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 0-to 18 month-olds and their fathers are invited to share stories and tips with other dads and spend some one-on-one time, just Daddy and baby! Moms and older siblings are invited to stay to have tea and snacks and connect with each other in Blossom's resource room, to be available if baby needs to nurse.
Daddy and Me While Mama Has Tea! (Blossom Father's Support) |
| Instructor(s): |
Facilitated by Eva Roodman |
| Schedule: |
10:30-12:00.
The fathers' group will be facilitated by one of Blossom's Parent-Baby Groups facilitators.
The mothers' tea will not have a facilitator, but moms are encouraged to "check in" with each other about issues and stories.
Yummy morning snacks and tea will be provided! |
| Dates: |
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| Price: |
$15 for drop in, or free with your Blossom Parent Group 3-month Card!
If you're paying the $15 please use the PayPal link above.
If you're using your 3-month card, please call or email to pre-register. |
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Mother-Baby Yoga & Support
Bring your baby and come join other moms and babes
as we stretch, relax, and rejuvenate. Share
ideas and resources. Celebrate and commiserate!
Please see our yoga page for further information.
Infant Massage
Come join us as we experience four supportive, informative,
loving sessions with Infant Massage. The practice of Infant Massage
is a unique and wonderful way to deepen the bond you have with your child.
It provides countless physical and emotional benefits for both you and
your baby. Massage will help relieve your gassy baby and improve his/her
sleep. Regular massage fosters emotional, physical, and mental well-being,
calms anxieties, and contributes to healthy body image. In the class you will learn...
- simple and effective massage techniques from Swedish
Massage, Reflexology and Traditional Indian Massage, a special massage to relieve gas and colic
- relaxation techniques, for both you and baby
- how to adapt your massage as your child grows
In the series, we will meet weekly for four weeks.
Each session runs approximately 90 minutes. Materials will be provided to help
support your practice and understanding as your ability in Infant Massage
grows. Massage oil will also be provided. There is a comprehensive infant
massage book available for purchase. This class is designed for babies
from three weeks through pre-crawling.
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Infant Massage Series
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| Instructor(s): |
Reenie McCaffrey, CIMI |
| Schedule: |
This is a 4-week, 6-hour class. |
| Dates: |
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| Price: |
$124 per couple |
| Notes: |
- Minimum: 3 families; maximum: 6 families
- Please bring your baby, a few receiving blankets, and anything
else you and your baby need to feel comfortable. Massage oil
will be provided.
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Introduction to Infant Massage
Held one Saturday each month. This one-time,
2-hour workshop is an opportunity for parents to become familiar with
the basics of infant massage philosophy and techniques, as well as learn
and practice a few specific massage strokes and sequences. Please bring
your baby!
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Introduction to Infant
Massage
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| Instructor(s): |
Reenie McCaffrey, CIMI |
| Schedule: |
One 2-hour workshop, once a month |
| Dates: |
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| Price: |
$59 per couple |
| Notes: |
- Minimum: 3 families; maximum: 7 families
- Please bring your baby, a few receiving blankets, and anything
else you and your baby need to feel comfortable. Massage oil
will be provided.
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Massage for Movers
Come join us for two fun, informative, loving sessions on sharing massage with
your crawler/early walker. Massage is a unique and wonderful way to deepen the bond you have with
your child. It provides countless physical and emotional benefits for both you and your baby. Regular
massage fosters emotional, physical, and mental well-being, calms anxieties, and contributes to healthy
body image. In the class you will learn...
- simple and effective massage techniques from Swedish Massage, Reflexology and Traditional Indian Massage
- relaxation techniques, for both you and little one
- ways to calm frustration with touch, song, and gentle speech
- how to adapt your massage as your moving baby becomes a toddler/preschooler
In the series, we will meet weekly for two weeks. Each session runs
approximately 90 minutes. Materials will be provided to help support you as you practice massage
with your little one. Massage oil will also be provided. This class is designed for crawlers and
early walkers, typically 6 to 18 months. Both parents (and/or grandparents!) are welcome.
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Massage for Movers Mini-Series
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| Instructor(s): |
Reenie McCaffrey, CIMI |
| Schedule: |
This is a 2-week, 3-hour class. |
| Dates: |
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| Price: |
$74 per couple |
| Notes: |
- Minimum: 3 families; maximum: 7 families
- Please bring your baby, a few receiving blankets, and anything
else you and your baby need to feel comfortable. Massage oil
will be provided.
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Slings & Things: The Art of Baby Wearing
Carrying babies in arms (and carrying car seats on one arm) day after day often leads to stress injuries and chronic back and shoulder pain. For centuries though, and still today in some cultures, people have worn their babies tied to them with simple piece of cloth to keep the baby close to their heart and still attend to the normal activities of daily life. Many parents in our culture have again returned to the ergonomic, practical, and bonding benefits of wearing their baby.
Come learn from a professional about the myriad of popular options for baby wearing, from the Ergo, to pouches, rebozos, ring slings, and Mei Tais. Get a chance to try them all on with experienced guidance, and learn some of the lesser known benefits along the way (including healthy spine development, and preventing "flat head" syndrome).
This class is best taken after your baby arrives, when you can try the options on together, but may be taken by expectant parents, too, interested in planning ahead!
About the instructor:
Becca Ackerman-Bennett is an ALACE trained doula. She has three children of her own and really enjoys teaching mamas and papas how to carry their babies and keep them close. She has been wearing babies in slings/wraps/carriers for over 10 years and has studied with native women in guatemala where babies have been worn for generations.
Slings & Things Workshop |
| Instructor(s): |
Becca Ackerman-Bennett |
| Schedule: |
One 2-hour class |
| Dates: |
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| Price: |
$39 per family
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| Notes: |
- Bring your baby! Pregnant women welcome.
- Class size limited to 6 families, for personalized attention.
- Includes option to check out a sling from our wonderful teacher for trial use!
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Baby Sign Language
Blossom Birth welcomes our new baby signs teacher, Bill White of Touch Blue Sky!
Stop guessing what your baby is trying to tell you and start spending more time fulfilling your child's specific needs. Baby Sign Language gives parents the opportunity to communicate with children long before babies can verbalize their wants and needs. Research studies show that signing with babies accelerates language acquisition, reduces frustration and aggressive behavior, and as children mature, results in a greater interest in reading. Out of all the wonderful benefits of baby sign language, the most important benefit of all is that signing will greatly deepen the bond between you and your child.
Seven-Day Baby Sign Language Series
This workshop introduces basic baby signs that are based on American Sign Language (ASL) and is designed for expectant parents and parents with hearing babies who range in age from birth to 18 months old. The first class is an hour and a half long where information on the latest research on the benefits of signing with babies will be discussed. Parents are taught useful tips on how to train their babies to sign. Fun activities and songs will show you how easy it can be to integrate these signs into your every day routine and jump-start your child's verbal skills. The introductory workshop is followed by six weekly one-hour playgroups where parents can build their signing vocabulary with themes like mealtime, animals, colors, family, safety, and more. Start building your baby sign language skills today. And remember, if you miss a playgroup, you may make it up anywhere in the TouchBlueSky network of classes at no extra cost. You are also welcome to join in the middle of a session and make up missed classes. You are welcome to bring your baby, but it is not required.
Signing with your baby is easy – a lot easier than not signing with your baby! -Monta Z. Briant, author of Baby Sign Language Basics
About the instructor:
Bill White, director of the baby sign language program, received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychobiology from University of California, Santa Cruz. He currently is facilitating baby sign language programs at Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, Mission College in Santa Clara, the Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County, JFCS Parents Place in San Mateo, DayOne Center, Babies And Moms, Little Wonders preschool in San Mateo, The Pacific Athletic Club, Babies R Us, and The Parks and Recreation Departments of San Mateo, Daly City, and Redwood City. Bill is passionate about the benefits of signing with babies and is the proud father of two hearing sons who both sign.
Signing with Your Baby Series |
| Instructor(s): |
Bill White, Touch Blue Sky |
| Schedule: |
7-class session, First class is 90 minutes, Subsequent "Playgroup" classes are 1 hour |
| Dates: |
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| Price: |
$165 for first parent, $195 per couple- can be second parent or other caregiver (no extra charge for more than one child)
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| Notes: |
Babies and Toddlers always welcome, but not required to attend |
Music for Babies, Toddlers, and Parents
This class is designed to introduce you and your toddler (4 months to 3 years) to traditional children’s music.
We will concentrate on the music most often sung by parents and teachers to increase your musical repertoire and your confidence as your child’s first music teacher. Recent research has proven the importance of music in the first years as essential not only for musical development but also for related intelligences. We will spend most of the time singing and dancing and will save some time to discuss important findings and recorded music. Every class will include info about brain development, movement to classical music, exposure to musical resources, and end with a storybook that is sung instead of read.
About the instructor:
Kitti Pecka is a head teacher at Bing Nursery School. She has been teaching young children, babies, and adults for over thirty-five years.
She holds an MA in Creative Arts Education and a Montessori Teaching Credential.
She has been teaching private music courses for four years. Trained in Orff, Kodaly, and Dalcorse Music Education, she has incorporated recent research in music into these methods.
Music for Babies, Toddlers, and Their Parents |
| Instructor: |
Kitti Pecka |
| Schedule: |
This is a 6-week, 50 minute class. Two different times to choose from: 9:30am OR 10:30am. Please be sure you have selected the correct time from the drop-down menu.
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| Dates: |
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| Add a second child: |
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| Price: |
6-week series $105 for first baby/toddler; add $30 for each additional child |
| Notes: |
Minimum: 4 children; maximum: 8 children
Ideal for children 4 months to 3 years. |
Intro to Music for Babies: Bringing Music Into Your Household
Wondering how to introduce music into your new child’s life? What benefit does sharing music have on the development of your baby? How do you incorporate singing and musical play into your daily life with your little one? And what if you can’t even carry a note?
Get all of these questions and more answered in our Introduction to Music for Babies and Toddlers class. Kitti Pecka, Blossom’s popular music teacher, will share her know-how to help you bring music into your household and provide appropriate handouts and resources for you to take home. While some singing and music will be used, this class is more academic in nature and intended for parents only, whether you are expecting your first or have a number of small children already in the household. This is a great class for parents who are unable to attend Kitti’s regular music class with their child, want to prepare musically for the new baby, or simply want more academic background on raising children musically.
Intro to Music for Babies: Bringing Music Into Your Household |
| Instructor: |
Kitti Pecka |
| Schedule: |
One 90-minute, academically-oriented class for adults |
| Dates: |
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| Price: |
$29 per family |
| Notes: |
Great for Expectant Families
Not intended for children (quiet babes in arms welcome) |
Payment/Registration
You can register for your classes now with a credit card by clicking on the PayPal button for each class; note that you do not need to have or create a PayPal account to pay by credit card with PayPal. Or, you can fill out a registration form, print it out, and mail it back to us with your check. In either case we will confirm your registration by email. If you have questions, please contact the Blossom office, 650-321-2326.
Refunds/Cancellations
Blossom classes are known for expert instructors and small class sizes. Please help us keep classes affordable by selecting your course dates carefully.
If you must switch or cancel, contact us at least three weeks before the course date for full credit or refund.
If you contact us between one and three weeks before the course date, you will receive credit (minus $15 fee) toward another Blossom class(es) to be used within one year.
If you must cancel within one week, your fees will be contributed to our scholarship fund. We will be glad to send you a letter for tax purposes acknowledging your donation.
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Now that you have your little one, enjoy connecting during a class at Blossom. We'll help you bond with your baby, get support from child development experts and new parents just like yourself, or just relax doing infant massage or mommy-baby yoga. There's so much you can do - check out the classes below!