Our first guest blogger is Sara Saylor, an Ann Arbor mom who's son, Turo, was born in Ethiopia. In this blog, she explains the benefits for both she and her son when they participated in Lamaze's Toddler Play Group. When we joined our toddler class at Lamaze, my son, Turo, had only been home from Ethiopia for three months. He was trying to adjust to his new surroundings, new language and new family. I was trying to figure out how to parent a toddler. The warm, supportive environment we found at Lamaze helped us as we navigated our new lives as mother and son.
For Turo, the toddler class was a great space for him to explore and interact with other little ones. At first, Turo would zoom around the room without much purpose. He’d try something and move on to the next spot. But as he grew familiar with the routine, he began to feel comfortable playing and engaging with other kids. Once he realized this was a regular thing, he looked forward to going and would ask about class whenever we drove near the building.
I enjoyed the class because it gave me a chance to interact with other moms. Having a 21-month old who was born in another country, I worried about his development, attachment and language. It was reassuring to be in the company of other mothers who had been at this for at least a year and half longer than I. I appreciated their knowledge and experience as I bungled through those early months. I soon realized, however, that they had many of the same questions about their toddlers as I did. It was a bit of a relief to discover that motherhood can be challenging whether you’ve given birth or adopted your child. And as a stay at home mom, I looked forward to having other grown-ups to talk to during the day.
Six months later, Turo still looks at the little album his teacher gave him at “graduation.” As we look at the photos, I can’t help but think back to those early, unsure days and am grateful we were able to access the services of the Lamaze Family Center.
