Why Babies Matter

Have you ever heard a conversation that changed your life? Recently, a passing comment by a stranger ignited a fire in me that will fuel my work for years to come. On a lovely summer morning, my best friend and I were seated on an outdoor bench in front of our neighborhood ice cream shop, enjoying our delicious frozen custard. Nearby, two men adjusted the gears and equipment on their road bikes, perhaps in training for an upcoming competition. One said to the other: “How long will Jennifer be home with the new baby?” His friend replied, “She has three months of maternity leave but she’ll work from home because, you know, babies are just blobs the first few months.”

Friend with Chris outside of the Ice Cream shop

I gasped, my hand at my chest in an ancient gesture of shock. The men rode away before I could say even one of the hundred thoughts racing through my head. My friend put her arm around me and said, “Well, Chris, that’s why you do what you do.” She’s right. It’s my passion to educate all of us about the most critical period of development across the lifespan. The hundred thoughts I wanted to share that day are found in our upcoming course: NTouch with LifeWays.

While I have no doubt this new dad dearly loves his newborn, he seems unaware that his interactions now will quite literally shape his baby’s development from day one. What comes first forms the foundation for all that comes later. “Experiences Build Brain Architecture” reads the title of a video from the Harvard Center for the Developing Child, the first in a series of videos we’ll view during NTouch with LifeWays. Our discussion will explore, from the viewpoint of infants, what we know from LifeWays early childhood training: the physical and emotional environment shapes the brain— the caregiver shapes the environment.

NTouch with LifeWays seeks to help us get “in touch” with families in transition from pregnancy to parenting as we offer decades of collective wisdom from a Waldorf perspective. Over the course of five weeks, we’ll explore in depth why babies matter, plus research-based touch and massage techniques, caregiving skills and care practices to help babies cry less, sleep more and flourish as they develop. This course is designed for all who are interested in prenatal, newborn and infant development.

We begin on Zoom Tuesday, September 9th at 6:30pm CT with a welcoming virtual session to greet each other and discover our collective interest in understanding infant development. Module One opens Wednesday, September 10th -- you’ll have all week to explore the content. We’ll reconvene on Zoom each Tuesday evening for lively conversation about the past week’s Module and a peak at the new content opening the next day. This mix of group conversation Tuesday evenings paired with learning on your own during the week serves to build a vibrant, engaged community.

Now, for a confession: I was not unlike the young dad in my story when my first baby was born. In graduate school I was taught that babies arrive as a “blank slate” and require a structured program of infant stimulation techniques to thrive. My newborn wanted none of it! With NTouch, I’ve created the course I wish I’d had thirty years ago.

I’m thrilled to bring this work to my beloved LifeWays community and hope you’ll join me on this journey of wonder and discovery!

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To enroll in Chris's course, visit https://www.lifewaysnorthamerica.org/product-page/ntouch-with-lifeways