Workshops

Autumn Term Workshops coming soon!

Summer 2014 Workshop Dates

Beginners Front Wrapping: Wednesday 25th June, 2-4pm.

Beginners Back Wrapping: Friday 4th July, 2-4pm.

Beginners Front Wrapping: Wednesday 23rd July, 2-4pm.

Beginners Back Wrapping: Saturday 9th August, 10am-12noon.

Hip Carrying in a Woven Wrap: Tuesday 12th August, 10am-12noon.

Intermediate Back Wrapping: Friday 22nd August, 2-4pm.

All of these workshops run for 2 hours, and cost £10 per person.

If you have any questions about the workshops, or would like to book a place, please do not hesitate to email me: slingsolutions@yahoo.co.uk

The workshops will be held at Blue Skies Play Cafe in Cheltenham. Parking is available at the centre at the weekend, but not during the week. Please see the Blue Skies website for more details about the venue.

Places will be limited to ensure everyone gets the attention they need.

Workshops are run in a relaxed setting, taking into account that you will still need to care for your child (e.g. feed, change nappies, etc).

If you have a group of friends (e.g. an NCT group) who would like me to come and run a workshop for your whole group, please get in touch! (If there is enough space, I may be able to travel to one of your group member's home to run the workshop).

Workshops

Introduction to Babywearing: Newborn

Suitable for: expectant parents, and those with a newborn baby, who are new to babywearing.

We will look at the different options available to carry your newborn baby safely. There will be the opportunity to try out a variety of different slings, and I will have demo dolls available for those who would like to gain confidence before trying it with your own child, and also for those who are still awaiting their baby's arrival.

Cost: £7.50 for 1½ hour workshop.

Introduction to Babywearing: Beyond Newborn (approx 4 months+)

Suitable for: parents who are new to babywearing, with a baby/toddler aged 4 months+.

We will look at the different options available to carry your baby/toddler safely. There will be the opportunity to try out a variety of different slings, and I will have demo dolls available for those who would like to gain confidence before trying it with your own child.

Cost: £7.50 for 1½ hour workshop.

Beginners Front-Wrapping with a Woven Wrap.

Suitable for: anyone who would like to learn to wrap, including expectant parents, all the way up to toddlers.

There will be a brief introduction to woven wraps, including different lengths and blends, and we will look at some of the basic techniques needed for wrapping with a woven wrap. We will learn how to do two basic front carries, and demo dolls will be available for those who would like to gain confidence using a doll before they try with their own child. A wide variety of wraps will be available for you to try at the workshop (and you are very welcome to bring your own wraps aswell).

Cost: £10 for a 2 hour workshop.

Beginners Back-Wrapping with a woven wrap.

Suitable for: those who have used a woven wrap on their front, with a child approx 6 months+

We will look at different ways to get your child on your back, and will then learn how to do a basic ruck. We will then look at a few variation of the ruck.

There will be a wide variety of wraps for you to try at the workshop (you are also very welcome to bring any wraps of your own), and I will have demo dolls available (including a toddler size doll) to practise with in order to gain confidence before trying back wrapping with your own child.

Cost: £10 for a 2 hour workshop.

Intermediate Back-Wrapping with a Woven Wrap.

Suitable for: those who have a bit of experience with back-wrapping, but would like to learn more.

We will start by looking at a Double Hammock Rebozo (a short wrap carry), and will then look how to turn that into a full Double Hammock carry (a long wrap carry). There will be a wide variety of wraps for you to try at the workshop (you are also very welcome to bring any wraps of your own), and I will have demo dolls available (including a toddler size doll) to practise with in order to gain confidence before trying back wrapping with your own child.

Cost: £10 for a 2 hour workshop.

Introduction to Hip Carrying

Suitable for: anyone who would like to learn how to hip carry.

We will focus on ring slings, and learn how to use one, and how to adjust it to get it comfortable. We will also look at how to hip carry in a mei tai. (This workshop will not include hip carrying in a woven wrap, as this will be a separate workshop). As your child reaches about 4 months old, many parents notice the 'nosy baby phase', where your child likes to look around them more. A hip carry is perfect for this, as it allows your child to see out, whilst still supporting the natural position of their back and hips.

There will be a wide variety of ring slings to try, including both gathered and pleated shoulders. There will also be various Mei Tais available to try (including toddler sizes). You are also very welcome to bring along your own ring slings and mei tais. I will have demo dolls available (including a toddler size doll) to practise with in order to gain confidence before trying the carries with your own child.

Note: If you are coming to the workshop with a newborn/very young baby, you will be shown how to use the ring sling with your baby on your front, and how to carry them on their hip as they get bigger, and gain more head control.

Cost: £7.50 for a 1½ hour workshop.

Hip Carrying with a Woven Wrap.

Suitable for: any parents who would like to learn to hip carry using a woven wrap. It would be an advantage to have already tried a woven wrap in a front carry, but not essential. As your child reaches about 4 months old, many parents notice the 'nosy baby phase', where your child likes to look around them more. A hip carry is perfect for this, as it allows your child to see out, whilst still supporting the natural position of their back and hips.

We will look at 2 or 3 hip carries, using both short and long wraps, with at least one pre-tied hip carry (where you pre-tie the wrap around you, and then put your child in and adjust). There will be a wide variety of wraps for you to try at the workshop (you are also very welcome to bring any wraps of your own), and I will have demo dolls available (including a toddler size doll) to practise with in order to gain confidence before trying the carries with your own child.

Cost: £10 for a 2 hour workshop.