When I’m discussing family planning or considering having children, help me to access parenting resources or pre-parenting classes, so that we can prepare for this important life transition together.
Let’s delve into the journey of Laura and David as they contemplate the idea of starting a family together.
Initially, Laura relied on her instinctive feelings about family planning. However, as she and David engaged in deeper conversations about this significant life decision, she found herself facing a struggle. Her brain’s decision-making and emotional processing areas kicked into high gear, signaling a shift from relying solely on gut feelings to more deliberate thinking.
In Step 1, Laura realizes that family planning demands a more thoughtful approach beyond instincts. She begins questioning the relevance of their current knowledge and emotional readiness for this major life transition.
Moving on to Step 2, Laura and David embark on researching parenting resources and pre-parenting classes. They link the outcome to the rewards of being well-prepared and united in their approach to starting a family.
Step 3 involves Laura and David developing outcome statements, setting a timeframe to explore different parenting resources, and highlighting available actions and services.
Step 4 requires them to rank and make trade-offs between various classes and resources, prioritizing what will best prepare them emotionally and practically for parenthood.
With a commitment to the action plan in Step 5, they ensure their decisions align with their values and hold the potential to lead to a fulfilling transition to parenthood.
Their action plan includes enrolling in pre-parenting classes and exploring helpful parenting resources, organized into a calendar in Step 6 to ensure they allocate sufficient time for each resource and class.
As they attend classes and engage with parenting resources in Step 7, they start making progress towards being better prepared for the journey ahead.
Step 8 involves evaluating their progress, ensuring they’re on track to enhance their readiness for parenthood, and prompting them to consider any adjustments or additional preparations needed.
Recognizing the need for further emotional readiness, they modify their approach in Step 9, seeking additional support in dealing with the emotional aspects of parenthood.
In Step 10, they share their experiences and advocate for the value of preparation in parenthood, emphasizing the importance of being well-prepared for such a life-altering transition.
Their journey from relying solely on instincts to a more thoughtful, researched, and emotionally prepared approach became the optimal way for them to measure their readiness and preparedness for parenthood, setting a new standard for their future family planning discussions.