| Mother-child connection | Maternal wellbeing | Children’s social skills |
Focus group interviews | Mothers agreed that it was “Important to spend time with the kids”, the only time to get together during school | Young mothers said “Glad I did it since my son loved it” “Happy I did it” | Child was “More interactive with more kids,” learned to sing to herself, play peek-a-boo |
Participant observation of music classes | Mothers were smiling, cuddling; learning how to interact with children; pairs enjoyed being together (laughing, touching) | Mothers were more congenial, conversational, mutually supportive; mothers smiling at babies, at one another, holding each others’ infants | Children were communicating with each other; toddlers were dancing, following instructions and putting toys away |
Video footage, photographs | Mothers and children were enjoying baby massage, peek-a-boo, mutual laughter, cuddling and reading together | Chatting and laughter, mothers smiling at each other and connecting with other infants | Child learning to clap, toddler giving baby a hug, children observing one another |
Individual interviews ・ with mothers ・ with music instructor | Classes supported relationships: “helped me connect with the group and her” (child) Mothers enjoyed watching children have fun and interacting, comparable to adult mothers | Connections with the group: “I guess I’m closer with the moms,” mothers “liked everything” Community bonding similar to classes of adult mothers | Mothers said children liked having fun, playing with toys, and “the singing” Social and cognitive skills appeared similar to those of children of adult mothers |