On 3rd August 2024, the Pre-Mama Pre-Papa Seminar, a parenting workshop jointly hosted by Yao City Council and Miki House, gathered Yao City residents at Miseruba Yao, a communal facility operated by the Yao City Council.

As exciting as it is to welcome a new bundle of joy to the family, Miki House understands that it might be just as overwhelming for first-time parents.

To help ease new parents’ worries, expectant moms and dads were invited to join Miki House in exploring various infant care tips, pick up some techniques and hopefully make the postpartum journey a smoother one for moms, dads and babies alike.

As a Miki House staff member, I had the honor of joining this event in the beautifully decorated Miseruba Yao event hall, not just once but twice!

The workshop turned out to be great hits with expectant parents, with a total of 44 couples turning up across both the morning and the afternoon sessions.

In addition to two Miki House employees as the main instructors, six other Miki House SDGs Promotion Committee members, all of whom are holders of in-house maternity and baby specialist qualifications, were present at the sessions to facilitate the smooth-running of the programs.

At 10am, the doors opened to a throng of eager participants, and buzz of excitement soon radiated through the hall as couples gradually made themselves comfortable in their seats.

Many participants were pleasantly surprised to find a pair of 50cm-long realistic weighted baby dolls, baby hadagi (light kimono-style bodysuit designed to protect newborns from irritants), towels, handkerchiefs, baby diapers, and information sheets prepared on each table.

Many picked up the baby doll with great interests, as delightful gasps and quips such as “It feels and weighs exactly like a real baby!” being passed around.

The workshop kicked off with the Miki House instructor demonstrating the proper and safe ways to pick up and carry a newborn baby in our arms, while other Miki House facilitators kept a close eye on participants, offering timely assistance to expectant moms and dads who seemed unsure or unfamiliar with handling the baby doll.

In order to promote maximum engagement among the participants and maintain the flow of the workshop, Miki House facilitators did their best to create an atmosphere of trust and affirmation, ensuring that all participants feel safe and comfortable to address their queries and had a productive time in general.

With the help of the baby dolls, participants were led through various key learning points, including diaper-changing, putting on hadagi for the baby doll, and cleaning baby doll’s eyes, ears, and nose with a small towel, just as how one would do on a real baby.

These hands-on experiences not only encouraged collaborative efforts between moms and dads, but also provided a platform for them to put theories into practice, offering a realistic simulation of newborn care routines that new parents otherwise might not be aware of.

What seemed to be of particular interest to most participants was the hadagi wearing segment.

Through real-life anecdotes and interactive demonstrations, it was explained that the three variants of Miki House undergarment are all entirely made of cotton, but different knitting methods give the hadagis different textures, characteristics, and benefits respectively.

Parents were advised to choose hadagi best suited the season and state of growth of their babies.

A few participants remarked that the discussions of complex concepts in succinct language as such were highly useful in helping them feel more confident to navigate the complexities as first-time parents. 

On a personal note, as a fresh hire who is new to the baby and kids fashion industry, I was surprised to learn that a baby typically grows by about 2.5cm per month, and that Miki House string-type hadagi may be deemed as being more accommodating and adaptable than button-fastening types, in that the knots can be tied and adjusted to the growth of babies.

During intermissions, some participants roamed the hall to browse Miki House line of baby products on display, while others proceeded to the infant-care tips information boards conveniently placed all around the hall.

Many also took the opportunity to pose burning questions to Miki House baby specialists, before Yao City Hall representatives took over the second half of the program and gave an in-depth sharing on Yao City’s childcare support services and facilities that parents could rely on. Undeniably, a great deal of information may be available online, yet we strongly feel that such in-person workshops offer a deep dive into the nuances of infant care dynamics, especially for first-time parents who may require just that extra boost of confidence and affirmation.

At the Pre-Mama Pre-Papa Seminar, rather than focusing solely on communicating the quality of Miki House products to future parents, we strived to offer our fullest support to new parents by putting ourselves in their shoes.

Afterall, being first-time parents, albeit rewarding, can be stressful. Our workshops therefore aim to help alleviate this stress, contributing to healthier and stronger relationships between soon-to-be-parents, who hopefully left the workshop feeling more prepared, confident and empowered to fulfill the vital role that they will be playing in their baby’s life.

Above all, as a member of Miki House, I am inspired to continue exploring the possibilities in which I can help to brighten families’ life, by bringing smiles to the faces of children and families all around the world.

See you at the next Pre-Mama Pre-Papa Seminars and let’s create more wonderful memories together!

OOI WEN YI
Global Business Division

Click here for the Japanese report↓

「プレママ・プレパパセミナーで不安を解消！」