Preparing for Parenthood

Kate and Will prepare for the Royal Baby...
What about Perth Mums and Dads-to-be?

We were wondering how the royal couple is preparing for the birth of their first baby – a quick Google search bought up a stack of news articles – some that raised interesting issues for us as we think about how to support parents.

One article of interest discussed the options for Antenatal Classes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/10103277/Royal-baby-childbirth-experts-vye-for-gig-of-the-year.html

What about fathers?

Interestingly, one class boasts that it’s a “father-free zone”, with the justification that mums will make friends easier without the dads around. This seems to be an unfortunate way to begin the parenting journey. Wouldn’t mums and dads want to be on the same page? Making new friends together? Sharing the learning and preparing of a joint venture – joint adventure.

Problem focus.

Another issue raised in this article is how hard it is to absorb parenting information before the birth. Maybe this is true of a short crash course in any topic. Or maybe it’s a reflection of a problem-focused approach – after hearing one problem after another I reckon I would tune out and choose to forget it all. I’m more interested in preparing for how to make it a wonderful experience – how to get it right and maximize my enjoyment and engagement of the experience.

Is one hour enough?

We have been thinking about this a bit lately – How to help couples prepare for being parents and for the introduction of a little person to their world. We believe many expecting men and women are ready for more than a one-hour overview of parenting covered in one of the antenatal sessions. Particularly couples that have been on a long journey of IVF or are having children at a later stage seem really keen to know more.

We’re developing a Masterclass for those couples wanting to prepare for life beyond the hospital doors and be the best parents they can be. 

If you are expecting, what would you like to know about parenting?
If you're a parent, what do you wish you knew?