Home practice check-in allows parents the opportunity to share their successes in trying out new concepts and skills. Parenting skills, nurturing routines, and behavior encouragement techniques are presented through videos, discussion, art activities, and role-playing. Parents, children, and group facilitators engage in activities, including games, songs, and infant massage, and enjoy snacks and beverages. Facilitators model and teach new skills and supervise parents in practicing them. Parents are given a brief exercise related to the session concept to practice at home before the next session.
Sessions conclude with a group hug.
The intent of the hug is to increase group cohesion, offer praise, and experience positive touch. Children participate in Family Nurturing Time with their parents and engage in age-appropriate activities for the remainder of the session. During the times the parents are in their groups, facilitators engage infants in age-appropriate activities, including infant stimulation, reading stories, holding, smiling, and talking to the infants. Children participate in songs, games, and large-muscle motor activities. Children ages 3 to 5 participate in scheduled activities that include Hello Time, Big Motor Time, Circle Time, Art Time, and closing Group Hug.