Becoming Parents Program

The Becoming Parents Program (BPP) is a 27 hour educational program for couples having a first child. Twenty-one hours of classes are during pregnancy, with 3 hour ‘Booster Sessions’ when the baby is 3-6 weeks old and 6 months old. The Becoming Parents Program can be used with married or partnered couples diverse in age, race/ethnicity, educational level, and socioeconomic status who are becoming parents for the first time through birth, adoption, or foster parenting.

Couple Care

How to talk so your partner will listen and listen so your partner will talk
How to give criticism and praise constructively
How to move through problem solving in an organized and effective way
How to establish basic rules and procedures for your couple relationship
How to handle conflict constructively
How hidden issues affect your couple relationship and how to identify and deal with them
The role of expectations in your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with your couple relationship
The role of commitment in your couple relationship
How to forgive and restore intimacy
How to manage jealousy and anger in your couple relationship
How to short circuit destructive interactions
What every couple needs to know about physical violence in couple relationships
The effects of substance use on aggressive behavior
How to keep the friendship, fun, and intimacy alive and well in your couple relationship
Where family values and beliefs come from and how they affect you and your couple relationship
How to be the parents you want to be

Self Care

The importance of self care in healthy relationships with your baby and your partner
How to create a healthy lifestyle
How to manage stress at home and at work
How to manage fatigue
How to create a support network that works for you and your couple relationship
How to balance work and family responsibilities
How to determine who does what at home
How to find time for yourself, your interests, and your needs as you become a parent

'Owner's Manual' for Your Baby

Recognizing that your baby is a unique and capable individual
How to understand your baby's behavior and cues so you know what your baby needs
How to comfort and soothe your baby and deal with crying
How to help your baby sleep longer
How to help your baby control its world
How your baby learns social interaction through feeding
How to teach your baby
How to keep your baby safe
How to provide an environment that will stimulate the baby's growth and development

The Becoming Parents Program includes as its foundation the highly effective Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP^®), many studies of which have demonstrated that couples who have had PREP^® training have significantly reduced rates of separation and divorce as compared to control couples, and the Stop Anger and Violence Escalation (SAVE), and Domestic Conflict Containment Program (DCCP), which focus on managing stress and anger and preventing domestic violence. Additional components of the Becoming Parents Program focus on self care and an ‘owner’s manual’ for the baby. The Becoming Parents Program consists of a series of brief lectures, video clips, couple and group discussions and excercises, and individual and couple homework exercises.

	The Becoming Parents Program (BPP) is a 27 hour educational program for couples having a first child. Twenty-one hours of classes are during pregnancy, with 3 hour ‘Booster Sessions’ when the baby is 3-6 weeks old and 6 months old. The Becoming Parents Program can be used with married or partnered couples diverse in age, race/ethnicity, educational level, and socioeconomic status who are becoming parents for the first time through birth, adoption, or foster parenting. Couple Care How to talk so your partner will listen and listen so your partner will talk How to give criticism and praise constructively How to move through problem solving in an organized and effective way How to establish basic rules and procedures for your couple relationship How to handle conflict constructively How hidden issues affect your couple relationship and how to identify and deal with them The role of expectations in your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with your couple relationship The role of commitment in your couple relationship How to forgive and restore intimacy How to manage jealousy and anger in your couple relationship How to short circuit destructive interactions What every couple needs to know about physical violence in couple relationships The effects of substance use on aggressive behavior How to keep the friendship, fun, and intimacy alive and well in your couple relationship Where family values and beliefs come from and how they affect you and your couple relationship How to be the parents you want to be Self Care The importance of self care in healthy relationships with your baby and your partner How to create a healthy lifestyle How to manage stress at home and at work How to manage fatigue How to create a support network that works for you and your couple relationship How to balance work and family responsibilities How to determine who does what at home How to find time for yourself, your interests, and your needs as you become a parent 'Owner's Manual' for Your Baby Recognizing that your baby is a unique and capable individual How to understand your baby's behavior and cues so you know what your baby needs How to comfort and soothe your baby and deal with crying How to help your baby sleep longer How to help your baby control its world How your baby learns social interaction through feeding How to teach your baby How to keep your baby safe How to provide an environment that will stimulate the baby's growth and development The Becoming Parents Program includes as its foundation the highly effective Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP^®), many studies of which have demonstrated that couples who have had PREP^® training have significantly reduced rates of separation and divorce as compared to control couples, and the Stop Anger and Violence Escalation (SAVE), and Domestic Conflict Containment Program (DCCP), which focus on managing stress and anger and preventing domestic violence. Additional components of the Becoming Parents Program focus on self care and an ‘owner’s manual’ for the baby. The Becoming Parents Program consists of a series of brief lectures, video clips, couple and group discussions and excercises, and individual and couple homework exercises.



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