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| 5/16/2008 10:28:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | FAMILY FIRST: Parent coaching available locally
Tonya Kerr
Family first
It's been six months since I quit my full time job to stay at home with my children, and I haven't looked back once. I only wish I'd been writing down the hundreds of conversations I've had with people who are trying to find that perfect balance of family, finances and fulfillment.
Just last week I discovered that my neighbor, who has her own stories to tell, recently created her own business here in Round Rock called Parent Coaching Associates, LLC. She and her partner are moms with master's degrees in this field who recognized a need to provide support, education and resources for parents who need some objective help.
At first I was skeptical, but then I thought about it. I was at the end of my rope six months ago, and I didn't know where to turn. Family and friends were helpful, but not necessarily objective - let alone trained experts on family and career problems. Yet, I don't know that I would have picked up the phone to hire a parent coach.
My friend Sue reminded me that had I talked with some of the parents who have already been helped, I just might have picked up the phone. And that's the point.
Most parents can relate to falling into a routine and repeating the same bad patterns with their kids. You feel out of control. The kids feel out of control. And everyone goes to bed wanting to make a change. It's up to the parent to make that change, but it doesn't have to be as drastic as quitting a job.
In my situation, Sue told me that just getting a handle on my own "emotional reactivity" probably would have made a huge difference with my children and my job. A parent coach certainly could still help me with that. Of course, I also knew that my job description had changed and would have had a negative impact on my kids. So, in the end, my decision would have been the same, but a parent coach might have given me some tools to navigate through the situation a little more smoothly.
There are 63 million parents in the U.S. today whose kids are under the age of 18, and a whole lot of us are overworked and overscheduled. Daily challenges are tough enough, but some of the larger issues like Attention Deficit Disorder or school system politics or over-exposure to media are just a few of the problems past generations know nothing about.
Already, Parent Coaching Associates, LLC is working with Children's Protective Services in Williamson and Travis County. Round Rock ISD asked the company to present to Support Services. And five-week group classes will be offered this summer through The Georgetown Project's Bridges to Growth program for about $70. Even local corporations, like Dell Inc., are recognizing this growing need and scheduling Parent Coaching Associates to make a presentation to employees.
Parenting issues are personal and varied, but many are universal. And that's why the trend of parent coaching is growing nationwide. Some of the most repetitive issues are time management, sibling rivalry, attention difficulties, parenting stress, behavior problems, homework struggles, media influences, blended or single-parent families, divorce and navigating the school system.
The bottom line is that there is now another resource out there for parents, and it's right here in Round Rock. Whether you or someone you know needs help, or if it just gives you piece of mind to know that it's there for others, there's nothing wrong with a new idea that makes us all stop and think. Our kids are certainly worth it!
For more information, visit parentcoachingassociates.com.
Let me know if you have any ideas for this Family First column. I'd love to hear from you!
Tonya Kerr lives in Round Rock with her husband and three daughters. She's a former television news anchor and currently host of "The Parent Code," a digital show at OnNetworks.com and also available as a free download from iTunes. Contact her at tonya-kerr@hotmail.com.
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