partnership with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and the Ontario Early Years Centre, will be facilitating a unique program, entitled “Right From the Start”. This program was developed by Dr. Alison Niccols of McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton. Right From the Start has received national and international recognition.

This is an eight-session parenting course, designed to enhance caregiver skills in reading infant cues and responding sensitively. The course focuses on the special nurturing relationship between a parent and infant, often called attachment. For that reason, the Right From the Start program is appropriate for anyone parenting a child under the age of 2 years, including parents of children with special needs.

New research highlights the importance of infant attachment security for brain development, as well as for the development of social skills and physical and mental health, across the life span. “Right From the Start helps parents learn how to have a good relationship with their baby, how to read infant cues, and how to respond so that their baby will be happy and secure” says Dr. Niccols.

The course includes small and large group discussions of video clips of common parenting errors, opportunities to practice new skills and peer support.

Here are some comments from parents about the Right from the Start program.

• “This course reinforced my parenting beliefs and improved my relationship with my child!! Thanks!”
• "The idea of learning to read a baby’s cues was new to me although I have always responded to their cries and what I interpreted to be their needs. I think now I will be better able to read the signals and therefore respond more appropriately.”
• “I found this course helpful in understanding infants better by learning about cues and behaviour. I have a better understanding of how my baby will develop and what I can do to help her. Thank you!”
• “I liked and enjoyed every session, everyone was able to interact as a group and it has really helped me to pay more attention to things that I never have”

To find out more about this program and/or register for one of the upcoming courses, call 343-5071.