Social Poverty by Halpern-Meekin Sarah;

Author:Halpern-Meekin, Sarah; [Halpern-Meekin, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New York University Press

Additional Activities

As couples conclude their time in the workshops, many express disappointment that this part of the program is ending. For the remainder of their time in the program, their participation may consist of periodic meetings with their family support coordinator and participation in activities that are usually onetime events. These events are not with the same group of couples with whom they took the workshops, nor are they led by the workshop educators, so they are focused on content, as opposed to an opportunity to continue these relationships. These include events such as mothers’ luncheons, salsa dancing, presentations on car seat safety or lead poisoning risks, family play dates, and couple date nights. Additionally, at any time in their involvement with the program (even prior to the completion of the workshops), fathers can take part in a “Dads’ Boot Camp.”

Overall, mothers in this study take part in an average of 104 minutes of extended activities during their year in Family Expectations, and fathers complete an average of 87 minutes of extended activities. However, these averages mask substantial differences between those who don’t participate and those who do: among those who take part in any extended activities, the average number of minutes completed is 321 for mothers and 300 for fathers (the equivalent of about five hours). While those who do participate seem to enjoy these activities, they don’t discuss them with the same excitement and enthusiasm as they do their time in the workshops. These tend to be less emotionally intense experiences. For example, Norene, a twenty-four-year-old mother of three, attended a mother’s luncheon and liked hearing the other women talk about their lives; it was nice to know about other people’s struggles and ways of coping. But she didn’t take away key lessons about child rearing as she did from her time in the workshops, which had left her feeling like a more knowledgeable parent.

After the workshops are over, a limited group of people remain actively involved in Family Expectations (e.g., taking part in a variety of the extended activities). Couples do not prioritize these activities the same way they did workshop participation. Many seem to feel the program is “over” after the workshops end, and the completion celebration they have during their last workshop session seems to reinforce this perception.

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