Activities for Parents and Families
We have a wonderful programme of workshops and events planned for the next few months. Find details below for the latest group activities available to Home-Start families in Wandsworth.
For our virtual sessions, just click on the links and register via eventbrite.
To find out where to meet our groups for a ‘walk-and-talk’ in the park, or if you have any questions about our activities contact our Groups Coordinator, Carey Davies: 07825 917 619.
Walk and Talk in the Park IS RETURNING!!!
Walk and Talk are back on the calendar from 19th April 2021.
We meet twice a week for a Walk and Talk often finishing with a nice hot drink or Ice cream depending on weather!
Tuesday 12.00 on Wandsworth Common (corner of Bollingbroke Grove and Nightingale Lane) or at St Andrews Church with Bounce 571 Garrett Lane, Earlsfield. (last session there for this summer is 11/08/2021 but they will be back in the autumn.)
Thursday 1.30 at Battersea Park (meet at the Sun Gate) or Leaders Garden, Putney Embankment, SW15 1LW. Please check with Carey 07825917619.
We run our activities in line with the latest government guidance around covid-19. Please take a look at our sensible dos and don’ts for joining our face-to-face walks.
Autumn Term 2021
Toddlers Behaving Badly- SLEEP
Wednesday 29th September 2pm
Dr Niki Salt is back to share her pediatric knowledge with us.
Dr Niki Salt trained as a paediatrician and a GP. She has worked in a practice in Wandsworth for over 25 years, where she had a special interest in the health of children and families. Niki also teaches parents, medical students and doctors about issues relating to child health and parenting. Niki is the mum of two grown up children. When it comes to small children she’s seen it all.
For this session she’s talking about toddlers’ behaviour especially concentrating on sleep. She’ll talk about the different ways that parents might respond and how this can make a difference to household harmony.
This is a free session for Home-Start Wandsworth families, volunteers and staff. Places are limited so please sign up below, and cancel your ticket if you can’t make it so it can go to somebody else.
The session is online, via Zoom, full instructions will be sent nearer the time.
Talk Wandsworth: Sleeping
Wednesday 10th November 10.30am
We all know how not getting a proper sleep at night can affect our lives and our health. Kaya from Talk Wandsworth will be helping us with some tips and advice on how to work towards getting a better nights sleep.
This session will be on Zoom.
Learn2Love2Read NEW AUTUMN TERM
Wednesday 29th September 11am
Wednesday 6th October 11am
Wednesday 13th October 11am
Wednesday 20th October 11am
These sessions come as a set of four. Anna from L2L2R have designed these next sessions to feed on from each other, so do try to attend all 4 if possible.
Enjoy Sounds, Songs and Stories with your child
Learn how to develop your child’s language and vocabulary so they are ready to read when they start school
Join further group classes or get one-to-one advice.
A pack of books and interactive tools will be delivered to you before the first session.
The class will be on Zoom video chat, you will receive and email with a link. If you need any help or support with Zoom please speak to Carey.
When you register, you will be registering for all 4 sessions as they follow on from each other.
29/09/21 Click here to register
06/10/21 Click here to register
13/10/21 Click here to register
20/10/21 Click here to register
Dance For Good.
Tuesday 5th October 10.30am
‘Dancing is fantastic for our mood,’ says Dr Peter Lovatt, a former pro dancer turned dance psychologist for The Royal Ballet School.
Anne Marie from Dance For Good has approached me with this philosophy in mind about offering us a half hour led dance session. During that 1/2 hour, we will dance to about 3 songs in a “follow-me” simple dance style to popular dance music (Bee Gees, Earth Wind and Fire, Bruno Mars, etc…). The children and toddlers will easily be able to dance along too. Dancing will not only will make us feel better physically and emotionally (happier, more positive, more confident), but it will also be a great bonding activity with our children. It also has a great impact on the brain in many aspects.
This will be a held over Zoom.
Talk Wandsworth: Maintaining Our Well Being As A New Parent.
Thursday 21st October 10.30am
We all guilty of neglecting our own well being as a new parent.
We all know how overwhelming it can be to be a new parent. We often forget to find time for ourselves and neglect our well being. Kaya from Talk Wandsworth will help us look at this in her session. Offering tips and techniques to help us maintain our well being so that we can be the best parent we can be.
This session will be on Zoom.
Parenting Tools to Improve Everyday life.
Wednesday 3rd November 10am
Parenting is challenging! How can parents develop better relationships with their children so that life is less stressful and more rewarding.
Communication is central to parent-child relationships and key practices can help both parents and children feel more satisfied and happier.
This talk will give an overview of different practices that are useful for parents to help children cope with feelings, to engage their cooperation, and to support the development of their autonomy. The talk will also broadly cover notions and skills on alternatives to punishments and how to maintain limits. Finally, various resources and activities based on the book How to talk so little kids will listen by J. Faber and J. King will be presented.
Vanessa Kurdi, PhD, is trained in clinical psychology and has experience helping children, adolescents, and families with a range of emotional and relational difficulties. She is a researcher in psychology at the University of Reading studying how teachers and parents interact with children and how these interactions impact the way children feel and behave at school and at home.
Archive Events- Future dates subject to demand.
Infant Massage
Future Dates subject to demand.
You can massage your child at any age, providing of course that they let you! This a five-week course offered to families with babies and toddlers, to learn the techniques of infant massage and meet other mums. It’s a relaxed, child-led online class with a certified infant massage practitioner, giving the opportunity to try something new and have fun with your child.
If your child is sleeping, feeding, playing or just not in the mood for massage on the day, why not grab a doll or a teddy to practise on or just come along and chat to other mums.
Welcoming Winter: How to Cope with the Unknown
Future Dates subject to demand.
The winter is inevitably approaching with its short days and gloomy weather which can be difficult for many of us. This workshop invites participants to welcome the winter season with optimism and it will provide a confidential setting to discuss and reflect on our personal experiences. We will explore the challenges we are facing, especially during these uncertain times. We will explore practical skills to help you build resilience during these stressful times and go through this challenging period constructively. We will discuss the importance of self-care and how to maintain your wellbeing in the coming months and the approaching festive season.
This session is offered by Talk Wandsworth, an NHS service who offer workshops and one to one support to improve resident’s mental health and wellbeing. These Zoom workshops have been designed as a response to the difficult situation we are all living in. Once you sign up here you’ll be sent a link to some further questions asking about your mental health and how you’re coping, and if needed you’ll be offered further support such as counselling.
This session is free, and offered to Home Start Wandsworth families, volunteers and staff. It will be held remotely on Zoom – the link will be emailed before the session. You can join via a laptop or phone. Tickets are limited so please cancel if you can’t attend so we can offer your place to someone else.
Self Confidence and Assertiveness
Future Dates Subject to demand.
Have you ever felt unconfident? Would you like to increase your confidence?
This session is run by the psychological wellbeing workers at Talk Wandsworth, and offers scientifically proven techniques and tricks to increase your confidence and help you assert yourself.
This zoom session is for families, volunteers and staff.
If you are interested in this topic but missed the October session, please contact carey@homestartwandsworth.org.uk to express an interest in future sessions.
Choosing a Nursery or School for Your Child
Due to popular demand we will repeat this in 2021 Tbc
Tips on Surviving Home Schooling
Future dates subject to demand.
Some top tips and advice on how to survive Home Schooling.
Amanda, a HSW volunteer and experienced tutor will lead this workshop and share her tips and expertise on keeping kids engaged in home schooling.
Reaching your full potential
Future Dates subject to demand.
With the approaching new year and its traditional new year’s resolutions and goals, we are thrilled to inform you about the upcoming Reaching your Potential workshop. This life-affirming and forward-looking workshop focuses on personal development, increasing motivation and ways to reach and realise your full potential. It facilitates self-awareness through self-reflection and understanding the relationships between our values, talents, past experiences and goals. We will explore the importance of growth mindset and its role in facing challenges and overcoming adversity. With the idea that we can experience an exceptional quality of life filled with contentment and creativity when we strive to reach our potential, we will explore how pursuing your personal goals can be a motivating and an inspiring endeavour!
This session is offered by Talk Wandsworth, an NHS service who offer workshops and one to one support to improve resident’s mental health and wellbeing. These Zoom workshops have been designed as a response to the difficult situation we are all living in. Once you sign up here you’ll be sent a link to some further questions asking about your mental health and how you’re coping, and if needed you’ll be offered further support such as counselling.
This session is free, and offered to Home Start Wandsworth families, volunteers and staff. It will be held remotely on Zoom – the link will be emailed before the session. You can join via a laptop or phone. Tickets are limited so please cancel if you can’t attend so we can offer your place to someone else.
Learn 2 Love 2 Read
Future Dates Subject to Demand.
You are invited to an online class for babies and pre-schoolers run by Learn to Love to Read.
Enjoy Sounds, Songs and Stories with your child
Learn how to develop your child’s language and vocabulary so they are ready to read when they start school
Join further group classes or get one-to-one advice.
The class will be on Zoom video chat, you will receive and email with a link. If you need any help or support with Zoom please speak to Carey or Cora.
Supporting families with money worries
Future Dates Subject to Demand. TBC
Learn different skills and resources to support families with money worries
The families we support (like many around the world) are facing increasing financial worry and pressure. In this session you will learn ways to support Home-Start Families to make a budget, navigate debt, and make a plan to take control of the situation. We’ll discuss ways to support families sensitively and to help them feel confident to make decisions.
This session is taught by Cora, who as well as being Home-Start’s volunteer development officer is also an experienced financial skills trainer. She has worked with adults and young people across London in a range of different situations to help them understand budgeting, debt, student finance and helping your money work for you.
This session is offered to Home-Start Wandsworth volunteers and staff.
An Introduction to Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Future dates TBC
An interactive session giving the chance to ask questions and learn about autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). This zoom session is offered to volunteers, families and staff.
Help with Energy Bills
Future Dates TBC
Gas and electricity bills can be expensive, especially with everyone at home more. In this session Crew Energy will be sharing with us their work on how to switch energy providers, manage bills and keep payments as low as possible.
This is a free session for Home Start Wandsworth families, staff and volunteers.
Baby and Toddler development- Minor Ailments.
Further dates tbc
Dr Niki Salt is a GP with a special interest in paediatrics and child health. She’s got two children of her own and has seen all sorts of childhood illnesses and ailments. In this interactive session she’ll talk through the kind of illnesses you can expect to see in your children, and what to do about them.
Back by popular demand, Dr Niki Salt is a GP with special interest in children’s mental health and development.
Post Natal depression.
Further dates tbc
Learn about the causes and effects of post natal depression
Liz Wise, a specialist postnatal depression (PND) counsellor will be talking about what PND is, who it affects and how.
Postnatal depression (PND) is the most common perinatal mental health disorder women experience in the first year after having a baby . Between 10% and 20% of women have depression and anxiety in pregnancy and after birth.
This is a free session, offered on Zoom to Home Start Wandsworth families, volunteers and staff.
Crafts with Carey and Evelina
Dates TBC
Join Carey, Evelina and HSW on Zoom for crafts to welcome in the Spring. Full details will be added nearer the time.
First Aid For Babies and Children
Future dates tbc
The first aid session will be run by Caroline from Daisy First Aid SW London via zoom and will last approx 2 hours.
The session will include learning first aid for babies (from birth up to 1 year) and children (from 1 up to 13 years old ) and will cover the following:
- How to deal with an emergency
- How to deal with a breathing unconscious casualty – How to put someone into the recovery position
- How to deal with a non breathing unconscious casualty – How to perform CPR
- How to use a Defibrillator
- Febrile Seizures (which can affect children up to the age of 4/5 years old)
- Head injuries (minor, concussion and serious head injuries)
- Meningitis awareness
- Choking – How to deal with a choking casualty – Baby and Children (and discuss ways of how we can prevent it in the first place)
- Severe Allergic Reactions called Anaphylaxis
- Broken bones
- Shock
- Bleeding
- Burns
- Poisons
The session is offered free to Home-Start Wandsworth families, volunteers and staff. If you can’t attend please cancel your ticket so we can offer it to someone else.
Sing and Sign for Babies and Children
Future Dates tbc
Sing songs and learn signs with your baby or toddler! Sing and sign is a fun way to encourage communication in small children through songs and fun.
Learn more at https://www.singandsign.co.uk/
Story time with Carey
This is on hold for the moment as Spring has sprung and Walk and Talks have taken over!
Nothing quite like Story time with the children. A time to bring the tempo down and join together for a story. I hope to share some of my old favourites and also hope you will tell me about a few of your favourites too. I will start the first session off with one of my old favourites and then happy for anyone to offer to take on the reading at next session. I have had a few offers from staff, keen to do some reading for story time.
Shortbread and Chat
This on hold at the moment as Spring has sprung and Walk and Talks have taken over.
Sally and I want to invite you for a chance to chat and share.
With Walk and Talks on hold for the moment, Sally and I are keen to keep the connection going and want to explore some of Charlie Mackesy’s inspiring illustrations and words as well as share our thoughts and struggles in these difficult times. In other words support each other and try to find some joy from our community.
Positive Living- Learning Skills to live more positively.
Future Dates tbc
Join Gabriel from Talk Wandsworth in another online workshop on Wellbeing. This session focusses on positive psychology interventions which have been found effective in reducing a number of depressive symptoms and increasing the levels of life satisfaction and happiness.
The Positive Living workshop covers 11 themes including optimism, gratitude, kindness, curiosity, savouring, acceptance, forgiveness, self-compassion, meaning of life, courage and integrity. These themes have been selected and designed to promote the development of resilience, wellbeing and life satisfaction.
The workshop will be delivered in two separate sessions in order to allow for discussion and reflection. They work best if you can join both. Please sign up to both Eventbrites so you receive the Zoom link.
This session is for HSW families, volunteers and staff.
Positive Living Part Two- Learning Skills to live more positively.
Future dates tbc
Join Gabriel from Talk Wandsworth in another online workshop on Wellbeing. This session focusses on positive psychology interventions which have been found effective in reducing a number of depressive symptoms and increasing the levels of life satisfaction and happiness.
The Positive Living workshop covers 11 themes including optimism, gratitude, kindness, curiosity, savouring, acceptance, forgiveness, self-compassion, meaning of life, courage and integrity. These themes have been selected and designed to promote the development of resilience, wellbeing and life satisfaction.
The workshop will be delivered in two separate sessions in order to allow for discussion and reflection. They work best if you can join both. Please sign up to both Eventbrites so you receive the Zoom link.
This session is for HSW families, volunteers and staff.
Listening in a crisis
Wednesday 28th April 10am
The Samaritans share how really listening can help in time of crisis.
Camilla Boys-Stones was a Home-Start Volunteer, and she now works with the Samaritans. They are offering Home-Start Wandsworth an online session on listening to people in crisis.
Every seven seconds, Samaritans answer a call for help, over the phone, by email or by letter. People ask them for support for many reasons, and they listen without judgement or pressure. Sometimes at the moment of crisis, and sometimes taking action to prevent crisis.
This session is for Home-Start Wandsworth families, volunteers and staff. The skills you will learn will help you be their for friends, family member or anyone who may turn to you when times are hard.
Toddlers Behaving Badly with Dr Niki Salt
Learn tricks and techniques to cope with toddler meltdowns.
Dr Niki Salt trained as a paediatrician and a GP. She has worked in a practice in Wandsworth for over 25 years, where she had a special interest in the health of children and families. Niki also teaches parents, medical students and doctors about issues relating to child health and parenting. Niki is the mum of two grown up children. When it comes to small children she’s seen it all.
For this session she’s talking about toddlers’ behaviour. This includes tantrums, biting, fussy eating, not sleeping and more. She’ll talk about the different ways that parents might respond and how this can make a difference to household harmony.
This is a free session for Home-Start Wandsworth families, volunteers and staff. Places are limited so please sign up below, and cancel your ticket if you can’t make it so it can go to somebody else.
This is a repeat of the session run in November 2020.
Boundaries- Another great session with Gabriel from Talk Wandsworth.
Wednesday 7th July 2pm.
The importance of setting boundaries in our lives.
Gabriel, from Talk Wandsworth is back with another one of his very popular sessions. This time he will be discussing the importance of setting boundaries in our personal as well as working lives. And how to try to live within those boundaries. This is an online event.
Dads and Kids Fun Day
Saturday 17th July 10-12pm
Free fun and games for Dads and their under 5s including babies.
Who are we?
We provide practical and emotional support to families with children under the age of 5.
What’s the Fun Day?
We are collaborating with Open Air Fit to offer Dad’s and children aged 5 and under a chance to meet up and have fun. On Saturday 17th July we will be offering a morning of fun sporty games and there will be a play blanket for babies.
We also want to hear from Dad’s about support they think new dad’s need in the borough.
Family Picnic
Thursday 29th July 12.30
So happy to be able to host our family picnic again in Fred Wells Gardens in Battersea. A chance to get together, enjoy a picnic and watch the children enjoy playing together.
Family Fun Day with Mel @ Open Air Fit
Thursday 17th August 2pm
Mel and his team are back to give us a fun family day on Wandsworth Common with games and activities for all the children followed by a picnic tea provided by Home Start Wandsworth. Bring a picnic blanket and energetic children for a fun afternoon.
Back to Bump Physio in Pregnancy and childbirth
Wednesday 15th September 10am
Pregnancy and childbirth is a life-changing and often body-changing experience. It’s important for all mums to take care of themselves.
Kim Holdcroft, a physio specialising in ante and post natal care, will be talking to us about all things regarding our physical and emotional health at this important time.
Postural changes during pregnancy and in the post natal period – carrying, rocking, feeding, cuddling our little ones.
Changes in our pelvic floor during pregnancy and following birth – C section, vaginal birth, episiotomy, tearing, prolapse, ligament rupture etc
Assessment of our abdominal muscles and measurement of any separation (diastasis recti)
Screening for bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction
Scar management
Return to exercise guidelines.
This is an online event.
