Little Yellow Classes: A Mum’s Experience
Why did you decide to try a Little class?
“First of all, I wanted to do something with him outside of the home. To get myself out of the house, to meet other people, but also to do something special, something fun with him. As soon as we could and as soon as I felt comfortable I thought it was important to get him out and about, meeting people, experiencing different things and exploring his senses. This helped him to get used to different environments and now he’s confident and happy going anywhere! It was great for my confidence too, it was an adventure for us to get out of the door the first few times! I put him in the carrier and I made it to the class, just me and him. I felt like: “woah, we can do this!” It was very rewarding.
Secondly, I really wanted to expose Ali to sensory play, and to expose him to exercise and get him moving. I work in the fitness industry and so this is really important to me! I really didn’t want him just lying on his back all day. I know the benefits of introducing exercise early on in a baby’s life and I really saw the value in that in the Little classes. It’s really good quality time for me and him which is even more special now that my maternity leave is over.”
Why did you choose to come for baby classes with Little?
“I was looking for Hong Kong baby classes when Little started being mentioned in a couple of the Whatsapp group for mums that I follow. Lots of people had good things to say about the classes so I followed Jen on Instagram. She had lots of tips to share, is really knowledgeable but also approachable and seemed really friendly.
So I decided to go along for a taster class and I got some friends to join too. The class had everything I was looking for so I went ahead and signed up to a class pass and the rest is history!”
Heather and Ali enjoying their Little class together.
What benefits have you seen since you’ve started coming to Little classes?
“The biggest thing is that it’s definitely helped with his overall demeanor. He’s such a relaxed, chilled, happy baby. That’s because we got him out and interacting with people, environments… Being in a baby class like Little has certainly helped him to be less sheltered and get social. That’s something that was so important to us as parents. We wanted him to fit in with our life to a certain extent. I want him to learn that there’s this amazing world and I want to be the one show it to him.
Another benefit, just for me as a mum is that I really boosted my confidence. It was new for me to feel comfortable holding him in new ways and practicing poses but Jen guided me through it so that I felt safe. As a result I am now more confident in interacting with him. I feel like I have loads of tricks up my sleeve and new ways to play with him“
What is the most useful thing which you have learnt in your Little classes?
“I find the breathing exercises so useful, and I use them every single day. “Bee breathing” is my favourite. it’s so simple and it really works! Ali calms right down straight away as soon as I start the buzzing sound, and stretching out my breath like that helps me to calm down too when I’m feeling stressed. That’s definitely been my favourite tip so far!
I also downloaded the baby massage sleep guide and used it after we flew home to Hong Kong after a trip to the UK. The jetlag was brutal and Jen’s sleepy massage routine helped so much. I still use those techniques when Ali is having a hard time falling asleep because I’ve found that they really work for us.”
Did anything happen in your Little classes that you weren’t expecting?
“I thought the class was just going to be yoga poses or movements so I was really pleased to see sensory play incorporated because that’s usually something you have to book separately. Ali absolutely loves the sensory play and I always pick up some ideas to try at home.
And also the baby sign language. That’s something that you can’t find that anywhere in Hong Kong. People talk about it but nobody actually teaches you how to do it. I’ve really enjoyed learning that.
Something else which I wasn’t expecting was that up to two adults can join the class with the baby. Usually you have to pay extra for an additional adult so that's really nice. When my parents visited they came to classes too. They were able to get more hands on and have some bonding time together which was so special.”
