As a parent coach, I spend a lot of time with moms. More often than not, there is one common thread: She is overwhelmed, exhausted and feels locked into certain patterns with her kids.
Does this sound familiar to you?
It’s a very common story but it doesn’t have to be this way…
Have you ever had this interior monologue?
How can it be Sunday night already? Where did the weekend go? I’m so tired. I’ve got so much to do before I get to bed. Every Sunday night is the same and every Monday morning I feel like I’m starting off on the wrong foot.
Feeling Overwhelmed as a Parent
I’m so tired of making lunches and I’ve just realized that I forgot to stock up for the week. The dog has to go to the vet again, how will I fit that in? There’s only enough Rice Krispies for one tomorrow morning; now we are sure to have fighting in the morning. My husband has to go out of town for the week, how will I make Wednesday afternoon work? And my work! I have so many deadlines and can’t even begin when my head is filled with all these competing draws. And I know I should talk to someone about managing my five year old’s behaviour better…when will our conflicts/struggles lighten up? His constant defiance and control is driving me crazy.
I think I need a month’s worth of weekends to get my life straight.
“What does this say about me as a person?”
“What would my friends think of me if they knew the truth?”
As a Mom, you may find yourself thinking that you just can’t take anymore, only to find a few days later things are not so bad. Then, WHAM!… things fall apart again.
The days may come and go, months pass but the patterns continue.
It’s tempting to talk with friends but they all seem to be in similar boats, complaining about how busy they are, how their kids don’t listen and how there is just no time for anything.
You’re so not alone.
Questions Posed by a Parent Coach
I ask the moms I work with to consider these questions:
How can you change the patterns that seem to be all around you?
What boat do you want to be in?
How could you feel more content?
Imagine if Sunday night came around and you had had a totally relaxing weekend with your family. Your once controlling, defiant child joined in all the fun without ruining it and you didn’t have to bribe him. You had a great dinner out with friends on Saturday night. You got your ducks in a row for the week. It’s 8pm, the kids are all in bed and the thought of next week is no longer scary. In fact, it’s welcome! You have the lunches all ready for Monday morning. There’s enough Rice Krispies to feed an army and your favourite yoga class is at 10am on Monday morning.
Working with a Parent Coach can help you move you from that place of overwhelm, chaos and lack to a place of energy, abundance and joy. We can help get you off that mouse wheel. We can help you find a much better boat, one that is perfect for you and your family – a custom built boat!
What do Parent Coaches Do?
Parent Coaches do this by helping you:
- Find clarity, purpose and direction
- Unveil fresh perspective and possibility
- Find inspiration and aliveness
- Gain insight, understanding and appreciation of yourself
- Transform worry, doubt, guilt and overwhelm into confidence, courage, energy and joy
- Restore your self-belief
- Feel and experience someone by your side who:
- Holds space for you
- Listens deeply to you
- Sits with you with no judgment
- Doesn’t bombard you with advice at every turn
- Compassionately nudges you towards fresh beginnings and a new tomorrow
- Gives you hope
- Use your strengths, tap your expertise and allow you to see beyond your immediate challenges
- Shift your focus to include all that is working and use that to motivate you
- Catalyze positive change
- Use your knowledge of your family along with their knowledge of the process required to bring about sustainable change, not just quick fixes
- Form a bridge from your current reality to where you want to be, building the bridge as you walk on it, one step at a time…
- to the relaxing Sunday night
- to a place where you are not continually negotiating and arguing with your child/children
- to a place where you feel heard and respected
- to a place you know exists yet is not on your radar
- to a place of deep knowing and trust
- to a place of energy, deep fulfillment and joy
- Get to a place where you live your life in alignment with your values
- Gain the strength and courage to step out of your current boat into one that serves you and has the capacity to navigate new challenges along the way.
Taking Control of Life as a Parent
Why wait till tomorrow or for another Sunday night?
Why listen to those voices in your head any longer?
Why stay in a boat that doesn’t serve you?
Much of the story I shared was from one of my clients, whose imaginary place is now her reality.
She was tired of listening to those voices in her head, tired of always thinking things would change only to find they didn’t. She was tired of believing that she might not have what it takes. She took the plunge, held her head up high and signed up with me as her Parent Coach. She turned things around, gained fresh perspective, a clearer lens and intentionally put herself on a different path.
She no longer has to dream of better places, she lives there.
She no longer spends her days trapped in a haze of fatigue, challenge and overwhelm.
Instead, she thrives in a place filled with joy and energy:
“It was the best thing I ever did for me and my family.”
You can do it too.
Discover how Parent Coaching can give you that necessary pause to re-evaluate your current life and gain the clarity you need to help energize you to take those little steps that will carry you towards your dreams.
Louise Clarke is a PCI Certified Parent Coach at www.yourparentingpartner.com
My biggest scheduling challenge is trying to fit in errands on weeknights. My husband works 6 days a week so we have to be strategic with when we run errands, like shoe shopping for our 4 kids.
Scheduling is always tough because I have to tip toe around my toddler’s naps! It was restrictive when he was a consistent napper, but these days, anything goes, so I’m always trying to prioritize “important” errands over ones that can carry over 🙂
Activities. Between swimming, skating lessons, free skate, sparks, voice lessons and blog events, I feel like I am constantly trying to juggle everything around to leave family time.
Scheduling around naps is so frustrating…but I know it’s only short term!
I think for me, my biggest scheduling challenge is learning to be ok rolling with the punches. I feel like I have to be very flexible in my scheduling as I don’t know if I will get called to come get her from school when she’s being challenging for her teachers. I also don’t know when I will have to stay after school and meet with her teachers if she’s had a rough day!
I also have a toddler and 3 businesses and husband who very much likes to make his own schedule and expect me to move around his! I set a schedule and then it gets disrupted and I feel discouraged! I’m hoping the fall will bring much more order to our lives! As Ava starts some programs that should help lessen her mood and anxiety issues
My biggest scheduling challenge is getting my kids to sports when I work until 5 and have to cook dinner
Kids 😉
My biggest scheduling challenge is school things, and after school sports activities! Its hard to keep track of sometimes.
My biggest scheduling challenge is where to fit in time for me to exercise. By the time the 2 girls are in bed at night, I am too exhausted to go. I need to write it in pen in the calendar, so then I cannot change my “appointment” 😉
Every day! Between my and hubby’s work schedule, kids school schedule, kids figure skating, volleyball, Guides & Brownies, homework, my volunteer schedule at kids school on council and the chair of the hot lunch program, the Skating Club board duties and web design that goes with it, volunteering as a Guider for my older daughter’s Guide unit, Guide camping schedule, my workout schedule….I’m tired just thinking about it all!
Weeknight dinners when everyone is going in different directions, big scheduling challenge.
I have trouble keeping up to date on doctors appointment and other activities like soccer, skating, basketball camp, and softball.
My biggest challenge is keeping all the doctor and dentist appointments current. I’ve arrived to the doc’s office the right time, but a day early. The right day, but the wrong time. You name it, I’ve done. it.
My biggest challenge is remembering what I scheduled
Finding times to eat together with all the kids activities
My biggest scheduling challenge is trying to get the other family members to take some responibility for checking the calendar to see what’s going on.