Ohana Dad & Baby Groups
Dads face unique concerns and challenges as they try to balance the responsibilities of work, supporting the new mother, and bonding with their babies. The immediate post-partum period is a critical time for dads to connect with their new babies, and their ability to do so can set the stage for strong relationships throughout the child’s life.
Our Dad & Baby classes provide you with a community of other dads with whom you can navigate the new parent period. Dad & Baby classes aim to provide an environment where you can connect and learn from fellow dads at the same stage of parenting as you are in order to build your own ‘ohana’. The classes are intended for fathers with babies 0-12 months old. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your baby to the sessions or not, whichever works best for your family. The classes are facilitated by experienced Ohana staff to provide expertise on a wide variety of topics covered in the classes.
The week-by-week schedule is as follows:
Week 1: Playtime With Your Baby
Week 2: Taking Care of Baby (Sleep Approaches, Soothing, Feeding)
Week 3: Connecting with Your Baby
Week 4: Finding Work/Life Balance
Week 5: Thriving as a Family
Specific topics covered throughout the 5 weeks include:
- Fun games to foster your baby’s emotional and cognitive development.
- How to talk to babies and great books for babies.
- Overview of various approaches on helping your baby sleep.
- Tips for soothing and calming your baby.
- Discussion of breastfeeding, formula feeling, and introducing solids.
- Caring for your baby when he/she is sick.
- Find out what works for other dads and share your own wisdom.
- Talk about the experiences of the other dads on becoming a dad.
- Concrete ways to deal with stress, conflict, and lack of time to get things done.
- How you and your spouse can support each other throughout parenthood.
If you are interested in joining a Dad & Baby Group, please click on the “Alert Me” button below and let us know what days and times of the week work best for you in the general comments section. We will compile the input to determine the next dates for the Dad & Baby Classes and will notify you when the next Dad & Baby Class becomes available.
