You don't have to put on a happy face for us. Yes, early parenthood is an amazing, miraculous time. It's also incredibly hard... and it's ok for it to be both.

The truth is…

You already have the resources to give your little one(s) the “right” stimulation, play, and interaction to thrive (and you can do it with the materials you already have — no extra time or energy needed).

And though we’re more physically distant than we’re used to, there are ways to get gentle support so you don’t want to pull your hair out…

And reassurance that you’re doing a really good job (and insight into how others are playing with their little ones).

"I was just getting to the stage that I was starting to 'enjoy' motherhood. From the very first class we went to, I knew this was a class I should keep going to! It's been amazing to see Zach grow and enjoy your classes week by week.

What has stuck with me most, is the way you make other mothers feel, offering advice and tips in such a calm and friendly way. I had a very tough beginning with Zach and had bad post natal depression.

Your classes were such a calming and positive place to be, which every week helped me feel stronger. You have an amazing and rare quality - to have this affect on people."

(C., toddler mom)

And yeah, if it's a virtual class... attending a baby development/music class on the internet isn’t going to feel the same “socially” as it does in real life

But if you’re the kind of person looking for a place where nobody’s giving you the side eye with their judgment about how you carry your child (or 1571 other divisive topics in early parenthood)…

If you want to meet others that allow you to put the idea of being a “Pinterest mom” to rest (and instead just give yourself a freakin’ break)…

If you’d like to meet virtually with other families (who may not have showered for multiple days, who are feeding their babies, changing diapers, and sharing real life) instead of comparing yourself to unattainable instagram or facebook posts

And if you’d like to discover different ways to interact with your tiny human, and find resources to help you recognize the little things you can do to help her learn…

Then you’re the kind of person I’d like to invite to participate in a Learn With Less® "Baby & Me" or "Toddler & Me" Class

It’s easy to wonder whether there’s more you could be doing…

💤 You know you “should” prepare a rich learning environment for your child, but you’re exhausted – gathering internal resources to do anything “extra” feels impossible.

🚨 The internet feels like fire hose of information – all you want to know is what is age appropriate, and how you stimulate your little one besides singing “Twinkle, Twinkle” again.

🙅🏽‍♀️ You’ve read a lot of “no’s” and “don’ts” for parenting – but (short of letting your baby stare at the wall and contemplate the meaning of life) what are you supposed to DO?

And you don’t want to be the authoritarian nay-saying parent… but what’s the other thing supposed to look like?

Before

You're tired of wondering how to engage your child with learning activities that help them develop new skills and support positive development

It feels impossible to make enough quality & meaningful interaction in the time you have (nap time, work, housework, preparing yet another meal)

You wonder how you're supposed to "keep calm" without joining the chaos of unregulated emotions, or "sing it again" for the 137th time

You wish someone would just hand you a nanny, a doula, and a non-judgmental best friend who happens to know all about early development

After

You've got a fun, enriching experience to support connection, & that feels meaningful to support infants and toddlers

You can commit to a focused learning and social opportunity for you and your child, and take away a realistic approach to supporting early development

You have a sounding board, and simple ways to integrate learning, and connect with others in one's local community or online

A highly trained facilitator guides you and your parenting peers in a warm, engaging atmosphere (for both you and your young child)

In case you were wondering…

“What if I want more support for my specific situation or challenges beyond what will be covered in a single session?”

We can easily accommodate specific situations, as well as offer bespoke session packages. Please get in touch by sending an email to admin@strengthinwords.com

“I'm an educator / therapist / other professional working with young children. Can I attend these classes without having a child of my own?”

These classes were created for caregiver : child dyads, and we are committed to holding a safe space. If you are a professional interested in learning more about what the program looks like, you are welcome to register for our free demo class or get in touch directly by emailing us at admin@strengthinwords.com

If you’re a professional/educator working with families and you’d like to offer Learn With Less® classes in your community, please apply here!

And here’s the rest of the fine print, which I’m making quite large because I always want to be up front with you:

No refunds for virtual classes will be granted for any reason. Space is limited, which means that if you decide to take one of the spots, it’s yours even if you don’t attend.

Because virtual sessions are generally recorded, you’ll still learn a ton from watching the recording, even after the live workshop is over!

Another thing: these workshops are for families who have a baby who is between the ages of 0 – 12 months or 12 - 36 months developmentally (or if your baby was born premature or is experiencing developmental delays).

If you’re not really sure whether these classes are right for you, reach out to us at admin@strengthinwords.com and we will get back to you ASAP!

FAQs

Who should attend these classes?

Our Learn With Less® classes are for infants, toddlers, and the grownups who love them. This means that they are appropriate for infants and toddlers of all developmental levels.

Whether your child is developing along a typical trajectory or whether you have concerns about your baby’s development, you are welcome to attend.

All children must be accompanied by an adult (one additional caregiver is also welcome to attend).

For what ages are the classes appropriate?

We serve caregiver-infant classes (0 – 12 months) and caregiver-toddler classes (12 – 36 months).

I'm interested in hosting a class with a group of my friends, or in a 1:1 class. Is this an option?

Yes! Fully licensed facilitators are available for privately hosted sessions locally or virtually with small groups (~4-8 baby-caregiver pairs), or for 1:1 sessions.

Please reach out to admin@strengthinwords.com for more details!

Regarding Virtual Classes: but isn't (even more) screen time "bad" for my child?

As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I’m the first to acknowledge that passive screen time in front of a device is NO replacement for real life interaction (with real people and with real objects).

What research has shown over the last few decades is that there’s a difference between sitting and watching a video passively and face-to-face interactive experiences (like a call with grandparents, or a virtual music class) — especially when that child is supported by a present caregiver, who’s able to man the device and engage responsively with what the child is doing.

Do we need to be present at a virtual session?

The workshop will be extremely interactive, and each family contributes to the experience (we weave your environment, materials, and interactions right into the sessions, themselves!)

So if you can be there live, awesome. But you’ll also get recording of what we covered if you can’t make it, if you have a diaper explosion, or if nap time gets in the way (and you can always attend even if your child is napping). This is one of the assets of virtual classes!

If your child is present at the class, a caregiver is also necessary :)

What does the class / workshop cover?

Using our 4-pillar framework (play, talk, sing, and move), we’ll provide you with the how, why, and what so you can support all areas of your child’s development.

Our session will be focused around one of the 4 areas of baby development: cognitive, communicative, motor/sensory, and social/emotional development.

Your licensed Learn With Less® Facilitator will be showing you (and you’ll be practicing together!) simple, practical ways to support those areas of development – finding new ways to think about materials you already have (everyday objects in your home) to help you play, talk, sing, and move more with your little one, within the time you’re already spending and with the energy you’re already expending

You’ll be building the confidence to let your baby guide her own learning, maximizing your time together by coming up with simple, creative ways to quickly organize play materials to support all areas of your child’s development.

Your facilitator will be sharing strategies and tips to help your child communicate to reduce negative behavior and minimize (everyone’s) frustration.

You’ll discover the developmental basis for simple activities you may already be doing – helping you to reaffirm what you already know and do innately, and helping you to boost your likelihood to keep doing them!

Is my ticket refundable?

Please reach out to your local facilitator for specific refund policies in your community.

I'm confused... is this speech or developmental therapy?

No, this is a developmentally enriching program for families with infants and toddlers of all developmental levels.

Ayelet Marinovich, M.A., CCC-SLP (our founder) is a licensed speech-language pathologist and also provides private assessment and therapy services, but this program is not to be considered speech-language therapy.

All licensed Learn With Less® Facilitators are highly trained, highly qualified professionals and educators with a background in early child development.

Caregivers will learn techniques and strategies to promote their child’s communication (as well as cognitive, motor/sensory, and social/emotional) development, and this program can be a wonderful service alongside traditional speech/language and other therapies.

If you are worried about your child’s development, we suggest you request information about appropriate services in your local area from your facilitator!