My “babies” and I. 

I remember those days so clearly – having a new baby at home was an extremely special time. It was also a very scary time. For myself and many others, caring for an infant can be overwhelming. I can recall second guessing myself – debating whether my daughter had nursed enough, why she was crying, or if I was getting her on a schedule soon enough. In addition to my parenting doubts, I often felt lonely and can remember seeking out other caretakers who also had infants. It is with these memories in mind, that our outreach team began thinking about a caretaker-centered program. Bring Your Own Baby, or BYOB, is our newest program that launched today, designed for caretakers and their infants, BYOB will begin with some coffee and chance to chat with each other. To help get things started we’ll have some questions to break the ice and build common ground.

Following our coffee and conversation, the group will head out to a nearby museum where we will explore a topic through an adult lens. These museum visits won’t be tours in the traditional sense. They will be opportunities to look, learn, and exchange ideas. So what does SEEC know about adult programming?  We actually work a lot with adults through our professional development programs.  Not only are we comfortable working with adults, but we find that many of the methods we use with young children work equally as well with this audience. SEEC believes strongly that learning is a lifelong endeavor and we love the idea a of educating caregivers, while at the same time exposing their infants to a new and rich environment.

We’ve chosen five different themes.

What’s Your Impression?
Monet, Degas, Renoir…some of the most well-known artists, and yet when they first exhibited their work it was met with harsh criticism. Explore the distinct characteristics of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artwork and why it was controversial in its time.

Inspired by Nature
This session will explore the ways in which inventors mimic the natural world to come up with products that improve our everyday lives.

Like Father, Like Son
Papas and patrons in the Italian Renaissance.

Silence is Golden
The art of ancient writing.

Hinduism and Buddhism
Explore the art and iconography of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Throughout the experience, we will aim to make our families feel as comfortable as possible by moving at their pace and being adaptable. During our museum visit, we will engage our adults while peppering in ideas that will inspire them to to return to the museums with their infants. Eventually we hope to build a community that will connect and grow with us.

Hope to see you soon!

BYOB occurs most second and fourth Tuesdays from 10 – 11:30am – Register here