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PASCO Lynne Bitten pulled out an acoustic guitar and started strumming. And in no time her audience was singing along with her playlist of familiar tunes -- or at least smiling and waving their arms to the beat.
Bitten was playing for the moms and infants in a Columbia Basin College Parenting & Early Learning Program class.
"Music with infants is so amazing," she said. "It's such a wonderful way for them to learn the language and bond with their parent."
The six moms in the class held their babies on their laps and sang songs such as Row, Row, Row Your Boat and The Grand Old Duke of York.
The group meets for two hours on Friday mornings. The program also offers sessions for parents and toddlers and has a preschool.
There's still room in the classes and parents can sign up anytime. Both mothers and fathers are welcome.
The program has been around for more than 30 years. It's unique because parents come to class with their children, where they get tips on parenting techniques and strategies from experts and the chance to bond with other parents who have kids the same age, said Carolyn Fazzari, director.
"People who come to class meet each other. They bond incredibly well," she said.
The infant and toddler classes meet once a week. The preschool has two- and three-day-a-week tracks; preschool parents don't come every day.
Classes meet on the college's campus in Pasco. The digs include a large playground and rooms filled with books, toys and even furniture designed to help kids feel comfortable and learn.
Parents in the infant class took a break on a recent Friday for snack time. Some of the babies were so young their moms gave them bottles. Others were old enough to sit at a tiny table and munch on solid food.
Bitten, the instructor, made sure the moms got a snack too -- apples and protein bars. The women talked about how their weeks had gone and shared news of good deals they'd gotten at the grocery store.
Brook Spears of Richland, who came to class with her son, Jeffrey, 51/2 months, said that's part of the fun -- commiserating or celebrating with other parents about life with a new baby.
Parents in the classes often feel that way, Bitten said. She did when she took the class years ago as a parent.
This year, her daughter-in-law, Kirsten Metcalf of Richland, is in the infant class with her 8-month-old son, Izach.
Metcalf works and has an older child, but it was important to her to fit the class into her schedule, she said.
"This is a set time of day that I spend one on one with (Izach)," she said.
She sat with some other moms after snack and music time and got him ready for a trip to the playground. The moms said that so far the class has been valuable and fun.
"I'm a first-time mom," said Bree Kogan of Richland, who brought her 9-month-old son Bryson. "Anything I can learn to help him get ahead -- that's great."
Tuition costs $117 to $240 per quarter, depending on the class. Scholarships and payment plans are available.
For more information, call 542-4640 or go to www.columbiabasin.edu/parented.
-- Sara Schilling: 509-582-1402; sschilling@tricityherald.com
