Early Learning Communities programs help first-time mom build a healthy relationship with her child

Kelli and Stuart with their son, Ben.

Kelli considers parenting to be her career and credits Oakland Family Services with helping her excel in her line of work. Oakland Family Services’ Early Learning Communities programs have given Kelli the positive parenting skills — from learning how to interact and bond with her baby to understanding challenging behaviors — she wanted to build a healthy relationship with her son, Ben.

Before Ben could even crawl, Kelli signed the two of them up for Parents Interacting with Infants and Toddlers (PIWI), an Early Learning Communities program offered at the Ferndale Public Library. She was looking for things to do in the community that help parents learn and interact with each other. Over the course of six sessions, families in PIWI get to know each other and build relationships. Each session features a topic, such as developing your child’s friendship skills and helping your child learn how to deal with his or her emotions.

Kelli said she enjoyed the mix of informal play and structured educational material during the PIWI sessions.

“Ben was able to learn from and interact with children, while I enjoyed watching him gain new skills,” she said. “We had a nice, big, open space for young babies to crawl around safely and meet each other. Being around other children and adults provided an invaluable experience for us both.”

Besides PIWI, the 32-year-old Ferndale woman also has taken part in the Feeding, Eating, and Succeeding Together (FEAST) and Positive Solutions for Families programs. Kelli said the FEAST program taught her how to prepare for anticipated picky eater battles with Ben, who is almost 2 years old.

“I learned that you present food you know he likes for sure, and then introduce something new,” she explained. “If he doesn’t like the peas, then at least there is one thing he does like. You always want to present a variety of healthy foods. I think meals should be a bonding experience where you enjoy each other and communicate with each other, and that’s what I want to implement in my household.”

As far as the Positive Solutions for Families program, Kelli learned positive parenting skills while her husband, Stuart, and Ben had a chance to bond when she was out of the house.

“The best part of the Positive Solutions for Families classes for me was being around other like-minded parents who cared about positive parenting and saw the value in it, as opposed to just disciplining your child,” she said.

Julie Lemay, Early Learning Communities lead instructor, said she enjoyed watching Ben transition from infancy to the toddler stage through the agency’s different programs.

“It was great to see Kelli grow as a first-time mom and as a parent,” Lemay said. “Kelli made it a priority to attend any of the classes she registered for. She was open and honest about her parenting challenges and successes and was always willing to try something new that was presented in a class or playgroup.”

Kelli, who is pregnant with her second child, said she is grateful she discovered Oakland Family Services’ programs.

“I have participated in other parenting classes, some free programs that are heavily structured, some expensive classes that are very informal,” she said. “I feel the programs provided by Oakland Family Services are the best fit for my family. I benefit from the educational tools shared during the sessions as well as the comfortable setting the programs provide. I will rely on Oakland Family Services as a community resource for years to come.”

Early Learning Communities is provided at Oakland Family Services through funding from United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Check out more information on Early Learning Communities programs!