When Luca, my eldest, was born, I couldn’t wait to try out all sorts of baby classes with him. Together, we went to baby sensory. Baby yoga. Baby swimming. And to many more. It was great. For him. And for me as well. The classes helped me connect with other mums. Helped me grow into my new role as a mum.

With my second? Nothing… I didn’t attend any classes. Didn’t connect much with other mums neither. Do I feel bad about it? Yes. And No. The truth is that she is happy simply being around her brother. Watching him. Playing with him. Running around. The truth is that the situation has changed. That I am a mum of two now. And that I think twice before I attend any baby classes.

Then, when Maëva was about to turn one, I got an email. It was from Tom. Tom asked me if I was familiar with the concept of right brain education and if I wanted to come with Maëva to one of the classes he was running at the Heguru Enrichment Centre in Motorcity.

I didn’t know much about right-brain training back then. But I was intrigued. I wanted to know more about it, especially when I started reading about the science behind right-brain training, which is truly fascinating. So, I told myself ‘Why not?’ Let’s give it a try. This might be THE one activity to do with Maëva. THE one activity we do together. Just the two of us.

In April, when Maëva was nearly 12 months old, we went to one of the ‘info and taster’ sessions Heguru is holding at their enrichment centre every weekend (if you’re interested in attending one of these sessions, give them a call on +971 50 1475732 as booking is essential). These sessions give parents and kids the opportunity to see right-brain training in action. You also get the chance to talk to the teachers and to ask all kind of questions you might have.

Our first Heguru class was – how can I put it? – different from everything I had seen before. Different as well from what I was expecting. I was a bit overwhelmed at first by the extremely fast pace of the class. Songs. Flash cards. IQ games. And little physical exercises… During nearly one hour, both Maëva and I were stimulated by different right brain exercises.

I remember that I first thought that Maëva might be a bit too young for this kind of activities. She wasn’t sitting still for a second. Didn’t listen to what the teacher was saying. I shared my concerns with the teachers who explained me that this was completely normal and that all children – and adults- needed some time to adapt. I also learned that you can actually never be too young for right-brain training. The earlier you start maximizing the use of your right brain functionality, the better. Did you know that we typically only utilise 20% of our brain capacity?

So, I decided to continue with the classes for some more weeks and to re-evaluate the situation at a later point. Mainly because there was some kind of positive energy in the classroom that is hard to describe. And because, even though Maëva was not very disciplined, she seemed to have fun.

After some weeks of right-brain training, something interesting happened. I started to see some changes in Maëva. With every class, she seemed to get more interested. To understand more. Suddenly, she started to recognise the songs we were singing together in class and to clap along to the music. She also showed more interest in the fine motor skill exercises that the teacher showed us every week and that we recreated and practised at home.

I should probably add at this point that the programme requires a certain amount of commitment from the parents. While you attend the classes on a weekly basis (there are many weekend classes for working parents as well, which is a big plus), brain training is a continuous process, meaning it is important that you spend some time with your little one every day. That you practice and repeat at home some of the exercises learned in class. Don’t worry, this honestly doesn’t feel like homework. I usually get so many great ideas for baby and toddler activities in class that I naturally want to recreate them at home. There is of course no obligation. But parent-child bonding is a big part of right-brain education and key to unlocking the learning potential in young children.

So, how exactly does a typical Heguru class look like?

In three words: Fast-paced. Educational. And fun.

Classes are aimed at children aged 6 months to 6 years. Content and activities are tailored and delivered based on appropriateness towards each age group. Classes last for approximatively 50 minutes followed by a short discussion with the teacher. This is possible thanks to the high teacher to student ratio (we are usually not more than five parent/baby couples for two teachers).

Independently of their age, children are encouraged to do short memory and problem solving activities, such as Tangram puzzles, Peg and Linking Memory as well as other little IQ games. They are also introduced to the beat and rhythm of music to stimulate their right brain and foster self-expression. Eye exercises such as flash cards and image training strengthen their image grasping ability.

These are only some examples of what we do in class. If you are interested, I really recommend attending one of the ‘info and taster’ sessions to get a feel for what right-brain training is all about.

Where are we today?

We have completed one term of right-brain training with Maëva and my collaboration with Heguru has come to an end. But I decided to continue. And not only with Maëva. Since a few weeks, Luca is attending the toddler class as well. I knew that he would enjoy the programme and he truly does. He adapted very quickly to the high pace of the class and immediately enjoyed completing the little tasks given by the teachers. Maybe because he is a bit older. Or maybe because I am more relaxed this time.

I am very happy that Tom contacted me back in April. Invited me to discover what right-brain training was all about. Showed me how fun it could be. For both the kids. And myself. I don’t think I would have thought of right-brain training as a fun thing to do with the little ones otherwise, to be very honest. But that’s exactly what it is. Fun. And educational.

Every week, Heguru confirms what I had already realised at home. My kids are happiest when they are challenged. In a positive way. When they are stimulated. And encouraged to learn something new. They are happiest when I spend time with them. Help them master a new skill. When they suddenly realise that they are able to do it on their own…

Interested in discovering right-brain education for you and your kids?

I’ve teamed up with the lovely Heguru team to offer two of you mamas one term (7 classes) of right-brain training at the Heguru Enrichment Centre in Motorcity (1x Infant class, 1x Toddler class).

To participate in the raffle, all you have to do is

• • fill in the form below and
  • like Heguru Dubai and Our Big Dubai Adventure on Facebook

Sharing this post on your Facebook wall (public) will increase your chance of winning.

Competition open to Dubai residents only. Children need to be aged between 6 months and 6 years and should be available to attend one of the Heguru classes suitable for their age. Children need to be accompanied by an adult.

The winner will be announced on the occasion of the Mummy Coffee Morning Heguru is hosting on Tuesday, October 10 at 9.30am at Café Confetti in JLT. I will be there and happy to chat with you about our Heguru experience so far.

There’s a little play are in the café. So, feel free to bring your kiddos along 😉

Address:
Café Confetti
Jumeirah Lake Towers
Cluster U Lake Level
Dubai
04 554 6206

To attend the coffee morning, please register by confirming your presence in the form below. Spaces are limited.

I look forward to seeing you all!

Tani xx

What is Heguru?

Heguru is a brain development program that originated in Japan over 30 years ago. While conventional education methods mainly focus on the development of the left brain (giving information to children and expecting them to learn it), Heguru classes focus on helping children to develop how they absorb the information they are learning. The classes consist of a series of exercises that help stimulate creative thought in children aged 6 months to 6 years by activating the ability of their right brain. Their learning ability is enhanced and they are able to absorb new information more quickly and easily.

The Heguru teaching concept for right brain education is inspired by Dr Roger Sperry’s split-brain learning studies performed in the 1960s that revealed distinct differences between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Heguru already has an established Pan-Asian presence and is now coming to Dubai as a tried and tested formula.

Heguru Enrichment Centre Dubai
Unit 102, Apex Atrium
Motorcity
Dubai

Phone: 050 147 5732
Email: enquiries@hegurudxb.ae

Website: www.hegurudxb.ae
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hegurudubai