Workshop Objectives:
At the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
• Understand what to expect during the transition to parenthood
• Describe child development in the first year
• Create strategies to co-parent with your partner
• Learn ways to improve communication
• Demonstrate how to strengthen friendship, intimacy and conflict regulation skills
• Recognize the signs of postpartum mood, anxiety, and adjustment disorders and be aware of support or treatment options

Workshop Goals:

• Learn how to maintain relationship satisfaction after having a baby
• Reduce relationship hostility and increase affection
• Promote positive parent-baby interactions
• Promote quality involvement for both parents
• Reduce the incidence or severity of postpartum mood disorders

Class outline:

• Moving through time together: the transition to parenthood
• Building love maps: knowing each other
• Share fondness and admiration
• Turn towards: build an emotional bank account
• Maintain the positive perspective
• Ritualize the daily stress reducing conversation
• Flooding, self-soothing and taking breaks
• Recognize the four warning signs of relationship meltdown
• Practice the four steps of constructive problem solving
• Honor mothers and fathers
• Recognize the importance of fathers
• Understand the baby blues, postpartum mood disorders, and other mental health issues
• Connect with your children
• Preserve intimacy and romance
• Create shared meaning and values