A group of bubbly youngsters have taken time out of their busy schedules to entertain residents from an east Auckland retirement village.
Stephany Wofinden, who owns local home-based early childhood education provider Stems From Home, says the children enjoyed the visit on September 16 from people who live at Pakuranga Park Village.
She says her business has formed a special relationship with the rest home over many years and next term she plans to run two music sessions there.
“It’s often said ‘children keep us young at heart’, and this is certainly true for some of our residents at Pakuranga Park Village.
“Older adults who can actively engage with children have been found to have better physical health, are less likely to suffer from depression and have a higher degree of satisfaction in life.
“Stems From Home has been building relationships between their enrolled preschool children and our older friends at the rest home over the past few years.
“We sometimes take a group of homebased educators and children into the rest home to engage and play together with the residents, and sometimes the rest home brings our special friends out in the van to join our playgroup, held at the Howick Softball Club.”
Wofinden says academic research shows changes in society mean there aren’t the same opportunities for older and younger people to come together as they once did.
Bringing the generations together places older people in a position where they can see hope, enthusiasm and the wonder of children, and the children can also benefit from the wisdom older people can offer, she says.
“Stems From Home is embracing being able to build these relationships locally and the freedom home-based childcare provides for children to be able to be out exploring in our community and learning new things in genuinely authentic contexts.
“They’re looking forward to taking their music and movement group into the Pakuranga Park Village next term and having a Christmas celebration together too.”
