Children’s class forges deeper connection between families

Parents share ideas and children play during a parents’ gathering in the Bayside Village neighbourhood in Toronto in June.

Close to the Lake Ontario waters in downtown Toronto, Ont., a children’s class has been meeting for the past two years in the Bayside Village neighbourhood. A few families, many of whom live in cooperative housing for artists, met in a park in mid-June to discuss the education of their children. There was a beautiful spirit as the children enjoyed less structured time together and played in the water, with chalk and read books. The group met other neighbours who lived in the building who generously allowed the children to use their slackline to practice their balance, which brought great joy to them. One mother who is a yoga instructor spent some time in conversation after which she left the group and did magnificent yoga poses in the park and taught some of the children gymnastics.

During the conversation, the families expressed gratitude for the impact the children’s class was having on their lives and families, with one mother saying that it provided a helpful space outside of school in which her child could interact with other children, which was especially important since many of the children in the class have been experiencing bullying and other issues at school. The parents also said that the class had helped them get to know the people in the building better and that they were now able to support each other in small ways that made all the difference, such as by sharing food, clothing, and looking after children together. The parents discussed the importance of an approach to the education of children that focused on developing spiritual qualities rather than on behaviour modification, and a few shared parenting advice that was later posted in the parents’ WhatsApp group for those who could not attend.