New Sophia's Hearth Class Covers Parenting Basics

First babies arrive with a lot of questions, and we've all heard the saying that they don't come with a manual for new parents. While oftentimes new parents have had the experience of caring for infant family members or spent time babysitting, it's also the case that many have never cared for an infant at all. There's a lot to learn, from sleep and eating to comfort and soothing. Toys, safety, and movement are also frequent areas of concern for first-time parents. In an effort to help fill the need for a parenting basics class, Sophia's Hearth of Keene recently launched a new series called Joyful Beginnings. In this series of four classes, expectant parents will gather to discuss common parenting questions to be as prepared as possible to welcome their new addition with confidence. The next series will take place over the course of four Wednesday evenings, starting May 27 and running through June 17, at Sophia's Hearth, which has been working with the families of young children for more than 25 years. Its staff and faculty include experts in infant sleep, caregiving and development. The classes are led by Anastasia Piehler, family programs coordinator at Sophia's Hearth, who said the classes will cover parenting basics like feeding, sleep, diapering, bathing, development, safety, and more. It is open to couples or single parents who can bring another caregiver with them and is designed for expectant parents who have had very little infant experience. Piehler said the first session of the class recently ended and was well-received, although it had a low number of registrants. She hopes that increasing visibility of the class within the Greater Keene community will assist with spreading the word about this new resource. "We saw that there wasn't this kind of education happening locally, and we wanted to get back into family programming, so we looked into filling the need," Piehler said, adding that many of Sophia's parent-child programs were shut down during the pandemic and they have since struggled to find enough families to attend. The hope is that families who attend the Joyful Beginnings classes will then want to return for additional programs in the future once their babies are born. While Piehler believes that families are still craving the community connection that Sophia's parent-child programs offer, today's parents are busy, short on time, and often feel overwhelmed. "The question is: 'How do we keep providing that community in a way that they can access it?'" Piehler said of the challenge to meet families where they are at. This class series might be a fresh step in that direction. In addition to the discussion topics, there will be ample time to ask specific questions and to access additional resources when the classes are over. Light refreshments will be provided, although attendees are also welcome to bring their own dinner to eat during the class. "We plan on doing the new parent classes four times a year," Piehler said. "The following in-person sessions for 2026 will start Sept. 2 and Nov. 30. We are also going to launch an online version with the same information and a similar format. Dates for this are not set yet, but the first round will be in the fall." While the initial cost was $199 for the session, thanks to a Success by Six grant from the Keene and Elm City Rotary Clubs, Piehler said that the fee for the next session will be a sliding scale. "This class is designed for people who don't have a lot of experience with children, and we take a lot of time to meet the parents where they are to keep it accessible and not overwhelming," Piehler stressed. "It's an introduction to the different ways to care for a child and we want to give them the confidence to figure out their own parenting journey." For more information or to register for the Joyful Beginnings class series, visit sophiashearth.org/joyfulbeginnings. Questions about the class can be sent to info@sophiashearth.org or call the office at 603.357.3755. Sophia's Hearth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization located at 700 Court St. In Keene.