Vibrant Transitions

The greatest gift you can give your child is a strong parenting relationship. ~John Gottman, PhD

 Have you prepared your relationship for after baby arrives? 

You may be wondering why you should be asking yourself that question.  You might be surprised to know that research has shown that within 3 years after the birth of a child, 2/3 of couples experience a significant drop in relationship satisfaction and an increase in conflict.  Why is this? You become sleep deprived, maybe experience depression, there is more work with a new baby, conversation between the two of you declines dramatically, sex declines.......well, you get the picture.  Of course it's not all bad---there are many wonderful times with the baby and with one another as well.  Having a baby brings many emotional and psychological changes that many couples don't expect or prepare for.

"If parents learn the skills necessary for coping constructively with the myriad of changes brought about by the birth of their child, then they can also increase the satisfaction they experience in their relationship--therby improving their well-being and that of their child(ren)."  2006, Relationship Research Institute

 So what can you do?

 The transition to parenthood for the first or second or even third time can be challenging and I would like to offer a workshop that will give you the tools to stay connected with your partner and keep the romance alive in your relationship. I want you to have practical, easy ways to make sure that your relationship stays strong and fulfilling. You will learn effective, practical steps to ensure a strong relationship between the two of you and therefore creating a strong family.  This program is based on 25 years of research from Dr. John Gottman at The Relationship Research Institute and was then tested to make sure that the program really works.

The Bringing Baby Home Program is research-based and research–tested.

What some couples that attended the workshop had to say: 

“This class should be called ‘How to Divorce Proof Your Marriage’. We had a lot of fun doing the exercises and walked away with some very helpful tools.” ~Monica

“It was great to have focused time just the two of us and learn how to be better friends to one another” ~Laura

“This workshop made me realize the impact I have on my children” ~Brian

How can the BBH Program help you?

Research has shown that couples who have taken this workshop experience:

• A significantly lower rate of postpartum depression
• A decrease in relationship hostility
• A higher level of relationship satisfaction and,
• A decreased likelihood of divorce

The workshop is 12 hours of material covered in 2 Saturdays or in 4 evening classes. Each person receives a workbook and each couple gets a set of cards for the individual exercises.  Through lecture, video presentation and 17 guided exercises by a Certified Gottman Educator couples are taught how to:

• Stay connected with your partner
• Avoid relationship meltdown
• Understand that stress is normal when a baby arrives
  
• Increase friendship in the relationship
  
• Understand your baby’s emotions
• Keep Dads involved in infant care
  
• Deal effectively with conflict
• Co-parent effectively
• Improve the quality of parent-infant interaction
• Understand and recognize stages of early childhood development
  
• Keep passion and romance alive in the relationship!!!

By attending this workshop, you will learn skills for how to parent in a sensitive and responsive manner and help to insure your child's emotional, social, cognitive and physical health. You will discover how to encourage early parent-infant dialogue and increased communication, ritual development, and shared meaning for the whole family. Come Join Us!! 

Q: Can we attend the workshop if we are not married?

A:  Yes!!  Many couples attend who are not married.  This workshop is appropriate for any couple that is living together raising a child.

Q. What happens during the transition to parenthood with a second or third baby?

A:  The workshop is just as relevant to parents of second or additional children.  The research shows that relationship satisfaction tends to continue declining with the birth of the second child. Approximately 67% of couples experience a drop in marital satisfaction in the 1^st year after having a baby. The birth of a second child adds to the complexity of the family dynamics and would exert more stress on the parents and take a toll on their relationship.

Q: Can I bring my children to the workshop?

A:  Infants under six months may attend and lactating mothers will be accommodated. Some workshops will have babysitting available, see class schedule page for details.

To register for an upcoming workshop see the Register page 

 You can also see the Gottman’s on The Early Show on CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2366334n   

To see the research behind this program go to: www.bbhonline.org