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Home › Articles › General › Parent Coaching

Parent Coaching

The Value of Having Someone on Your Side

By Tracy McGinnis

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Thomas Klee, a psychologist and parent coach, has worked with parents on everything from toilet training a 2-year-old to substance abuse in adolescence to the problems associated with young adults living at home with their parents.

"People who recognize the importance of parenting use a parent coach to deal with specific discipline, behavioral or academic problems as they occur," says Klee.

Signs You May Need a Parent Coach
"Another reason parents seek help is because they feel things are out of control," says Dennis Bronstein of Parent Coach. "Parent coaches can provide assistance with settling into a routine and making things more manageable. My main goal is to help parents become the parents they want to be."

When Bartle needed help with her daughter Emily's school, she says she needed someone to stand beside her and help her figure out what was best for her daughter's future. "Sometimes as parents we need someone to help clarify issues and priorities," she says. "Pediatricians are often too busy to spend time on family issues – and issues aren't always big enough to involve a therapist."

"Coaching beings where books on parenting leave off," says Klee. "Parenting books have a lot of great ideas, but it takes a parent coach to tailor those ideas to specific situations and support the parents in carrying out various stages. One of the main problems parents face is being consistent with their kids."

Bartle says that other parent autorities had opinions that seemed good in theory but when it came time to implement them in the home, they didn't work. Her experience using a parent coach gave her options when what she tried wasn't successful.

Scribner says to ask yourself these questions when considering coaching:

  • Do you feel satisfied with yourself as a parent at the end of the day?
  • Do you continuously second-guess your parenting decisions?
  • Do you want to discover ways to sustain the joy in parenting?
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