Testimonials
“Galoop is a tremendous gift to our entire family. From the very first time I spoke to Cecilia on the phone and through every interaction since, everything about our experience has been exceptional. Galoop teachers inspire calm confidence, boundless energy, and kindness in each of our kids. It has, and continues to be, an anchor for us that we trust and rely on. There is no better place to be.”
— Myra, mother of 3
“I've been part of the Galoop community for the past five years, attending first with my daughter and most recently with my son. Life as a stay-at-home parent can be rather isolating, and Galoop has provided me with a space to connect with other parents for friendship and support while our toddlers get to experience a fun and enriching program.
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As I've navigated parenthood and its myriad of challenges, I have leaned heavily on Galoop's director Cecilia and the other parents in the community for advice, and even just to share a good laugh over the insanity that can be parenting. Cecilia is an incredibly warm and welcoming person, and parenting expert supreme.
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I couldn't imagine a better program to get our toddlers ready to attend preschool on their own. I'm not sure where I'd be without Cecilia and Galoop, but certainly not my best parenting self. I already can't wait to attend with my third!”
— Emily
“Our family’s experience with Galoop has been nothing short of wonderful. My son, who is now almost 3, attended Galoop from ages 1 to 2.5, going two days a week. It quickly became an essential part of our weekly routine, providing structure, consistency, and a warm, welcoming environment.
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The teachers at Galoop are incredibly loving, not only towards the children but also to the parents and caregivers. Their wealth of knowledge has been invaluable, offering guidance on everything from developmental milestones to feeding support. They were always there to answer any questions we had, making us feel supported in every way.
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Galoop is also a wonderful place to build connections. Both my son and I made lasting friendships that have continued beyond the program. My son loved socializing with other children, learning to share, and playing cooperatively. He especially enjoyed the songs, which he would sing at home, and the outdoor playtime, where he developed his gross motor skills. The art and sensory activities were a hit, and as a parent, I appreciated that the mess stayed at Galoop!
Now that my son has started preschool, I can see how much his time at Galoop has helped him. His transition was so smooth, largely thanks to the routine, structure, and comfort he gained from being around other children and teachers at Galoop.
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We are incredibly grateful for the memories we’ve made at Galoop and the positive impact it has had on our son’s development and our family. Without a doubt, we will be joining again with our next little one!”
— Ashley
“Cecilia has created a warm, inviting environment at Galoop. It's a great community for kids and caregivers to start some structure and routine. There is enough variety in the program and each week has a new theme. The day had the right combination of structure and free play to build our son's confidence and prepare him for nursery school.”
— Jodi
“Galoop, located in Brookline/Newton border, is a home away from home for my two granddaughters. The light-filled space is simply amazing and the rotating set of high-quality material and arts and crafts keeps them engaged. But more than anything what I love about the program is the community and environment that Cecilia has built. For me it's a place where I feel at ease. For my granddaughters, it's a place where they can be independent and comfortable exploring their own limits; there's no anxiety here. The space is familiar to them, they both simply love Cecilia and the rest of the teachers, and all the children and caregivers are familiar faces to them. We feel so fortunate to be a part of Galoop!”
— Emma
“Going to Galoop is the highlight of our week! The morning program offers plenty of time to play and connect with friends; crafts and activites; and a gorgeous outdoor play area. Cecilia has achieved the rare balance of providing the warmth, structure and consistency that toddlers thrive on, but also enough new crafts, activities, and discussion topics each week to keep things varied and interesting.”
— Beth
“Galoop in Chestnut Hill is one of our children's favorite activities. Not only because their time is happily spent going from a grocery cart with a baby doll, to an art station with an easel to paint, to a sensory table, and then to play at the kitchen making soup, but because Cecilia is present. Cecilia Matson brings an incomparable warmth, energy, and focus to her teaching. She cares deeply about each and every child and caregiver in her classes; and her positive energy is contagious. Cecilia is a bright light in parenting, offering valuable support so you can grow right alongside your growing children. Thank you, Cecilia!”
— Katherine
“My little son and I first met Cecilia when he was 5 months old, right after we moved from abroad and found ourselves alone in this new city. We joined Galoop to meet other Moms and babies and we loved it! Ante is always so happy during class, he loves the parachute and the storytelling, and I get wonderful advice from Cecilia. I would recommend Galoop to Mommies and their little ones with all my heart! Thank you, Galoop, for being the highlight of our week!”
— Katarina
“Having worked with Cecilia Matson for over a decade at the Brazelton Institute at Boston Children’s Hospital in her roles as clinician, teacher and researcher, I can say that she truly appreciates and understands the emotional and learning needs of young children and how to support their growth and development. Moreover, her approach to working with parents shows the same inclusiveness, the same respect and the same non-judgmental and supportive stance. She appreciates the full range of individual differences in children, their different temperaments and learning styles, their unique cultural world view, their values and their strengths.”
— J. Kevin Nugget, Ph.D Director, Brazelton Institute Boston Children's Hospital
“Having known Cecilia since 1996 when she was a graduate student and my advisee at Tufts University’s Child Development Department, I have long recognized her unique talents. Cecilia employs a distinctive, comprehensive perspective that elucidates child rearing and education of young children in a cultural context. Her practice at Galoop exemplifies that perspective enriched by her knowledge and sensitivity - indispensable to understanding families’ diverse values and guiding them to foster the optimal development of their children. Thank you, Cecilia, for your contribution to our discipline and your accomplishments in support of children and their parents.”
— Martha Julia Sellers, Ph.D.
“My 2-year-old daughter and I love attending Galoop’s Morning Program! I have met moms, grannies, dads and nannies that are so nice and sharing conversations with them about parenting is fun and fruitful. The routines and preschool-like environment are great for the kids and the parenting advice weekly received by Cecilia is super helpful. Both my husband and I attended a new baby arrival workshop and that was also great. We received very valuable advice and just after taking that course we sleep trained our 2 years old successfully. As an international and multilingual family is really great to be part of Galoop's community and we are so grateful to Cecilia and her team.”
— Eugenia
“Galoop is a place where my daughter and I both feel supported and comfortable … and both of us have a lot of fun! It has also been incredibly valuable for me to talk with Cecilia each week about parenting. Whether my questions are about sleep, food, motor development, or behaviors, Cecilia always either reassures me or finds a solution that works for us.”
— Stacy
“My daughter Matilda has been attending Galoop for the past couple of years and the transition to virtual Galoop has been seamless. Keeping the same routine and consistency has been key, and my daughter asks to see Cecilia every day. She dances to all of the songs, loves “parachute” play (we use a blanket!), and looks forward to story time at the end. I love that my daughter gets to see her friends and their caregivers everyday. We also engage in experiential learning at our own time doing projects that Cecilia has carefully put together every week. These projects allow for creativity and motor skill development. As a specialist in child development, Cecilia is a great resource for parents as well, and we truly appreciate her recommendations to keep our daughter healthy and happy during these trying times.”
— Carolina
“I've known Cecilia for over 3 years, I took classes with her with my first and then again as a second time mom. There are many options for music classes or storytimes, but nothing like Cecilia's program. I really can't say enough good things about her, she is truly amazing, kind, energetic, friendly, professional, and you can just tell that she genuinely loves what she does. She's a great teacher/facilitator and her classes have the perfect amount of structure while still feeling very relaxed. She always plans lots of fun age appropriate activities (songs, homemade playdough, paint, sensory table activities, water play, books, bubbles, and much more) and has helpful advice to share for any parenting or developmental issues/concerns. I really look forward to taking my daughters to her class every week!”
— Sabrina
“I met Cecilia in 1999 at the Brazelton Institute at Boston Children’s Hospital where she was a research associate and trainer on the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS). Cecilia’s love for babies and their families, her calm demeanor, kindness and ability to put parents immediately at ease were a pleasure to watch at work. Combined with her knowledge on child development, Cecilia was a great resource for all of us. It is no surprise to me to see her success at Galoop and to witness the high quality of care and level of creativity offered in her classes. I would highly recommend all families of little ones to join Cecilia at Galoop where they will find expert parenting support, community building, and high quality developmentally appropriate experiences for their child.”
— Yvette Blanchard, PT, ScD, PCS, Professor Sacred Heart University