The Infant Parent Coaching program provides coaching and support for moms and dads in developing engaged infant care routines, promoting attunement, communication, ideal development and healthy secure attachment.

The first phase of the program encompasses principles, guidelines and basic protocols for focused care routines and the set up of the play space. The second phase is coaching and supporting parents in the focused care routines. This phase begins to overlap and leads into the next phase of more refined skills with attunement, communication, scripting and pace.

The journey into the coaching program begins by highlighting two foundational developmental platforms; Early Brain Development and Child Attachment Theory. I believe they are two of the most important things to understand as a new parent, because it takes away the mystery of what drives an infant and young child's behavior.

Early Brain Development is an all encompassing system that connects multiple layers of neural circuitry, with the left and right hemispheres connecting to each other over time... As a result, a young child can attend to only one set of signals at a time; one thought, one emotion, one impulse, so that each part of the brain develops fully.

That being said, “Babies brains grow more rapidly during the period of life which they need their diapers changed, than will ever be the case again. Approximately 1000 synaptic connections are formed every second during this period... And it is the emotional experiences that babies have over and over again that build the most robust neural pathways.” Suzanne Zeedyk, PhD, Infant Research Scientist

About 80% of a baby’s brain is developed by age 3. However, developmentally speaking, it is not until the age of five when a child has the neurological capacity to consider more than one emotion, one thought, one impulse at a time, to have the ability to get along with others while at the same time, being true to one’s self.

Attachment Theory shows us that it is solely from the secure base of the parent that an infant is able to venture out and explore the world and their relationship to it. Gordon Neufeld, PhD, the foremost authority on child development, aptly states, the answer to attachment problems is more attachment. That a child must first have the experience of being wholly dependent before growing into an independent, self-regulating and robustly confident human being.

Attunement means being highly attuned and responsive to a child’s needs. It is the vehicle to a secure, healthy attachment relationship. The structure for creating a secure, healthy attachment with your child is through the daily care routines.

Routines are crucial. Because everything is new to babies and young children, they thrive on sameness! Sameness helps babies to know what is happening, what is about to happen and how they can participate. It is empowering for a baby and builds their sense of autonomy and independence. This includes the sameness of all routines; nursing routines, diapering routines, play routines, dinner routines and sleep routines.

It is within the structure of creating solid routines, that parents are coached in the fluency of attunement, communication, scripting and pace. Daily care routines become an oasis from the typical grind. The care routines are highly engaging and enriching activities done together, building relationship, connection and cooperation. The infant becomes an active participant in their care, cooperating in the dressing and undressing, anticipating the steps, learning the routine, gaining confidence and a sense of autonomy.

Once the baby’s needs have been satisfied through mutually enjoyable care experiences, the baby is ready to engage in free, independent play, exploring and discovering their relationship to world around them in their own strategically designed free play space. The free play space is created with all the key elements for optimal fine and gross motor development. It’s a large, safe, gated space with a few select toys and plenty of room to move freely and safely - always within view of the parent.

My intention throughout is to support parents in having their ideal relationship with their child, navigating through early brain development considerations, child attachment theory, routines, and their own intuition and intentions towards providing their baby with unprecedented care.