When their “PEPS babies” became teens, one tight-knit group of eight families formed a customized Parents of Adolescents and Teens (PAT) Group through PEPS to tackle the challenges ahead. With research-based tools, expert facilitation, and the trust they’d built over more than a decade, they found new ways to support each other—and their teens—through this next stage of parenting.
Who do you turn to when you need advice on a specific parenting topic, connections in a new neighborhood, or support through a difficult time? And how do you connect with them? Read about the power of parent-to-parent connections and how PEPS Sponsor VISIBLE can help you find your parent network.
Many PEPS parents say that they felt comfortable sharing the real, raw emotions of parenthood with their PEPS Group. Creating a safe atmosphere in PEPS Groups starts with ensuring our curriculum is as inclusive as possible. We regularly work with experts to review our curriculum through anti-bias lenses to address topics like gender inclusivity, racial and cultural bias, and ableism. Read about our recent curriculum review done by a disability justice consultant.
Having a baby at home can be completely overwhelming and sometimes leads to a whirlwind of negative emotions and self-doubt. The good news? It doesn’t have to stay this way. Read advice from a licensed Clinical Psychologist about how to incorporate the Cognitive Behavioral Model (CBT) to challenge negative thinking, manage the emotional rollercoaster of parenthood, and start feeling better.
Children have big feelings. As parents, our own feelings about big feelings (also known as meta-emotions) can impact how our kids learn to process their emotions. Learn about the 5 steps of emotion coaching to help your child learn to navigate big feelings.
Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program is 5 years old. We asked local parents how the program worked for them – what’s going well, and what could be going better? Read real families’ experiences with PFML, how the program has been improved in recent years, and how PEPS is advocating for better policies for families.
Before participating in a PEPS Group, many people believe PEPS is just another parenting class. In reality, PEPS is so much more than that. It’s a space to build community, have real, raw conversations, and connect with other parents going through the same phase of life. Archana Agrawal shares her experience in a PEPS Newborn Group and how her expectations changed after joining a group.
Becoming a parent can trigger a major shift in identity. As your schedule and priorities change, often your core values realign as well. Brie Backus, a Leadership & Fulfillment Coach, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and PEPS supporter and sponsor, works with her clients to take stock of their values and find ways to lean into those values in daily life as a parent. Read her tips for identifying your values on our blog.
Nobody’s perfect, and there’s nothing like becoming a parent to remind you of that. But what if we said that all those moments of imperfection as a parent are actually GOOD for your kids? Our recent blog post by a PEPS Group Leader and alum gives practical examples of how you can turn imperfect parenting moments into growth opportunities.
I’ve never lived through a pandemic before. But like all parents, I know what it’s like to have my world shrink. My world used to be much tinier than this, those first weeks after I had each baby when I barely left my bedroom, and the months afterward when even a walk down the street sometimes seemed impossible.
The quarantine’s tight intimacy has been strangely familiar, so sweet and so suffocating at the same time. Thanks to those early baby years, I know what it’s like to have my world close in on me and my children, and how to re-craft my expectations around those new boundaries. Luckily, this time around, I have that past experience to guide me.