Remember when people told you that parenting would be the hardest job in your life? They weren’t kidding! Parenting is incredibly rewarding but also incredibly challenging. Kids don’t come with a manual – something you learned when you brought your tiny newborn home from the hospital. So where do you turn to for parenting advice?
Fortunately, you are not alone. Parent coaches are a new way for parents to gain support for a variety of parenting issues. Most commonly, it’s the parents of pre-teens and teens who utilize these services most, but even the parents of young children can benefit from these services. After all, it’s no fun repeating yourself all day long with zero results.
Let’s learn more about parent coaching, the benefits to expect and where to find this type of support.
What is Parent Coaching?
Parenting coaches help parents with a number of parenting issues such as behavioral problems. These coaches behave more like consultants as opposed to psychotherapists who treat mental health disorders. If your child has ADHD, for example, a parent coach won’t treat your child but instead offer tools, ideas and practical support for managing the disorder.
So how does parent coaching differ from counseling? Parent coaches aren’t here to understand the “why” of things. They focus on the future and helping kids reach their goals and become happy, confident adults. Counselors, on the other hand, try to understand why a child is feeling and acting the way they are.
Because parenting coaches and counselors offer unique services, it’s important to have both professionals on your care team.
How Do You Know if You Need Parenting Coaching?
Parenting is a tough job, so how can you tell the difference between normal struggles and needing more? Believe it or not, you don’t need a major reason to benefit from parent coaching. If you feel like you can benefit from support and guidance, a parent coach is an excellent asset to your parenting team.
That said, here are some of the challenges that parent coaches help with:
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Behavior problems. A parent coach can help you find effective ways to deal with sibling rivalry, aggression, defiance, setting boundaries and more.
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Best parenting practices. Not sure what expectations you should have for your child? A parenting coach can teach you the best practices for homework, electronics and more.
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Transitions. Going through a divorce? Recently lost a loved one? Transitions are hard on kids but you don’t have to go through them alone. Be the best parent you can be during this time.
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Developmental activities. Parent coaches can help you develop strategies to support your child’s physical, emotional and social development.
As you can see, you can use parenting coaching services on a long term basis or to support your family during a hardship or transition.
How are Parent Coaching Services Offered?
It really depends. Some coaches go to parents’ homes and provide feedback upon observation. Other coaches will meet with you in a separate location to discuss your parenting challenges and solutions for dealing with them. You can also receive these services by phone, email or video conference. This is especially helpful for parents with busy schedules or those who don’t have parenting coaching services in their local community.
Only you can determine the best way to receive these types of services. Some parents prefer the flexibility of phone or video conferencing while others want someone in their home watching their day-to-day interactions. There’s no wrong way to go about things. It’s all based on personal preference and what works best for your family.
What are the Benefits of Parent Coaching?
You can probably imagine the advantages of having a parent coach, but let’s cover them in more detail.
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Establish healthy family relationships
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Improve open communication
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Build confidence in your parenting skills
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Develop problem solving skills
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Better understand your family relationships
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Learn better ways to respond to situations
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Create a calmer, happier family dynamic
In the end, many parents are able to become the types of role models they long to be with parental coaching services. They learn how to be patient and calm while also being firm in their decisions. They also learn how to communicate effectively with children of all ages – yes even teens! – and build a healthy family dynamic with parents, children and siblings who get along.
What Should You Look for in a Parent Coach?
When choosing a parent coach for your child, it’s important to pick someone who you feel comfortable working with. You should be able to have open, honest conversations with them and be receptive to their insight and advice. Ask the coach’s policies regarding privacy and paperwork – you want to make sure that all conversations are kept private.
Bridge the Gap offers parent coaching services, in addition to teen mentoring, therapeutic mentoring and interventions. When families come to us, we are prepared to help everyone in the family unit – parents, children and siblings. We recognize that the core of our life experiences come from our family so it’s our mission to strengthen families from the inside out.
To learn more about our parent coaching services and how we can help your family, contact Bridge the Gap today.
