Groups Help Parents Cope With New Babies

Tue., Jan. 14, 1997

Elana Ashanti Jefferson Staff writer

Seated at a kid-size table with books called “Solving Your Child’s Sleep Problem” and “Toys To Grow With” sprawled across it, Gail Lampert begins a rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus.”

“Music is a big part of learning and development,” Lampert later says to the parents and infants assembled in front of her.

She’s an instructor for PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support). The program brings small groups of parents with newborns together for two-hour meetings once a week. The groups discuss topics like caring for infants, dealing with friends and family members after the baby arrives, and selecting a baby-sitter.

“No matter how much you’ve prepared, bringing home a new baby can be very stressful,” says Kris Miller. She organizes PEPS from her office at the Institute for Extended Learning. Parents who participate in the three- to six-month support and education group pay a small fee. The remaining money for PEPS comes from state funding for vocational education.

“This is a chance for parents to talk, share ideas, or just be around other adults,” Miller says.

Three PEPS meetings began in Spokane last September - Gail Lampert’s class at Manito United Methodist Church, plus one in north Spokane and another in the Spokane Valley. Miller will organize additional groups if more parents want to get involved.

Although PEPS is new to Spokane, the program began in King County in 1983. Success By Six, a communitywide effort to help youngsters get ready for school, supported bringing the PEPS model to this area.

Anne-Marie Fuhrmeister is a North Side mom who participated in PEPS in Seattle when her 5-year-old son Benjamin was an infant.

“It’s a great way to meet other people, and it gives you a place to ask questions,” she says. “I think it’s a fabulous program.”

A PEPS group could help you adapt to caring for a newborn baby. For more information, call 533-8590.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: Created in support of the Spokane County Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), Discoveries highlights people working to improve community health and well-being. If you have a discovery that deserves recognition, call Elana Ashanti Jefferson at 459-5419. To get involved with HIP, call 482-2557.

Created in support of the Spokane County Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), Discoveries highlights people working to improve community health and well-being. If you have a discovery that deserves recognition, call Elana Ashanti Jefferson at 459-5419. To get involved with HIP, call 482-2557.

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