Ten reasons to choose Parent-Child Mother Goose (P-CMG)
By Janene Swalwell, 2011. Parent Child Mother Goose Australia Inc
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A Parent-Child Mother Goose (P-CMG) program combines songs, rhymes and stories shared between a group of parents and their children under four years of age, supported by two teachers and an assistant. The songs and rhymes involve everyone. The stories are told between the adults sometimes with children and sometimes while the children are cared for by the assistant. The emphasis is on shared communication and there are no props. The whole communal process provides understated, subtle nurturing of the interactions between those engaged. The teachers are observant, responsive to participants and highlight the children’s responses to their parents. The pace is relaxed, slow and repetitive.
Reasons for choosing P-CMG are complexly inter-related. However, there are at least ten, which can be separately described. Each reason for choosing P-CMG offers both positive “experiences”, and creates “opportunities” for enhancing development and promoting emotional health. 1: Culture
Experiences P-CMG conveys culture, tradition and wisdom. Songs, rhymes and story-telling are universal. They are part of every culture. Traditionally, parents and elders passed on knowledge through use of songs, rhymes and story-telling. Together, they have been the means to convey knowledge to children and communities throughout history. In the past, messages were conveyed incidentally during joint activities. So P-CMG uses traditional processes which respect wisdom and affirm the importance of sharing information with children. P-CMG reflects members’ cultural diversity and traditions, as well as the value of each individual’s contribution to the group. Opportunities Today, many people today are isolated from their cultural roots, and often separated from their community of origin. They may be living in multi-cultural communities far away from their relations and childhood friends due to war, being refugees or having moved for greater opportunities. Others have lost knowledge of traditional culture as a result of disadvantages or active restrictions by dominant groups. However, the traditional ways still “speak” to most people’s hearts. Even when P-CMG participants have not heard the stories, songs or rhymes of a particular tradition something of their tone, their format, metre and balance, speaks to most, but especially those who grew up in that culture. So P-CMG restores and invigorates cultural knowledge and practices. 2: Community
Experiences P-CMG creates a sense of sharing and community. It builds friendships and links families in local neighbourhoods together. The experience of sharing in “a community of song and of story-telling” creates a warmth and energy between participants that is profound, especially as it involves multiple generations; parents, young children and supportive others. The P-CMG group becomes its own neighbourhood “friendship community”, with some members choosing to have regular contact outside the sessions. Opportunities Many young parents find themselves isolated, lacking a group of local friends and neighbours, and especially lacking opportunities for shared experiences with those at a similar stage in family life. They benefit from the chance to make new friends, to be in a supportive group and, through the teachers, to find out about the supports and resources of their community. Some parents find themselves isolated from their culture-of-origin. They enjoy being able to make contact with the wider community and, at the same time, share and contribute from their traditions. The sharing of songs and stories may be new to some participants but once they become comfortable with the process, their sense of shared community opportunities often pervades their family and cultural life from then on. 3: Enjoyment
Experiences Participation in P-CMG is an enjoyable, warm, engaged shared experience that encourages fun for all. Children love learning with their parents, particularly when it involves playfulness and humour. P-CMG creates opportunities for sharing special times together, which promotes intimacy. The program time becomes a significant enjoyable feature in family life. Children regularly ask parents to repeat the increasingly familiar and newly introduced songs, rhymes and stories outside P-CMG. Parents grow in confidence and are affirmed by responses to their increasing story-telling capacities. Opportunities Occasionally children find songs, singing and rhymes troubling. However, as they become familiar with the P-CMG routine they gradually relax, and become engaged in the activities with their parents. With persistence, they benefit greatly from new awareness, and understanding, of voice tones, rhythms, stresses and communicative interactions generally. Teachers are always flexible about participation and repeat features the children and families find most engaging. In the long run the participation opens opportunities that would not have been available otherwise in communication and social sharing. |
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