A Little Help From My Friends

I’m not going to beat around the around the bush. I love Gymboree.

{Full Disclosure} Yes, I am the proud General Manager of Gymboree Play & Music for Vancouver & the North Shore. I’ve been with Gymboree for close to 10 years for a very good reason, it’s simply awesome. Who wouldn’t love getting paid to sing and play all day long; to be a part of a child learning to hold their head up, roll over, sit up, crawl, cruise, walk, run, jump dance and climb? To hear their first sounds, first signs, first words, first sentences, first songs. Participating in the continuum of each child’s development is an amazing gift that I get every day! I love introducing a child to a new instrument or a new style of music or a new way to move their body. I especially love introducing a new parent to a group of other parents in the exact same place as them, experiencing the same situations and sharing their unique wisdom.

Community is the heart of each Gymboree and ours is outstanding. Parents often meet new friends for the first time at Gymboree and are lifelong friends long after their child has grown out of our programs. It is incredibly gratifying to facilitate those connections, and one of my favourite parts of my job. Parents seek out advice for everything from sleep, teething and feeding difficulties to favourite products and local services. Want to know the best sleep consultant or newborn photographer? The most effective teething remedies or most comfortable carrier? We are crowdsourcing for the frustrated parent!

While all parents need this strong sense of community, perhaps none more so than the many families we meet who have just moved here from a different province or country with no family or community close by. We are that family, we are that community and being able to be that for someone, to provide a sense of belonging; a place to celebrate milestones and to provide assistance through difficult times and relief when you are just at your wit’s end – that’s really what it is all about!

We are always growing our community and so excited to welcome new friends into our Gymboree family! It happens every day, but often we specifically take time to celebrate it with our Bring a Friend Week. It is happening from January 20th – 26th and we encourage all our currently registered families to invite a friend (age appropriate) to join your favourite class. When they register, they will be able to take advantage of our current great promotion ($59 first month and no membership fee), and the inviting family will get $20 off their next month of classes! Friends get to participate in the class for free during Bring a Friend Week, but we do ask that the inviting friend registers that invitation with the office so we can stay within our capacity limits to ensure everyone has the best experience.

For more information on Bring a Friend Week or joining our fantastic Gymboree community, you can find our schedule and site information here, email us at nshorebc@gymboreeclasses.com or call us at 604-971-5244.

Don’t have a friend to bring you to class? Leave me a comment below, I’m always looking to make new friends 😉