New program: Playground playdates!
Bahala will host the inaugural PLAYGROUND PLAYDATE this Saturday, Feb 8th at Will Rogers Learning Community, 2401 14th St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
We all know the clichés about childhood. It’s a firefly flashing fast and fleetingly, blinkering us nearly senseless in our simultaneous states of awe and exhaustion. Desperate to connect with other adults trudging similar paths, our distorted senses (the usual five plus our brains nattering nonsense about failure) make us shy. It’s a time of reaching—us, our children, toward the unknown, but anything requiring a recent shower and normal human interaction feels as close as the moon.
We instinctively know, as herd animals, that community is the cure for our lonely pretzeled selves, but how to create it seemingly from scratch?
Fortunately, Bahala’s partner, the Santa Monica Early Childhood Task Force has laid the groundwork. Since 1980, a committed group of early childhood supporters has been advocating for young children, their families, and early care providers. Their unwavering mission is clear: all children deserve the opportunities and support they need to grow; the early years are an absolutely critical time; and affordable, accessible high quality child care is essential to support parents (especially mothers) participating in the workforce.
To these ends, the Task Force advocates for a civic vision supporting young children and to move resources and stakeholders to effective action.
For instance, in 2000, when Gleam Davis and others advocated so passionately to preserve services at Marine Park, the Task Force had already helped create the political awareness and public support necessary to advance and fund policy supporting early childhood.
The monthly Playground Playdates are designed to facilitate core groups of children and their caregivers that enjoy the program and stay together beyond them. The goal is for everyone to feel comfortable at their elementary school site, while building relationships with other families at McKinley, Franklin, and Roosevelt—ideally before the first day of classes.
Additionally, families will be able to meet representatives from elementary schools and the PTA who can answer questions and introduce volunteer opportunities. Jill Cipresso, Advocacy & Outreach Coordinator for the Task Force added her enthusiasm for Saturday’s Playdate. “We are really excited to partner with Bahala on the Playground Playdates program. We envision these events as bridges, connecting our youngest community members to their local school and community—and everything is more fun with juice boxes!”
I spoke to Megan, one of the current generation of Santa Monica Task Force parents. She touted the Playground Playdate event as a “low threshold event that directly benefits parents as a way into volunteering” for the Task Force as a whole. To many, organizing people and harnessing resources feels intimidating. “But what people care about,” Megan reminded me, “organically turns into advocacy and community.”
As the mother of a baby and a preschooler, she’s looking forward to asking questions and airing concerns within her community of new parents, such as TK (Transitional Kindergarten) vs Pre-K or preschool. “Above and beyond the nitty-gritty details of Santa Monica public schools,” she added, “some families will choose private education, but we all want to know our neighbors.”
Open to all, the Bahala-Task Force Playground Playdates will dissolve barriers to entry. “There is an expectation for dads to do more but not currently the infrastructure to set them up for success,” Megan pointed out. I’ve heard from several stay-at-home dads/male primary caregivers who find “moms’ groups” intimidating to breach. The Dad’s Group at Virginia Park currently provides support. Bahala’s intention is for the Playground Playdates to act as a vibrant, welcoming third space—“a public area outside of home and work without economic barriers that fosters a sense of belonging, crucial for a thriving urban environment.”
