Today our WEE MINDS group said goodbye and good luck to Ben as he leaves his friends at Ladyburn to start nursery in the next few weeks.
Ben was one of the first babies to join this groundbreaking attachment based group at age 4 months and as one of Inverclyde's babies born in the pandemic and during lockdown. During his weekly special play time at the group he met other babies and learned how to self regulate; self soothe and enhance good mental health and wellbeing through play; pick up social norms and enjoy one to one time with Mum and Dad as well as with his friends.
In the first few months of life his Mum and Dad volunteered along with Ben to be filmed weekly in every day situations as part of the 1st year course requirement of 20 weeks of infant observation for trainee BAPT play therapists on the Masters course for play therapy at With Kids Glasgow and Queen Margaret University.
Last year Ben's Mum volunteered to take part in research when Professor Yvonne Kuipers from Edinburgh University Dept of Midwifery and her team visited WEE MINDS parents over some months to conduct research in to birth trauma.
We wish Ben well on the next part of his journey and on his transition to nursery.