b'Johanna Schein Participant in Baby Talk, Tot Shabbat and PJ Library - all made possible by The Associated.Johanna Schein, 32, is an archivist at Gilmanthe mental health of new parents. To foster School. She lives in Mt. Washington with new connections and make new friendsher husband and their son, Joel, whos with people who were going through9 months old. a similar life transition, Johanna decided to You cant spoil a newborn, she says. Andtake part in Baby Talk, a group for parentsshes right. While babies do need lots ofwith new Jewish babies (0-6 months old), attention, some new parents worry thatfor facilitated conversations, support and if you give in too frequently, you willcommunity building.spoil your baby. Run by CJE, the group creates a safe In those first few months whenspace for parents to share their struggles everything seems overwhelming andand challenges with others in the same life youre positively exhausted, you dontstage. Opening up to other new parents need to also worry that youre holdinghelped me feel understood and connected your baby too much or responding tooduring a time when many people feel alone.quickly when they cry. You wont createIn addition to learning from and empathizing bad behaviors by responding to yourwith other new moms, Schein also picked up babys needs. some practical parenting tips that shes found As if parents didnt have enoughhelpful as a first-time parent.to navigate, recent research has nowAccept used baby items and then pass them shown that the pandemic has also hurt alongbabies outgrow things so quickly! Erika Hornstein Community Connector for The Macks Center for Jewish Education, an agency of The Associated, anda board member of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, an agency of The Associated. Erika Hornstein, 30, works in aging researchWhile the group met virtually, Hornstein at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She gavewas still able to connect with other expectant birth to her first child, Dalia, last year. momsall of whom she remains in touch Accept all the help others are willing towith today.give, says the Woodberry resident. HavingMy Belly Talk ladies created our meal train a baby during a pandemic made me realizeand were the first to sign up to have food that giving people the opportunity to help delivered to our door after Dalias birth. They especially when youre in such a transformativealso shared the meal train link in the Zoom time in your lifecan alleviate some of thechat during our virtual baby naming, leading mental load we take on as parents. to sign-ups from family and friends.At the beginning of 2021, HornsteinThough Hornstein and her husband had participated in Belly Talk, a program createdcooked and frozen food in the lead up toby CJE, an agency of The Associated. Theher due date, they went through it quicker program was for expecting parents to discussthan anticipated. pregnancy, birth and what it means to create Being able to have the burden of food a Jewish home. It was through this group thatbeing cooked not on us was a huge relief, she learned about meal trainsa way toplus, being able to connect with those who organize a series of meals that are delivered were dropping off meals made the givers feel to people in need: like new parents. valued too.To learn more about family activities visit: associated.org/yourfamily.associated.org 39'