Coaching for Parents
1:1 coaching sessions
Being the parent of young children can be a challenge at the best of times but throw Covid into the mix and things can get very stressful. Are you feeling worried, anxious or finding you are constantly running out of patience? Are friends and family sympathetic but just expecting you to 'pull yourself together' and get on with it?
Maybe I can help you.
Coaching specifically for parents of young children is what I'm passionate about. I know myself from years of teaching 0-5 year olds and being a grandparent to 6 preschool children what a demanding and often frustrating task being a parent can be. One difficulty is that all children are different and what might work for one doesn't always work for another. Through 1:1 coaching I can help you to gain a sense of calm in your life and support you to deal with your emotions in kind and positive ways. If you're worried about how to be a good parent or beating yourself up with negative self talk, then coaching may be just what you need to help you regain your self confidence. Coaching is not an indulgence, it can make the difference between living with constant stress or the first step to enjoying your life as a parent again. A happy parent also means a happy child.
Workshops for groups of parents
As well as 1:1 coaching I am also pleased to be able to offer workshop days or half days to support groups of parents. If you already belong to a group or can arrange for a few parents with a common interest to come together, I would be happy to tailor the session to meet your specific need. This could for example cover developing your 'emotional fitness' as a parent of a young child, support for parents of children with additional needs or coaching for parents who want to learn new ideas for supporting their child's learning and development. Group workshops will resume once Covid restrictions are lifted.
How I can help
Initial phone call
I offer a 20 minute no obligation phone call so that you can tell me a little more about your situtation. I will ask you a few questions to help me understand you and your child's needs and then we will both have time to decide if I am the right person to help you.
If so then I will arrange to meet you and your child to start to get to know you both.
Meet you and your child
The first thing I need to do is to meet you and your child. I find it is best if I come to your house as both you and your child will feel comfortable there. I'll visit for about an hour and a half and during this time will talk to and play with your child to start to get to know them. I will also talk to you about your concerns and what you might already have tried.
Put together a plan of action
Once I begin to get to know your child I will be able to start to identify their strengths and areas of need. I will then give you practical ideas about ways you can support your child and strategies that will help them to thrive. We'll create a 'plan of action' that will cover a month or so. It will help you to feel that you are taking control and making positive steps forward. You may feel confident enough to carry out the plan on your own and monitor the progress your child makes.
You might also like me to return once the month is up to help you review the plan and give you new ideas of how to continue helping your child to thrive.
Work alongside you to help your child to thrive
Once we've made a plan of action you might feel comfortable enough to get on and have a go by yourself. You might also feel a little practical help would be useful so I can arrange to make further visits to support you and 'coach' you in how best to carry out the plan. I can model the ideas and strategies and give you feedback on how to carry them out yourself. I can also give you ideas on how other family members can be included in supporting your child.
If it would help I'm happy to accompany you on visits to the park, shops, friends etc to continue supporting you and to try out some of the ideas from our plan.
Alongside this hands on 'coaching' support I can also give advice by phone or email.
Further Information and Charges
Home visits
I live in south Shropshire and am happy to make home visits anywhere in the Shrewsbury, Telford, Bridgnorth, Ludlow area. I don't charge additional expenses for travel unless working outside this region.
Initial visit
I usually allow between 1 1/2 to 2 hours for my initial visit.
I will bring all the toys and resources I need but find it helps to use yours too as your child will be familiar with these.
I charge £85 for this visit which includes a written copy of the action plan.
Additional support to thrive visits
Following the initial visit you may like to arrange further support and 'coaching' visits. These sessions usually last around an hour and a half and will focus on the areas identified in the plan. The sessions can be extended to allow me to accompany and support you on visits, appointments etc.
Additional support to thrive session (1-1/2 hours), £60.
Extended session, £15 for each additional half hour.
Further support
My support visits are aimed at helping you to help your child to thrive. I have found that the best way to achieve this is to work directly with both you and your child together. I don't find it is helpful to work alone with your child or look after them while you are out.
I am however able to provide coaching support for parents, siblings and other family members to help them understand the plan, learn new skills and enjoy their time with your child.
I have a current DBS certificate for working with children.
Queries?
Asking for help for your child can seem daunting.
You may feel you are doing something wrong, should already know what to do or are just too tired to be an effective parent.
However you are feeling please just give me a call to chat over your concerns as in my long experience of working with young children and their families:
'a trouble shared is a trouble halved'.
If my support is not what you need you won't have lost anything and at least will have started the ball rolling to improve the situation.
Please email me at lizsomervilleconsultancy@gmail.com or use the contact form below