Gottman Bringing Baby Home Couples Workshop- January 14 & 15, 2017

Hello everyone!

One of my favorite things to do in my work with couples is the Gottman Bringing Baby Home Workshop.  I will be offering the workshop again this coming January (2017), and wanted to share with y’all a few more details of what the workshop entails.

The workshop is geared toward expectant couples and couples with infants or toddlers.  You are welcome to bring babies under 6 months of age.  (Usually about half of our couples attending already have children, while the other half are still expecting their first.)

Why is this workshop so important?
Research has shown that 69% of couples will experience a significant decline in marital satisfaction during the first year after having a baby. The Bringing Baby Home Workshop, based on the research of the Gottman Institute, provides couples with a fun way to learn practical strategies to manage the transition to parenthood while acheiving the following benefits:

PARENT-BABY RELATIONS
-Both fathers and mothers who took the BBH program (compared to those that did not) showed greater sensitivity and responsiveness to their infant’s signals. This was particularly true for fathers.
-Parents who took the BBH program demonstrated better coparenting abilities in that they were able to work together more positively during family play with their 3-month-old baby.
-Babies expressed more smiling and laughter during family play if their parents had participated in the BBH program. This was true for both 3 and 12-month-old infants.
-Several indicators of father-infant attachment security were rated more positively in families who had taken the BBH program.

INFANT DEVELOPMENT & TEMPERAMENT
-There were less language delays in one-year-old infants of parents who took the BBH program.
-Mothers who took the BBH program rated their babies as showing less distress in response to limitations (such as having a toy out of reach).
-1-year-old babies in the workshop group were rated as responding more positively to their fathers’ soothing (this is likely to reflect something about father-baby interaction quality as well as infant temperament).

FATHER INVOLVEMENT
-Fathers who took the BBH program reported being more involved in parenting and feeling more satisfied and appreciated for their parental contributions.
-The quality of father-baby interactions was more positive if fathers had taken the BBH program.

COUPLE RELATIONSHIP QUALITY
-Couples who took the BBH program reported high stable relationship quality. Those who did not take the BBH program showed a decline in relationship quality over the first year after the baby’s birth.
-There was less hostility expressed by both husbands and wives during conflict discussions if they had taken the BBH program.

PARENT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
-Fewer mothers who took the BBH program showed symptoms of postpartum depression, the baby blues, and other indicators of psychopathology such as anxiety.
-Fewer fathers who took the BBH program showed signs of depression, anxiety and other psychopathology after the baby was born.
What topics will we cover?

For a brief overview of what to expect, here is an outline of the topics we will cover:

• The Transition to Parenthood- Is this Normal?
• Building “Love Maps”: Knowing Each Other
• Sharing Fondness and Admiration
• Building an Emotional Bank Account
• Maintaining the Positive Perspective in Your Relationship
• Learning to Incorporate the Daily Stress-Reducing Conversation
• Flooding, Self-Soothing, and Taking Breaks
• Recognizing the Four Warning Signs of Relationship Meltdown
• Practicing the Four Steps of Constructive Problem Solving
• Honoring Mothers and Fathers
• Recognizing the Importance of Fathers
• Understanding Baby Blues, Postpartum Mood Disorders, and Other Mental Health Issues
• Connecting with Your Children
• Preserving Intimacy and Romance in Your Relationship
• Creating Shared Meaning

The workshop will be offered January 14th and 15th from 9:30am-4:30pm at the Bellaire Recreation Center. It is a nice space, close to many great restaurants to step out to during our lunch breaks.  Cost is $245 per couple, and includes materials (Gottman Institute workbooks, activity cards, etc.).  Please email me at KimJonesLPC@gmail.com to sign up.