From juggling schedules, managing sleep and choosing a crib, new parents often think they are unprepared, but according to George Washington University alumna Deborah L. Tillman, M.A. ’02, the most important parenting tool is support from others.
The mother of one, former CEO of Happy Home Child Learning Center, Inc. and star of the Lifetime network’s “America’s Supernanny,” will offer her unique expertise during the launch of the George Washington Parenting Initiative (GWPI)—the university’s research, education and support group for new and expecting parents.
The launch event will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“Let’s face it, a manual is not attached to the umbilical cord,” Ms. Tillman said. “Having positive support from friends, experienced parents, teachers and coaches helps a great deal to empower parents—that is why I am so excited about the GW Parenting Initiative.”
Located in the Colonial Health Center, GWPI is designed to be a hub for the university’s efforts to support new and expecting parents—whether they are students, faculty or staff. It began in 2011 following the success of the Breastfeeding-Friendly University Project, which offers on-campus motherhood rooms. There are currently more than 10 motherhood rooms on the three GW campuses for breastfeeding and pumping.
GWPI Director Lori Lerman said that the new location is central to GWPI’s goal: to be an open and accessible resource for parents.
“As a center for research, and information about parenting and related issues, we hope to provide support to members of the GW community and information to students planning to work with parents through healthcare professions,” Ms. Lerman said. “Our new location will make us much more accessible to parents participating in our programs or seeking information.”
GWPI has grown to include classes for expecting parents, infant-child CPR training, discussion groups, author lectures and mentoring and support for mothers who are breastfeeding.
The initiative includes collaborations with the School of Nursing, the GW Benefits Administration, the School of Medicine and Health Science and other partners and trained “parenting ambassadors” who work with parents to locate resources.
The efforts are complementary to GW’s other family-friendly benefits, including paid parental leave and the GW Baby Shower, a University Human Resources Colonial Community celebration for expecting staff and faculty.
“I definitely recommend the GW Baby Shower because it was a lot of fun to meet other colleagues who were pregnant,” said Lorena Shank, associate director of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Office of Graduate Admissions and Student Services. “At the shower, I heard about a study that the Parenting Initiative was conducting about breastfeeding, and it helped me with nursing my son.”
Ms. Shank said that she first attended an event— “It's a Busy World: A Midwife's Advice on Making Healthy Choices in Pregnancy and Beyond”—in March 2014 after becoming pregnant with her son and searching for information about proper nutrition.
“I have definitely benefited from their services, the one-on-one chats, and the relevant information they make readily available,” Ms. Shank said. “I just appreciate the diverse discussions, meeting with other colleagues and overall the support you feel from the GW community investing in discussing these topics.”
The United States is the only developed country without laws mandating paid parental leave, but GW’s policy allows full time staff members with two years of service completed to receive six weeks of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child.
The support that the university and GWPI provide is vital because the workplace can be difficult to navigate during parenthood, according to Ms. Tillman. Efforts such as these inspire and uplift new parents, she added.
“No parent raises a child alone and forcing mothers and fathers back to work early can have dire consequences for a child,” Ms. Tillman said. “It is up to employers to transform their mindset about working parents and understand that we are better when we work together.”