Handing baby that little bit of extra help

Working mum Anne Fitzsimmons relishes the chance the Born to Learn course has given her to give her children every advantage. Fiona Murdochreports

Every second Tuesday, after work, Co Wicklow mum Anne Fitzsimmons takes her two daughters on the 40-mile round-trip to Dublin for an appointment which lasts about 10 minutes.

She doesn't have to do this. Neither five-month-old Zoë or her older sister Lucy, who will be three in June, is ill.

But, like most parents, Anne wants to give her children the best possible start in life. So when she heard about the Born to Learn programme of developmental mediation two years ago, she decided to sign up.

Devised by psychiatrist Dr Vincent Molony, there are currently two programmes up and running - one in Terenure College, Dublin, on Tuesday evenings, the other in the Good Counsel Centre, Ballyboden, Dublin, on Wednesday mornings.

Anne was soon hooked by the programme which required her to spend at least 20 minutes working with her daughter each day.

"I found it was just such a lovely way to spend time with Lucy in the evenings, especially as I work outside the home," says Anne. "It was lovely to be able to focus on her and give her my total attention."

As a parent and as a teacher - she teaches Irish, French and German in Loreto Secondary School, Bray, Co Wicklow - Anne was impressed by the programme. Designed for children aged from six weeks to four years, the exercises focus on a different area of development each year, starting with basic stimulation and then moving on to primary activation, core communication and, finally, active socialisation.

"It is always lovely to see a child develop new skills," says Anne. "It is especially lovely to see it in your own child.

"It soon became obvious that the programme was something that would benefit Lucy and would help her to develop in lots of different ways. The exercises - which are simple and easy to follow - help the development of social and emotional as well as physical needs.

"At this stage, Lucy is learning to compare and to sort and classify things as well as to improve memory. She is also learning how to express herself and she is beginning to learn numbering."

Lucy thinks the exercises are great fun.

"She doesn't realise that she's following a programme - she just knows she's doing activities which she enjoys. And she gets a great sense of achievement when she learns to do something new."

When Zoë was born last year, Anne started her on the programme, too. "The first year involves a lot of basic stimulation, so at the moment I'm massaging different parts of Zoë's body to stimulate her reflexes.

"I am also repeating sounds to her to help her develop her language skills. Today I was moving a ping-pong ball in front of her to stimulate her eye co-ordination, hand-eye co-ordination and motor skills."

Many of the exercises involve the kind of activities that parents probably do with their babies anyway. "The exercises are quite natural," agrees Anne, "but, by offering a structured way of helping babies develop all their skills, the programme promotes all-round development. It ensures you don't neglect any particular area of skills to prepare them for school and to prepare them for life."

Anne does appear to believe her children will be better prepared for school as a result of the programme. "A lot of the exercises focus on pre-reading, pre-writing and pre-mathematics. They are also good for improving memory and communication skills."

Her commitment to the programme means she always makes sure to find the time for the daily exercises. "I want to devote that time to my children because I know I'm doing something worthwhile with them. It's all very natural and enjoyable and it's a lovely way to take an active role in your child's development."

Dad is involved in the programme, too. "Conor is as enthusiastic as I am and the exercises are something we can do together as a family," says Anne. "The programme helps strengthen our bond with the children because we are giving time to help them reach their potential."

Anne and Conor have benefited from the programme as much as their children have.

"It's lovely to see your baby develop from a helpless little newborn to a person gaining many skills," says Anne. "Yes, she would develop those skills anyway, but it's lovely to give her that extra little bit of help."

• For further information on the Born to Learn programme tel: (01) 493 2943