Weeks after giving birth to my baby boy, I still found it difficult to get outside or get things done. Between constant feedings and diaper changes, I wondered how any mom could ever go anywhere! When I decided it was time to venture out, one of the first places River and I went, without my partner, was the College Montrose Children's Place. I was nervous. I pictured River, who was at the time only two months old, screaming in the middle of the "circle time" songs. But he LOVED it. I saw him look around attentively with wide eyes at the other babies, and new singing faces... and he was quiet!
But it wasn't just good for him. It was really refreshing for me to get out with him. Being a fairly young mom with almost no other mom friends, even the shortest of conversations with another mom or dad was reassuring and made me feel like I was less alone. THIS is what I love about the centre.
If you don't know already, Ontario Early Years Centres and the College Montrose Children's Place (CMCP) offer free early learning and family support. You can pretty much drop in at any time during open hours with your little one, whenever you feel the need to get out of the house. There are scheduled infant and toddler circles where parents, along with the awesome staff and volunteers, will sing songs (which will no doubt get stuck in your head on your way home, and with which you will eventually annoy your partner) as all the adorable babies crawl around .
When one of the program staff members at the CMCP told me they were hosting a fundraiser for the centre, and were looking for a photographer to take portraits of the families who attend, I gladly volunteered my services! It will be a fun event and a good opportunity to meet others in the community. A Taste of CMCP will take place on Sunday, April 26, from 11am to 4pm. There will be food, children's entertainment, a silent auction and family portraits done by ME. Tickets are $10 and are for a good cause, I hope to see you there!