GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – A storytelling session called ‘Toddler Time,’ which was part of the commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week 2015 back in August, will be organized next year because it was a huge success this year.
‘Toddler Time’ was organized by the section Youth Health Care (YHC) from the Department of Collective Prevention Service (CPS), a department in the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, and was held at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library toddler room.
A total of 28 toddlers and kids attended while 17 adults took part. The storytelling was done by Gini van Duivenvoorde who read six stories.
The goal through storytelling was to get the parents involved with the kids learning abilities. Studies have shown that kids that breastfeed tend to be smarter. The focus was not only on the breastfeeding kids, but about different facets of child development.
The objective was to work hand in hand with parents in order to get all children where they should be. ‘Toddler Time’ wasn’t only about storytelling and learning abilities, it was also about bonding time between the parents and their children.
YHC presented the library with books that gives information about breastfeeding to be added to the library’s wide array of books. Parents are encouraged to visit the library and make use of the literature that is available providing factual information about the importance of breastfeeding.
YHC also encourages parents to visit the library for their regular reading programs for toddlers and school-going children which takes place throughout the year.
FILE PHOTO CUTLINE: Children at ‘Toddler Time’ bonding with their parents.
