For more than 30 years, the City of Carlsbad has offered parents and toddlers a unique program that facilitates learning and socialization in a structured environment. Since 1980, the Parent-Toddler 1 class has provided support to countless one-year-olds while also serving as a resource for their parents.
The City of Carlsbad offers four Parent-Toddler 1 classes, which allows up to 52 students to take part in the program each year. The classes are held for one- to two-hours weekly, and are offered at Calavera Hills Community Center, Holiday Park: Scout House and Stagecoach Community Center.
A typical morning for children may include singing songs in a circle, hearing theme-appropriate stories, sitting with friends for snack time and making a craft project.
Brenda Elg, site coordinator, said parents often benefit from the program as much as their children do. "It provides a support group for moms and dads to come together and share ideas," she said, adding "where else do you go to meet parents and have that social network?" She said she enrolled her youngest son in the Parent-Toddler 1 program after it was created, and is still reaping the benefits of her decision. "I am still friends with some of the parents I met in the first toddler class, and my son is still friends with some of the toddlers," she said.
Michael Bodman, recreation supervisor, said the City of Carlsbad has worked hard to ensure the quality of its Parent-Toddler 1 class, including by hiring teachers who are trained in early childhood education and are members of the National Association for Education of Young Children. "You need that education and experience background for the parents, " he said. Bodman said the Parent-Toddler 1 class has been a long-time popular program for residents, and the City of Carlsbad worked hard to make it that way. "We have found the winning formula," he said. "It has come together, and we have done it right."
To register for the class, parents may sign up their one-year-olds in-person at a community center or by phone at 760-602-7510.
The fees range from $36 resident/$46 non-resident to $46 resident/$58 non-resident a month.
For more information, visit www.carlsbadca.gov/parksandrec.
