The first months of parenting usually involve a steep learning curve. No matter how much you prepare beforehand, every infant is different and every mother and father has to figure out his or her way of managing the many facets of caring for a new baby. It’s true that babies don’t come with instruction manuals, but we think we’ve got the next best thing.
Ohana New Parent Classes address the essential questions parents ask in the first months of parenting. Topics include strategies related to feeding, sleeping, soothing, and fostering your baby’s optimal development. As with all Ohana services, we don’t advocate one approach to parenting; rather we provide you with in-depth, research-based information so that you can make the decisions that are best for you and your family. In addition to providing concrete information, the classes offer an opportunity to discuss with other new parents the emotional and logistical changes that come with being a new parent. And they give you a community of other mothers and fathers with whom to navigate the new parent period.
You are welcome to sign up for the classes individually as a mother or father, or together as a couple in two-parent families. In either case, we encourage you to bring your baby with you to the classes. Some sessions are conducted with all parents learning together, and some allow for separate small groups comprised of mothers and fathers learning separately.
The classes are appropriate for parents with babies 0-12 months of age, and are facilitated by experienced Ohana staff to provide expertise on the range of topics covered in the classes:
- Troubleshooting Feeding and Sleeping Issues
- Developmental Milestones
- Strategies for Soothing Your Baby
- How to Play and Bond With Your Baby
- The Emotions and Myths of Parenthood
- Self-Identity as a Mother or Father
- Processing Birth Stories
- Relationships With Partner and Others
- Decisions about Work and Childcare
- Time Management & Self-Care
“I would absolutely recommend this group to dads. It was clear that significant time was spent preparing for each session, and I appreciated the paraphrased research made available to us and different viewpoints shared. This group allowed me to step outside of my day-to-day responsibilities as a dad, husband, and employee and think more about what those titles mean to me. I spent a lot of time reflecting on myself as a father, and I don’t think I would have done that without this group. It was also reassuring to hear other dads share their stories and to hear that I’m not the only one having the same thoughts or concerns about being a dad.” – Father, Participant in Ohana New Parent Class
“The Ohana [new parent] class is excellent. I started when my son was only three weeks old and arrived at the first class covered in spitup and not entirely sure how to adjust the buckles on the carseat–this class helped me answer practical questions, troubleshoot problems with sleep and feeding, refine my ideas about my own parenting goals and style, and connect with a community of like-minded women who have become fast friends and my allies in new parenthood. It’s much better than a free meetup, because it’s run by people who actually can answer questions. Truly, this is the best thing I’ve joined since giving birth. I don’t know how to say it any louder. GO TO OHANA. You’ll be so, so, so glad that you did!” – Mother, Participant in Ohana New Parent Class