By working through the Preparenting Programme together as a couple, you will discuss aspects of parenthood that Unpreparents choose to avoid or would never have thought of. The programme will raise your awareness of what it really means to be parents, and become better prepared for the choices, changes and challenges ahead.

The three phases, the promise and the plan

Phase one is about preparing to be a better parent by discussing and making vital choices before you actually conceive.

Phase two is about planning during pregnancy: a vital nine months during which parents-in-waiting can ensure they become better prepared for the changes they will encounter.

Phase three starts with the arrival of your baby: a joyful time, but one in which confidence can often seem to disappear out of the door. So this phase is about helping you prepare for some of the personal and emotional challenges that lie ahead.

Instrumental in the success of the programme are two documents contained within it: the Preparenting Promise and the Preparenting Plan.

The Preparenting Promise is something for you both to fill in and sign before you start working through the programme. Its purpose is to get you to promise that you buy into the process and commit to focussing on the job in hand – particularly if the going gets tough. It will also serve as a useful reminder of why you’re undertaking the Preparenting Programme in the first place.

Then there's the Preparenting Plan. You'll fill in part of this at the end of each of the programme's three phases. Thinking about what you’ve achieved and agreed, and recording it on your Preparenting Plan is an essential part of the Preparenting Programme as it will be of constant use and guidance throughout your life as a parent.

Take your time, progress through all three phases, create your Preparenting Plan and you can fully expect to enjoy the rewards of being Preparents – and avoid the problems and pitfalls encountered by Unpreparents. Not only will you feel better prepared for your new role as parents, but you will also be better able to raise a family that contributes positively to the world in which we all live.

For details of what the programme costs and how to buy your copy, read on...