Time spent with your baby in the company of other wee ones is more than just fun for both of you. There are many benefits that parents and babies can get from participating in classes together. If your child has just started to walk, it is a great idea to join parent and baby classes like Dance Babies that encourage the continued development of their motor skills.

Here are 5 benefits of parent and baby classes:

 

1. Spend Quality Time Together

It can a challeng for busy parents to spend enough quality time with their little one, with the hustle and bustle of work and daily life. Parent and baby classes are a great way to guarantee you get that quality time together and can become an important part of your weekly schedule.

“Quality time together tells our children that we care about them, and has also proven to be beneficial to kids’ development and their happiness” (Anderson SE, et al, 2012)

2. Improved Motor Skills

Babies will naturally develop their motor skills in fun ways, through exploration and play. Babies are yet to develop an awareness of their limbs in relation to their body (proprioception) and awareness of where their body is in the space (spatial awareness). Our parent and baby dance classes can be extremely beneficial because the exercises are designed to help improve the dexterity, balance, and physical coordination.

“Preschool age seems is decisive for the development of motor skills and the most promising time-window in relation to preventive strategies for improved motor skills.” (Gallahue DL, Ozmun JC, 2002)

3. Preparation for school

Starting nursery and then school will be your baby’s next major milestones. By participating in parent and child classes, your baby will experience being around other people in a new environment and learn the confidence to engage within that context. Baby dance classes are a great way to begin preparing your little one for their first steps in structued learning environments like nursery and school. This can help with learning basic social interaction skills that become critical to building effective relationships at school.

“Skills that have been identified as critical elements of effective social interaction for preschool school children include the ability to assess what is happening in a social situation, to perceive and correctly interpret the actions and needs of the children in the group at play, and to imagine possible courses of action and select the most appropriate one.” (Rogers DL, & Ross DD, 1986)

4. Foster Independence

Young children often feel a great sense of personal achievement when they are able to accomplish a new actions, like a jump, a throw, or a skip. This sense of satisifaction and accomplishment will make them eager to learn more. Our parenty and baby classes are tailored to each age group to ensure continued learning and development opportunities which will foster that sense of personal independence and help them become more aware of their own capabilities.

5. Improved Social Sills

Babies and young children will meet friends of similar age and learn how to interact with them. Although they may not be able to talk a lot initially, their non-verbal interactions when performing group dance movements will also enhance their social capabilities. Closer interaction with other babies is both good for their mental health and personal happiness. It also aids children’s understanding of appropriate behaviour in a social context.

“The extent and nature of the social interaction children experience will influence the development of children’s social understanding… children do not simply adopt available knowledge but rather children construct their understanding through their social experiences.”

Try a parent and baby classes with DN Dance Babies

To trial a class with DN Dance Babies, visit our class timetable and booking page. Alterniatively, for more informaiton, contact us by email at hello@dndancebabies.co.uk and we will be glad to help.

References:

Anderson, S.E et al (2012). “Quality of early maternal-child relationship and risk of adolescent obesity.”

Gallahue DL, Ozmun JC (2002). “Motor Development: A theoretical model. Understanding motor development: infants, children, adolescents, adults.”

Gottman, John, et al. “Social Interaction, Social Competence, and Friendship in Children.” Child Development, vol. 46, no. 3, 1975, pp. 709–718. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1128569. Accessed 1 Sept. 2021.

Rogers, D. L., & Ross, D. D. (1986). “Encouraging positive social interaction among young children.” Young Children, 41(3), 12–17.

Watson, A. C., Nixon, C. L., Wilson, A., & Capage, L. (1999). “Social interaction skills and theory of mind in young children.” Developmental Psychology, 35(2), 386–391

Weltzer, H (2010). “Teaching infants infant‐infant social interaction.” Pages 145-155 | Published online: 28 Nov 2010