I have been teaching baby massage for over two years now and the group is always made up of mum’s, this is usually because the courses run during the week, when dad’s are at work. The mum’s I have worked with have enjoyed the course and some have left great testimonials to reflect what they have learnt. Recently I decided to try to incorporate a dad’s only session as part of the baby massage course and I am pleased to say it has been a resounding success!
The dad’s only group has run with 4-5 dads and babies, mums have taken the opportunity to disappear and have some quiet time over a coffee nearby (usually the kitchen!) Dads have taken charge with all the things they made need for the session (including clean nappies, bottles and dummies) and after a sometimes nervous start, have thrown themselves into it. My most recent group had slightly older babies (5-6 months) which are generally on the move with rolling, it was fascinating to see babies that do not normally lie still to be calmed by dad’s touch. The dads are a slightly tougher crowd to work with, so keeping things interesting was important. The dad’s session is condensed version of the strokes (covering a few strokes from all over the body) with some interesting key information about development thrown in. There was slight hesitation about nursery rhymes to begin with, but an easy start with ‘row, row, row your boat’ and everyone was soon singing to their babies! I thoroughly enjoyed teaching this group of hard working men and the feedback has been great, so I now plan to make it part of the baby massage course – no excuse for dad’s not to be part of this amazing bonding opportunity, as sessions are held on Saturday!
To find out more about baby massage and to read some of the fantastic testimonials, please go to baby massage
To book a baby massage course please contact swati@instepchildrensphysio.com
