Forget fancy tea parties, the one Friday at Creston Village Assisted Living & Memory Care in Paso Robles comes with chocolate milk, apple juice and plenty of tiny tambourines. It’s all about bridging the gap.
You can’t put a price tag on friendship or an age, for that matter.
At Creston Village Friday morning, two very different worlds collided and melted into each other’s arms.
“We don’t have grandparents that live nearby, so it’s nice to see him, you know, bonding with the older people, and getting along,” said Laura Whitelaw, parent of 3-year-old Brady. “You know, they’re very similar in their own ways!”
It’s said that music is universal and, in this case, it’s also generational during the Mini Melodies Generations class.
There were pitter patters of little dancing feet alongside the tapping of music with a wrinkled hand, but they were dancing to the beat of the same drummer.
“They see those elders, and something in the energy, it just draws them to each other,” said Mini Melodies Director Danielle McNamara.
You wouldn’t think that a Mommy and Me sing-along class would be held at an assisted living residence, but without even trying, it filled a void and flooded back memories.
“It all makes us happy, and then we think back of what we used to do, and now things are done a little differently, so it’s very, very nice,” Creston Village resident Beverley Wood said.
Every Friday, you can see tambourines shaking, colorful scarves waving and a sea of smiles on the faces of both the toddlers and their “grandfriends.” But on July 31 at Creston Village, it was even more special.
After working up an appetite singing and dancing, the toddlers and their “grandfriends” broke bread together - or dino nuggets and peanut butter sandwiches - at a special tea party.
“We’re serving finger foods that are toddler-focused, so our residents that may not be, you know, 8-years-old but maybe 80 or more, can enjoy the same foods as the littles,” Creston Village executive director Adam Bramwell said.
A day filled with music, laughter, hugs and bite-sized food came to an end, as the tots said goodbye to their “grandfriends,” but one question remained.
“Does this make you want to start over again?” KSBY reporter Monique Lopez asked Wood.
Through laughter, Wood answered, “No!”
A new semester of Mini Melodies Generations will start in September, with enrollment opening Saturday.
