BC Council for Families

Guest blogger: Beth Hutchinson, Provincial Coordinator,
Parent-Child Mother Goose in BC

This October, I took a trip to Australia to visit the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program there!

A variety of individuals in Australia heard about the PCMGP, convinced others of it’s value and organized some initial training workshops in 2003. Programs got started. In 2006, Glenna Janzen, the Executive Director of PCMGP at the time asked me to work with her in delivering additional training. As well as leading training workshops and discussing organization, one Australian workshop facilitator was certified.

In 2009, they wanted to have visits to some of their key programs, additional training, input into their organizational work and 2 new trainers certified.I was asked to do this work.  

I said yes! And so it was that on October 23, I flew across that great big ocean and landed in Melbourne.   

They were very well organized and welcoming. I was able to visit programs, lead workshops, work with all of the current and hopeful facilitators, discuss  program organization and Canada-Australia relations. The work was interesting, fun and I met so many great and interesting people. The workshops involved participants from three states and were held in Melbourne, Wodonga and Echuca (smaller centres in the state of Victoria).  The workshop in Echuca was hosted by the Njernda Aboriginal Corporation and was open to Aboriginal participants only.  

The development of the PCMGP in Australia has reached a stage that they are ready to form a new relationship with the Canadian program. The details of this arrangement are beginning to be worked out.  

They hope to continue with a mutually advantageous relationship that involves sharing of ideas and research, that involves mutual support and that involves some visiting back and forth from time to time.

It was a fantastic opportunity for me to travel across the world (twice), to notice the similarities and differences between Canada and Australia and to get to know people who are as committed and passionate about the PCMGP as we are. I look forward to the ongoing relationship between our programs. 

And, did I learn a few new rhymes?

YES, I did and here are three for you. 

I chose this first one because it talks about foods that seem to appeal in the winter!   

Steam Train

Coffee, coffee x2
Cheese and crackers x2
Suet pudding x2
Beef and carrots x2
Fish and chips x2
SOOOOUP!

This rhyme starts of slowly, like a train and gains a bit of speed with each line. The SOOOUP is like blowing of the whistle, making a dramatic ending. Yes, of course, you can change the foods to make them fit and to have fun.

Up in the Air

Up, up in the air like this
Down, down for a great big kiss
Up like this
Down for a kiss
You’re my special little baby.

And this one is just pure sweetness!

A Big Mac Truck

A big Mac truck
A big Mac truck
a tiny little Mini and a
big Mac truck
do twice
a racing car, a racing car
a tiny little Mini and
a big Mac truck
do twice.

To the tune of A Ram Sam Sam; this is a big favourite in certain circles.   Big driving actions for the Mac truck, little ones for the Mini and then the racing car whooshes through the air with the adult/child’s hand.