Having a new baby is a life-changing experience, filled with both joy and challenges. For many new and seasoned parents, a baby can bring unexpected difficulty and stress as they adjust to new family dynamics and feeding routines.
During such times in early parenthood, social support can help parents manage their stress, feel more confident in their parenting abilities as they discover new information, and share common experiences and knowledge.
To help support our many new parent employees, Texas Children’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), in partnership with The Women’s Place at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, is debuting a new parent employee support group, beginning Wednesday, January 4.
“During my pregnancy, I researched a neighborhood mothers’ group, but when talking to a colleague here, she encouraged me instead to reach out to her friend in another department,” said Vice President of Human Resources Catherine Codispoti. “That’s when I realized we have a fantastic parent support group right here at Texas Children’s.
“Many of our colleagues who work with us every day have struggled with similar parenthood issues/concerns, and as a community, we have an unbelievable wealth of first-hand wisdom and knowledge on how to balance major life commitments such as families, careers, friendships, and communities.”
The new parent employee support group is an open forum and welcomes all Texas Children’s employees who are new parents. The group will meet from noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday at The Women’s Place in Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. Employees do not have to register and there is no cost – simply complete these two short forms and bring them along to your first meeting. Paper copies will also be available when you check in at The Women’s Place.
In addition to the group meeting, parents also can join the online community on Yammer to ask questions and share resources with fellow colleagues. Contact Texas Children’s Information Services help desk at ext. 4-3512, option 2 to get a Yammer account and join the “New Parent Employee Group.”