Who is Nurture and Play suitable for?

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Why start during pregnancy?

The interactive relationship with one's own child begins to develop during pregnancy. Images of one's baby and what parenthood might look like begin to develop. Pregnancy is a time for soon-to-be parents to reflect on the upcoming life change. Dreaming and planning are important because they prepare the parent for the baby’s first year.

During pregnancy, it is quite normal for parents to have mood swings and uncertainty about the future. Questions about how life will change or whether you will have enough emotional support are common concerns. So are questions about your relationship, work life, and friendships. It is important to give space to all of these feelings and thoughts. 

At the same time, the relationship with the baby is also starting to develop. The baby's movements are felt - What is the baby like? The desire to protect and affection for the baby are starting to form in the parent's mind. Sometimes the upcoming responsibility can make a parent-to-be worry: How will I cope as a mother or father?

Working with NaP gives space for all of these wonders and concerns. It is through song and playfulness, that we also support a parent and their relationship with their baby.

Someone new has entered your family.

Early interactions, how a parent plays and cares for a baby every day, are needed for a baby to develop in a healthy way. A baby is born with an undeveloped brain. Human relationships build essential nervous system structures for the baby: How to regulate their own emotions and begin to understand other people. Early interactions are required for a baby's social development, in particular.

A baby’s first year is also often exhausting for parents, at least temporarily. Sleep deprivation and meeting the baby's needs take a lot of energy. Relationships change, and there is less time for each other during this first year. Working with NaP provides space to reflect on the different circumstances of the baby's life. NaP actively supports how to create a sensitive and attuned relationship with the baby.

The relationship between child and parent is always growing and changing.

Children have different temperaments. With some children, interaction flows naturally, there is a lot of playful connection, and the child expresses when they needs care from their parents. Sometimes the interaction does not flow, or there are breaks within the relationship. The child could be challenging and may need a lot of support in regulating their emotions. Life for a parent can be stressful or overwhelming.

Working with NaP helps parents to stop and, with the help of a NaP provider, create successful, positive moments with their child. Playful moments that aim to strengthen effective interaction empower parents and create experiences of trust for their child. Parents also have the space to reflect on how to best understand their child.

NaP work can be done in groups with young children (pregnancy-toddler stage) and/or within a family. Work with older children (over 3 years) takes place within one’s own family.