Review of baby classes:…read more
What a welcoming, fun space, especially as a first time parent to an infant! Each staff member has been so warm and friendly, even when babies inevitably do their pterodactyl shrieks or start to get hungry/fussy towards the end of class. As someone who doesn't have family members or friends with babies, it was a great way to meet other parents and babies in around the same stage as my baby. Even though the babies in my class were in the 3-6 month range, it was so reassuring to see the diverse range of development and personalities, especially as the weeks went on. Every baby truly is a unique individual growing at their own pace!
The location is in a building across the Ala Moana area Don Quijote. Parking isn't validated but it isn't too bad. People tend to zoom around the corners in the structure though and the turns are pretty tight so be extra careful when walking to/from your car, especially with baby!
There is a bathroom outside of the office but on the same floor. When you get to the office, you take off your shoes and park your stroller by the door (sometimes get small kine traffic jam when class is done lol). You bring your own play mat or towel for baby to lay/play on during class (they have spares if you forget). The floor is somewhat padded.
Each class starts off with introductions (sometimes there may be a new family who are making up a class from a different session). If you're late or if baby needs to eat (whether nursing or bottle) or take a break during class, you're completely supported! It's so wonderful that there's no pressure at all and everyone is so supportive. Again, as a first time mom, I feel like even leaving the house is anxiety-inducing and there can be so much judgement in other spaces. Sometimes I feel like the classes were just as helpful for me as they were for my baby in regards to helping my confidence as a new parent
I should also note that it's not awkward if you're a single parent or if your partner has to work. Some parents showed up with just their baby. Some parents brought a friend or their own parent. All kinds of families are embraced!
Sometimes we get to take a material home from class. For example, a month or so ago, we got to take home a shiny crinkly paper from class, which has since become one of my baby's favorite toys. He loves to watch it because it's shiny, listen to it because it's crinkly, and he squishes it with his fingers, arms, legs, and toes. He's since ripped it in two and I tried to buy what I thought was the same thing off Amazon but it's not as good as the one from TLD lol. They have lots of great ideas for DIY activities and tools, emphasizing that you don't need to buy expensive, "trendy" items to get great results for sensory play and motor skills!
Even if you aren't able to attend a class, I still highly recommend following them on social media. They post such great tips and ideas, and they also occasionally host community events like family yoga, mom walks, and dad walks.
I'm so, so grateful that our community has this precious resource available!