Playgroup is booming!

It's hard to believe that in the middle of 2009 we were wondering if persisting with Playgroup was a waste of energy - it was very tiny, and though we had lots of visitors, they rarely came back a second time. The two co-ordinators discussed it, prayed about it, and decided to give it one more term - but with some changes. We decided to have 'activity stations' around the room, for example, a playdough table, a mat with cars and trucks, a kitchen corner, a rug with toys for pre-walkers; and we introduced a much more structured program, so that every week there is a craft, a story, and singing time, and to choose themes that suited the time of year.

And Playgroup hasn't looked back. It's a Christian Playgroup, that's open to anyone; what that means is that we do say thank you to God before we hoe into the fruit and water for morning tea; and we do sometimes play Christian children's songs in the background, and now and again the story book will be a story from the Bible. We

don't expect everyone to be a follower of Jesus, and we don't push people - parents or children - to talk about God.

One of the big hits has been the craft - we always have a craft that involves parent and child working together, and it's great to be greeted at the door by small children asking, "What are we making today?" Great also to be greeted by mums saying, "Look what we made at home this week - we thought you might like to do this one at Playgroup sometime!"

And I love the end-of-term get-togethers! One of the mums suggested that we could book a table at one of the many terrific, very reasonably priced restaurants in Carlton, for a late-ish dinner - leave the littlies at home with spouse, and just enjoy a bit of grown-up time. Her idea was very well-received, so we've had dinner out once a term ever since!

And Playgroup just keeps growing. Four new families have visited this term, and it looks a though they are all planning to stay. With 37 people last Wednesday morning, we're looking nicely full!

So now I reckon it's time to think about starting a second Playgroup!

(For more info about St Jude's Playgroup, click on the button in the right hand column)

Toolbox Parenting Seminar - A first!

On Sunday 10th October after morning services finished we had our first Toolbox Parenting Seminar.

Toolbox is a brilliant course; written in New Zealand by Christians who were working with troubled youth, it encourages parents to see themselves as coaches, training their children towards the independence, values and self control they will need in adult life, providing a a secure base for exploring and developing life skills, and creating great family memories.  What particularly impresses me is how encouraging it is - it's about understanding what kind of parent you are, then choosing what kind you want to be, and what sort of family you want to have, then equipping with 'tools' - strategies to choose from.

Beth Barnett, Children
 & Families Facilitator
for the Baptist Union
 of Victoria

Usually the Toolbox course is presented in 6 informal small group sessions, over six or twelve weeks. Presenting it in seminar format was a new venture for us, and it turns out it's a new venture for the course as well! We wanted to make the course more accessible for busy parents, and especially to make it easier for both parents to attend - both parents agreeing on values and strategies is always the ideal.

So 20 parents arrived at St Jude's, and we gathered around coffee tables in the hall where Beth Barnett took us through the Toolbox approach and selections from the course. Later in the program Beth and our own Emma Baillie facilitated small groups in discussing strategies and issues specific to 6-12 year olds or 0-6 year olds respectively.

It was a terrific afternoon - parents commented that they learnt a lot from the seminar, and were keen to experience the rest of the course. We were made very comfortable with tea, coffee and delicious home-made treats available throughout. Kids were contentedly occupied with a great program organised by our very gifted leader, Jo, and her volunteers, at no cost to parents.

With such a successful beginning, we're planning to run a Toolbox Seminar each term next year, covering the remainder of the course, but also offering the main principles each time so parents who missed the first one don't have to wait a year to get started with this really useful course.