Spring Newsletter from Cincinnati Montessori Society

Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center: Families Forming a Community in Northside

There is a place in Northside where parents and children of the Cincinnati area can go for education, fellowship, and most of all, fun! Let me tell you about it.

I'd been a stay-at-home father for several months before I heard of the Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center. I was pretty much a shut-in at the time. After my wife had graduated from school I left work so I could be home to raise our three month old daughter while she got her career started. I never regretted that decision, but more than once I felt overwhelmed and desperately alone with my baby girl.

As a first-timer, there was so much I didn't know. Why did she cry all the time? Where could I go to get her out of the house and see other children? How could I balance the work I still did from home, and the housekeeping, and ensure I gave my daughter all the attention she needed? Why couldn't I get her to eat or take her naps? Who could I ask for support and would understand what it was to be a stay-at-home dad? What had happened to my social life?

My wife was a great help, of course, but she didn't - couldn't - understand the challenges of being a guy at home all day with no one for company but an infant he constantly worried he wasn't caring for properly. I felt isolated. I couldn't find many resources to turn to, so I buried my nose in the one semi-helpful book for dads I found, gleaned what seemed helpful from the Internet, and stuck my daughter in her stroller so we could wander around the mall, or Target, or the bookstore. But mostly I felt inadequate, did the best I could, and hoped that with enough love we could muddle through.

Then a friend of mine told me she was planning to take her daughter to some toddler exploration classes at a place in Northside. I thought the classes sounded great, and was excited to take my little girl, a couple months younger than my friend's, there as well. What I found surpassed my expectations. I was picturing a place I would take my daughter once a week for an hour or so and then pack her back up and go home. Instead, the CFEC proved to be a welcoming community in a comfortable setting. And I found I wasn't alone.

In fact, CFEC founders Sharon Said and Renate Wuebker had parents like me in mind when they opened their doors in 2008.

"Parents constantly worry that they're parenting well," Sharon says. "They seem to experience a lot of guilt. I spend much of my time encouraging, supporting, and affirming. It's quite an honor.

"Renate and I felt a place was needed where new parents could come with their babies for support, encouragement, and nurturing. Our goal was to create an environment where moms can breastfeed without negative reactions, where little ones can play without being frowned upon (like in a coffee shop with business people!), and where new parents could vent and find answers to their parenting challenges."

To that end, Said and Wuebker acquired a large Victorian home in Northside and began outfitting it to create a safe and welcoming setting for children and parents alike. The house now features a boutique specializing in products that promote attachment parenting and chemical-free living, a child-friendly café where parents can relax and chat with others while the kids play, an educational garden, and several classrooms. They host a variety of classes for all ages from newborn to preteen, as well as weekly workshops for families and parents.

When asked about the CFEC's classes and workshops, Sharon replies, "All our programming is meant to educate and promote family togetherness and compassionate parenting." All of the classes are parent/child interactive. Whether it's an art class, a music class, a signing class, or one of the 20 other enrichment babies

classes offered, there is an instructor who leads and teaches not just the youngsters but also the adults. While the outward goal is to teach the children, instructors also model teaching behaviors for parents, to give them the skills to continue the education at home. Classes such as TummyTime and Little Sprouts Yogis, for instance, are overseen by experienced and certified instructors and have tangible benefits such as stimulating baby's cognitive and physical development. But they also encourage parents and infants to simply be with each other, to move gently with each other, and to learn about each other. In other classes, parents cook with their children, garden with their children, or learn Spanish with their children. You get the idea!

This ethos of togetherness ties together everything the CFEC has to offer. Before or after classes, young children can be found learning to play together while their parents can be found nearby relaxing, chatting together, and sharing parenting tips or the latest child research. The classes and workshops offered cover all stages of families, from "prenatal to preteen." Also, as I and other dads can attest, the CFEC is just as welcoming for men with children as it is for moms. And for many parents, the togetherness has moved beyond the learning and playing as they've started book clubs, exercise groups, and knitting nights.

Or, if you prefer, you can simply come for class and take off afterwards, and still get a tremendous amount out of what the CFEC offers.

Sharon and Renate have taken great pains to make certain the design and delivery of the educational content meet their high standards. Sharon has over twenty-five years of experience in both parent and child education and is also the founder of Signing Safari and ProActive Parenting. Renate, before coming to Cincinnati to raise her family, worked as photo editor and archivist for Germany's largest private international press agency. They are both dedicated professionals and ensure their instructors have the same level of commitment to the CFEC's standards.

The CFEC is always welcoming new families; parents are encouraged to visit anytime. In addition to classes, parents can bring their children to free story times, attend one of their weekend workshops, or just come and relax for a moment while their children make new friends. For more information parents can visit www.theplaceforfamilies.com or call (513) 591-2332.

- Jeff Sucharew