The Family Blueprint

Design your parenting approach before your baby arrives

A thoughtful Saturday workshop for couples preparing for life with their new baby.

This workshop helps couples start parenting as a team — before exhaustion, stress, and conflicting advice pull you in different directions.

The Workshop

Currently held in Dublin

One-day workshop: 10am–4pm

For expecting parents or parents of babies under one (babes in arms welcome)

Designed for couples to align on parenting values

Includes workbook + guided exercises

Why this workshop exists

Most couples spend months preparing for the birth of their baby — attending antenatal classes, learning about labour, and getting the house ready.

But very little time is spent thinking about what parenting together will actually look like once the baby arrives.

When a new baby comes along, parents are suddenly surrounded by advice. Friends, family, books, social media — everyone seems to have a different opinion about what you should be doing.

When you're exhausted and it’s 3am, that’s not the moment most people want to be trying to sort through all of that.

This workshop gives couples the chance to pause before their baby arrives and have some of those bigger conversations.

What kind of parents do we want to be?
What really matters to us as a family?
How do we want to handle the difficult moments when they come?

Having those conversations early often means couples enter the first year of parenting feeling clearer about their approach, and better able to support each other when things inevitably get challenging.

What this workshop is designed to offer

This workshop is designed to give couples the space to step back before their baby arrives and think carefully about how they want to approach parenting together.

During the day we explore ideas that can help couples:

make sense of the different parenting advice they hear
understand what young children need in their early years
think about the kind of relationship they want to build with their child
approach the early months of parenting feeling more aligned as a couple

What we explore in the workshop

During the workshop we look at some of the big questions couples often face as they begin their parenting journey.

Why babies and young children behave the way they do, and what they need most in their early years
How early relationships shape emotional security, confidence, and resilience
The different parenting approaches couples are often exposed to — and how to make sense of the conflicting advice
How our own childhood experiences can influence the instincts we bring into parenting
How everyday interactions between parents and children shape trust, connection, and emotional security
How couples can support each other and stay aligned when parenting becomes challenging

The aim is not to give couples a rigid set of rules, but to help them think clearly about the kind of relationship they want to build with their child from the very beginning.

What the workshop feels like

The workshop is relaxed and conversational rather than formal. It isn’t a lecture.

We look at ideas together, using real-life examples and discussion, and couples have time to think about their own experiences and the kind of family life they hope to create.

Some people like to talk things through during the session, while others prefer to listen and reflect — both are completely fine.

Many couples say it feels good to take a step back before the baby arrives and have these conversations early, rather than trying to figure everything out in the middle of the newborn months.

What to expect on the day

Breaks
Tea and coffee are available throughout the day, with a break for lunch.

Lunch

Lunch is not provided, so participants are asked to bring something with them.

Most people bring a simple lunch that can be eaten easily in the workshop room. There are not usually places nearby to buy food during the break unless specifically stated in your booking email.

You’re very welcome to step outside the room during lunch if you’d prefer a bit of quiet time. Some people choose to eat elsewhere in the building, outside, or in their car — whatever feels most comfortable.

Locations

Additional workshops in other parts of Ireland may be organised if there is enough interest.

Accessibility

Workshops are designed to feel calm, flexible and accessible.
You can read more about the accessibility approach here.

About Jennifer

Jennifer Farrell is a parent educator, former primary school teacher, and mother of three.

After more than ten years working with children and families, she became increasingly interested in the everyday dynamics between parents and children, and how those relationships shape family life.

Through her work as The Jentle Parent, she runs workshops that help parents make sense of children’s behaviour and think more clearly about the kind of relationships they want to build at home.

The ideas explored in the workshops are informed by research in child development, attachment, and nervous system science, alongside Jennifer’s experience working with children, parents, and families.

Join a Family Blueprint workshop

Preparing for a baby is one of the biggest transitions in life.

Taking a day to step back and think about how you want to approach parenting together can make the early months feel much calmer and clearer.