What is Parent Coaching and Why Do I Do It?
I’ll start by defining parent coaching, but then want to take it deeper: parent coaching is a process where me (a coach) and you (a parent), will walk together from where you are now to help you become the parent you want to be for your children and create the life you envision for your family.
In order to create a more satisfying mom life, you are probably thinking “well, I’d be more satisfied if I could resolve this particular discipline challenge, or if my kid would stop doing that one infuriating behavior.” Or it might be “If I could just get through the dinner hour or bedtime without all of the meltdowns and fighting…” So, coaching is first and foremost results-focused. We can and will address your greatest parenting challenges. Though, I don’t have the manual for parenthood- solving these problems is a team effort, requires some creativity and an openness to trying new strategies and approaches.
In coaching, we will start with where you are, right where you are, free of judgement and take you just as you are, chaos and all. We’ll figure out what is going well. As in, well, do you have a toddler who is eager to help, even if they make a big mess? Or, do you love your job, even if it makes it hard to find a balance? Maybe you have the time and space to practice some great self-care, but just aren’t so consistent and often get burnt out. All of that is still a baseline for things that are working!
Once we’ve got that baseline of things you would like to keep, carry forward, and build on, then you get to dream. Your pie in the sky, ideal, perfect vision for what life would be like for your family if you had it your way. Will we definitely accomplish that in 10 weeks? Nope, probably not unless you are highly, highly motivated and have unlimited resources. For the rest of you, we’ll spend the remaining coaching sessions working toward those ideals, taking small but concrete steps forward, trying new things (some will work and some won’t, but you’ll have tried!), shaping new habits and routines, exploring a new parenting style, learning about your child’s needs and how to be the best parent you can be.
Why do I coach? As I type, I think this may warrant its own blog post, honestly. I coach because I’ve been there, muddling through days with little kids at home and feeling like it was such a slog. I coach because I love connecting with other moms. I coach because even though I am not a perfect parent, I see the good and want to draw out more of the great and wonderful and joyful things in your life. I coach because there is no one-size-fits-all manual for raising good humans. I coach because I really dig getting into deeply meaningful conversations about what matters most to you, your values, who you are, the meaning of motherhood. I coach because I’ve seen its transformative power. I coach because I want others to deeply enjoy the lives they’ve been given.
So, is coaching for you? I don’t know. Are you the kind of mom who feels like motherhood is just such a grind and you deeply wish you were enjoying it? Are you a mom who struggles to connect to motherhood? Are you a mom who feels a bit unfulfilled? Are you frustrated by the day-to-day challenges of parenting? Wondering how other moms seem to have it all together and a little bit wish that was you? Are you willing to dig deep? To hear some challenging questions? To try new things? Then yeah, I think coaching might be for you. You can reach out to me here and I cannot wait to dive in with you.
