Infant Massage Workshop
March 9, 2023
by Kiara Fite
Flance is committed to “nurture young children and support families” as a part of our mission. The SMILE Program, funded by the St. Louis Mental Health Board, is designed to support our mission by integrating a robust, multi-faceted curriculum that meets the social, emotional, and mental health needs of our children and their parents. The goal of the program is to provide trauma-informed programming that creates healthier children and stronger familial bonds. A portion of the funding for SMILE is allotted for professional development for educators, who are the first-line of contact with children and families. This funding allowed Flance to provide classroom teacher Sharon Smith with training in the wonderful art of Infant Massage. Infant Massage is the use of gentle and loving touch to build deeper bonds with a little one, meeting their emotional needs and assuring healthy development. Although targeted for infants, the practice of gentle and soothing touch is also useful for toddlers, preschoolers, and children of all ages. And because touch is a baby’s first language, infant massage provides many benefits, including improved communication, reduction of stress levels, and strengthened attachment to parents and/or caregivers.
After becoming certified in the practice, Ms. Sharon, along with Lynn Barts from Baby & Me, hosted Flance’s first-ever Infant Massage Workshop at our center. Sharon and Lynn explained to Flance parents how to use gentle touch to soothe and connect with their child and how to incorporate infant massage as a form of intentional, quality time in their daily routine. During the workshop, parents were provided with a bottle of fragrant essential oil for massaging, demonstrations of massaging techniques and ways to check in with their infant during the process. Not only did parents build deeper bonds with their babies, they established new relationships with other parents at the workshop. Flance is thankful to the St. Louis Mental Health Board for their support of SMILE, which continues to provide intentional programming that meets the social, emotional and mental health needs of children and their families. Enjoy a few images from the Infant Massage Workshop below:
