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.
Last month, we gathered to hear an engaging and relevant topic from Shanna Donhauser, a clinically trained social worker and psychotherapist and infant mental health expert. PEPS Grandparents learned how best to support their adult children when they become parents. Parenting changes all the time, and today’s parents experience different demands and expectations. Today there are high expectations for parenting…
by Laurie Ganberg, LICSW “I love my baby but I feel trapped.” “Maybe having a baby was a mistake.” “Every part of my life has changed. I miss my old life.” I often hear these statements hesitantly shared by women experiencing ambivalence and regret after a new baby—along with, “I can’t talk about this in the new moms group.” But it is…
Five years ago, Katja Petersen and her husband joined a PEPS group. “We are both originally from Mexico. When we were pregnant with our first child, we found ourselves with no support network. Thankfully, a friend of ours introduced us to PEPS,” Katja said. “The experience of being an immigrant is not easy because people we love are far away. We are forced to build relationships and connections with people that might not speak our language,…
Parents talk to their kids about everything – Why is the sky blue? Why do we wash our hands before we eat? Why should I be nice to my sister? Every day kids ask, and parents respond. And often it’s the parents job to talk about topics proactively – everything from learning letters and math concepts to safety to getting…
“I’ve always either sought out community, been a part of a community, created community. But as a parent? That was an area where I didn’t have a community.” Watch this video of PEPS parents talk about the importance of community.
by Anjelica Malone As I inch closer to my goal of becoming a midwife, I imagine starting my own childbirth practice in Puerto Rico, where I gave birth to my first daughter. It’s quite interesting to think about how the care I will provide to my clients will compare with the care I received during my pregnancy and birth five…
I’ve heard Facebook described as a curated version of your life – sometimes building a blindingly perfect version for all to see. Recently, a friend posted a very real and honest parenting picture on Facebook, and it was such a great example of bravery, acceptance, and support; so with her permission I’d like to share it as a reminder to…
I think I just had a true emotional breakdown. In car with Anderson. Not listening ad nauseam. Can feel my stress level reaching cataclysmic, desperate, absolutely miserable levels. I raise my voice, deep, gravelly, shaking—it doesn’t even sound like my own—desperately pleading with my 4-year-old to be quiet. I feel helpless and truly tortured. I have to leave the car.…