Beginning Together
Discovering My Parenthood, My Child and Our Story
Parenting an infant can seem like a whirlwind—so much is happening at once, yet it is hard to find the time to really reflect on it all.
Beginning Together offers you—the parent of a newborn or infant—an opportunity to set aside time for yourself, to observe, reflect and tell the story of your child’s development as well as your own growth as a parent. And, if you want, to capture these moments—the good and the challenging—to remember and relive in the future.
How Beginning Together Works
Parent workbooks with a child development focus
Parent workbooks with a child development focus
Parent workbooks with a child development focus
Over the course of 5 weeks, you will receive 5 parent workbooks, each with a set of carefully crafted questions on a specific child development topic (e.g. Separations, Play, etc.) to capture the events and emotions of the first year of parenting.
Once completed, the workbooks can be printed as a unique baby book. Some parents have also created customized photo books based on the content in their Beginning Together workbooks.
Virtual parent group discussions
Parent workbooks with a child development focus
Parent workbooks with a child development focus
Every week, you are also invited to join an online parent group discussion on a given topic. It provides an opportunity for you to connect with other parents, to share observations, celebrate your stories, and problem solve any concerns.
Discussions are facilitated by an expert in child development, introducing key concepts such as Brazelton's touchpoints, Piaget's theory of cognitive development and others, to provide a framework for you to view infant behavior and parenting practices through a developmental lens.
Curated resources
Curated resources
Curated resources
As part of the parent workbooks and group discussions, you will also receive carefully vetted parent education resources on each topic.
On-going support
Curated resources
Curated resources
In between sessions, if you have any questions or want to share your workbooks, our team is available to provide feedback and guided resources.
What Parents and experts Are Saying about beginning Together
“Beginning Together helps me tune in to my baby. I discuss the questions with [my husband]. I'll ask him, ‘Now when she's laying there playing what does she do? She laughs and she rolls around and what else does she do?’ It's been good because it's started up conversations for us, and we both reflect on the answers. Sometimes we notice different things." — Sandy, mom from MA
“Beginning Together gives parents an immensely reassuring look at the broad range of the ‘normal’ in the child’s first year, and a liberating review of the parenting approaches possible... From the reflections of parents on the everyday business of life with their infant children, their deepest feelings about the experience emerge unforced, and ring true.” — Nis Kildegard, Vineyard Gazette
"Beginning Together provides an opportunity for parents to record their own as well as their baby’s development. The questions that Rochelle Mayer asks, and the helpful entries by other parents, make keeping this record easy. The payoff for children, however, is invaluable, for parents will be giving their children the gift of knowing about their own beginnings.” — Ellen Galinsky, President, Work Family Institute
“One of the best things about Beginning Together is that it asks good questions. It's what you ask your friend down the road with a new baby—to find out if someone else's baby screams through their bathtime. You get the feeling that whatever your baby is going through, you're not alone." — Deborah, mom from CA
“Many parents embark upon pregnancy and the whole baby bearing and rearing process with little more than a hazy and wistful, romantic notion of what it is all about...Beginning Together endeavors to help in whatever parental experience you find yourself.” — Judith Weinberg, The Sunday Republican
“These workbooks are much more than journals to me. They remind me of my excellence during a time where I felt I was doing everything incorrectly and not good enough. I have my journals to hold up high and last forever!" — Keisha, mom from Washington, DC
"I love [Beginning Together's] intergenerational place in the lives of my family... Nearly 40 years ago, I really enjoyed using [Beginning Together] to document my love for and engagement with my babies, the awe I experienced, and how much joy they brought me in the moment. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and [Beginning Together] stimulated and organized my thoughts and writing during a stage in life – parenting an infant – that’s pretty chaotic. Having a record of that awesome time is a gift... And when my older daughter had her first baby a year ago, I shared the book I had lovingly recorded with her, along with a blank version for her to complete. I had the joy of reading her entries recently, and I know how meaningful [Beginning Together] has been to both of us." — Beth, grandma from IL
“Knowing what other people are experiencing with their babies is fascinating. It's very soothing to find out there are lots of different kinds of behavior. It's very reassuring." — Mimi, mom from MA
More Information
Please don’t hesitate to reach out, we love hearing from you! Email us at rochelle@beginningtogether.org
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