The Parent & Family Coaching Center

  “How do I get my kids to listen to me? AAAHHHHHH!” This is a common question parents ask at parenting workshops or when I am coaching “all kinds of parents with all kinds of kids.” I’ve learned that when parents ask: “How do I get my kids to listen to me?”, they actually want to know how to get their kids to do what they want them to do when they want them to do it. My answer: “Let’s learn some parenting practices that will get your kids to listen AND get your kids to do what they need to do for themselves and for their families.” If you find yourself feeling frustrated in your interactions with your kids, if they’re ignoring you when you speak to them or are habitually non-compliant with your requests, directives, instructions, you need some new parenting tactics. If you are feeling this way, your children are likely learning social behaviors that are disrespectful and dismissive of others, and I think you’ll agree that this is not the kind of behavior we want our kids to develo...

Families, like people, have wildly different personalities. Some families are loud, others quieter; some families are very active, others have a slower pace and engage in more sedate activities. Some are hyper-organized, others frenzied and chaotic.  I coach all kinds of families with all kinds of kids, and at the beginning of working with a family, I strive to know the unique personality of each family.   I want to know all the things family members are unhappy with AND all the strengths and awesome uniqueness of the family!  Together we want to grow the strengths and awesomeness!  We also use creativity, problem-solving, and knowledge of family dynamics to “fix” the challenge areas.  A common challenge area for parents is getting their kids to listen to them:  “What can I do so my kids will listen?” What Can I Do So My Kids Will Listen? Adelle Faber and Elaine Mazlish got it right in their book: “How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids W...

  Developing a Co-Parenting Communication System that Works! There is a lot to say on the subject of co-parenting. We need to be talking about it more than we do given the high percentage of families in the United States with children being raised by divorced and separated parents.  Systemically, divorce is still about the legalities rather than the children, though researchers have consistently highlighted the devastating effects of divorce on children.  The good news is that 2 decades of family research tells us that these potentially devastating effects can be mitigated if co-parenting partners have support available to them and have access to education and coaching.   Resources for Separating and Divorcing Parents I’m glad you have joined me in this conversation about co-parenting, a conversation about how to be effective co-parenting partners!  If you have kids and are thinking about or are in the process of divorcing, an excellent resource for co-pare...

Parenting is complex in all circumstances, no matter the characteristics of parent, child or family. Parenting is a journey of a lifetime, and through all the developing years, it’s a 24/7 job.  There aren’t many other things we do in life that are all consuming like raising our kids.  It takes all the brains, heart and energy we can give! And parenting has become even more challenging these days as parents and kids are experiencing stress and anxiety levels that are unprecedented.  I just finished recording a  self-paced audio program that I developed for parents with anxious kids, I named it SPARK! … Strategic Parenting for Anxious & Reactive Kids! … so parenting anxious kids is on my mind.   Parenting is complex in all circumstances, no matter the characteristics of parent, child or family. Parenting is a journey of a lifetime, and through all the developing years, it’s a 24/7 job.  There aren’t many other things we do in life that are all ...