Entry 6-Parramore Kidz Zone (Saturdays)

This past Saturday I was at the Parramore Kidz Zone Baby Institute. After 6 weeks of the 9-week session, it is evident that the parents have bonded with each other and the staff. The staff continues to greet each family warmly and throughout the five hours of the program, the staff makes every attempt to meet each parents needs--whether it is holding their babies while they eat, serving them breakfast and lunch, or listening to them about their week's experiences.
The sessions are now filled with (non-hurtful) teasing and a lot of honest reflection. 

In one of the parent classes the parents talked about their frustration with their child's other parent regarding the lack of support received.  The mothers in the group talked about how they felt as if their child's father was like having another child. Although this frustration is not limited to urban families, the lack of resources and support compound this issue. It also makes me wonder if one of the reasons for multiple pregnancies is linked to the mother's need to feel loved--by both the man and a new baby.

I believe that the more support-type of groups parents have as they are raising their children, the less alone the parents will feel and these connections might help to fill some of the need to be valued and to belong.  As part of this program, we emphasize the importance of attending Baby Institute each week--both for their own well-being, and also as a commitment to the other parents in the group.  At the beginning of each class, if someone is absent, the teacher asks if anyone has been in contact with the absent parent.  If not, then we will drive to the person's house to check on the family and to invite/encourage them to come to the program.

Last Saturday there was a parent absent from class and the other group members said they had tried to reach this mother for the past few days, with no response.  I drove over with another Baby Institute staff member to check on the family.  Unfortunately, there was no answer at the door (and some watchful neighbors wary about our presence).  Baby Institute's family worker, a social worker, will follow up on this family. While driving through this neighborhood which is walking distance to Baby Institute, it was distressing to recognize that this was clearly once a neighborhood where everyone took pride in their homes and now many of them were either abandoned or in disrepair.  The juxtaposition between this neighborhood and the beautiful, cloudless, sunny day was evident.

My "wondering" questions from this past week's experiences are:

• Is there a connection between having multiple babies and the need to feel loved?
• How do we instill pride in the community where we live? 
• Is money the true issue or is there a deeper reason for living in run-down homes with overgrown yards?