Child'Space

Become fluent in your infant’s first language of Touch and Movement

Child’Space Charlotte is a unique program for babies and their parents or caregivers.

This time of early bonding can be magical, joyous and mutually satisfying. New connections are fostered in simple, pleasurable ways between parent and child by teaching parents hand-on techniques to support their babies' development through touch and voice.


Developed by Chava Shelhav, Ph.D. a senior Feldenkrais Instructor, the program provides a foundation of support for parents to trust their judgment and intuition in relating to their babies.

Guiding parents in the language of early development demonstrates how touch, movement, speech, facial expression, rhythm and song can help a baby by stimulating primary developmental pathways. Child'Space addresses the important aspects of physical, emotional, social and cognitive learning in the critical developmental period from birth through independent walking.


“...primary touch and motor regions are the only areas of the cortex to show any significant activity in newborns.” Lise Eliot, Ph.D. in “What’s Going On In There”

Babies learn by the relationship with their parents and caregivers who provide:

safety

stimulation

emotional regulation

During this time of early bonding, babies get to know themselves, their bodies, and the people/objects around them.

At Child'Space Charlotte we offer parents a unique perspective on the developmental stages that encourages new learning opportunities building on a baby’s current activities, interests and abilities.

We teach parents how to provide the missing ingredients for babies to roll, crawl and sit in a way that supports both the baby and the parents in a playful manner. This assists each child to meet its next developmental milestone guided by their own tempo and promoting the curiosity that leads a baby in a positive direction for growth.

Parental involvement and intervention helps babies develop, problem solve and encourages each child's independence and self confidence. These interactions enrich the relationship increasing parental confidence as well.

Child’Space Charlotte is offered in small group classes or private sessions for parents or caregivers and their babies.

To bring this program more into our community a Training Program is being offered for anyone wanting to learn how to work with families and their infants in this way. Click here for more information.

Child'Space taught by Brenda Sorkin, GCFP, Child'Space Teacher and Practitioner (See About Us)


Classes and private sessions include:

hands-on instructive touch to stimulate baby’s proprioception and brain development

face to face play to encourage bonding, social interaction, early conversation and language

sensorimotor activities to support baby’s emerging developmental stage

techniques for calming, holding and bonding

music, song and age appropriate play to stimulate rhythm and facilitate social relationships


At present, the ChildSpace program is not available in groups.

Private sessions are available.

Private lessons available for Preemies, Late Bloomers and Babies with Special Needs


In the future we plan to offer the following classes:

Newborn - 3 months

Pre-Crawlers - ages 4 months to crawling

Crawlers - Any age crawling baby

Standing and Cruisers - Any age beginning to stand or cruise

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"Because touch, more than any other sense, has such ready access to young babies brains, it offers perhaps the best possible opportunity, and one of the easiest, for molding their emotional and mental well-being.”

Lise Eliot, Ph.D. from What's Going On In There

About Chava Shelhav

Through decades of working with clients of all ages using the Feldenkrais Method, Dr. Chava Shelhav has come to understand that the roots of many problems experienced by adults can be traced to infancy and early childhood.

Child'Space Method was developed to give children a solid foundation for lifelong learning and social competency.

Dr. Shelhav has a Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg in the Departments of Sociology and Life Sciences and a Master's degree from Boston University. Her master's thesis, "Working with Brain Damaged Children Using the Feldenkrais Method," and her Ph.D. thesis, "Movement as a Learning Model" reflect her interest in children's learning.

An early student and assistant of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, she is today widely recognized for her exceptional skills as a gifted trainer of teachers in the Feldenkrais Method and has achieved distinction through her work with infants and children. . She has been training teachers for Child'Space since 2002.

Dr. Shelhav has presented her work with babies at international conferences and collaborated in the late Professor Esther Thelen's research in infant motor development.

"Touch is obviously essential to babies’ sensory-motor development, but it also has a surprisingly potent influence over their physical growth, emotional well-being, cognitive potential, and even their overall health, because of some fascinating effects on their immune function. "

Lise Eliot, Ph.D.