| Becoming a new mother is an intense experience that | | | | you have general questions or concerns about |
| affects all areas of your life including work, | | | | discipline, encouraging children to eat healthfully, toilet |
| relationships, identity, and emotional health. Motherhood | | | | training, colic, sleep problems, or anything else, the |
| adds stress to life, no matter how good you feel. The | | | | coach will offer information and aid in those areas. |
| challenges of caring for a newborn, other children, | | | | Coaches can be particularly useful when parents don't |
| home, and whatever else can cause problems for you | | | | have friends or family who can advise them or they |
| physically and emotionally - unless you have good | | | | have doctors who can't take time to support them the |
| support. One form of help available to you is a parent | | | | way they need. |
| coach. | | | | A good parent coach empowers parents to use their |
| Parent coaching is offered over the telephone or in | | | | own wisdom to make good decisions. The goal of |
| person, depending on the agency. Parent coaching | | | | coaching is to help parents function effectively and |
| helps new moms (and dads too) become aware of | | | | self-confidently. They can also help a couple work |
| their beliefs about child rearing and other important | | | | better together as parenting partners. |
| areas relating to parenthood. The coach also can | | | | Coaching Sessions |
| teach you the ins and outs of infant care. Coaches | | | | Usually, coaches work with families in thirty minute |
| focus on the day-to-day activities of motherhood, | | | | sessions, once per week. Since coaching can be done |
| providing the parenting skills you need to build | | | | by phone, parents are not limited to a particular |
| self-confidence. | | | | geographic area when choosing a coach. The initial |
| Who Are Parent Coaches? | | | | contact is usually free and helps to determine if the |
| Parent coaches are not licensed by a government | | | | coach is offering what you need and if you and the |
| agency, so they have varying qualifications. They are | | | | coach are a good "fit". The coach will take some time |
| parents, but they don't necessarily have professional | | | | to get to know you and ask about questions and |
| training. Some just want to share their valuable | | | | concerns that you have. The coach will set basic |
| parenting experiences. Other coaches may, for | | | | ground rules, such as how the two (or three) of you |
| instance, be former early childhood educators or | | | | will communicate and work together. |
| pediatricians, who have found this new field. | | | | Parent coaching is not counseling or psychological |
| How Do Parent Coaches Help? | | | | therapy. There is no diagnosis of psychological or |
| Parenting coaches provide assistance in many ways, | | | | medical disorders. A good coach should be able to |
| depending on the needs of the family and the services | | | | recognize problems that are outside their ability and |
| offered. If you need guidance solving a specific issue | | | | require professional help. At that time, the coach would |
| with a child, the coach will take a focused approach. If | | | | refer the parents to an appropriate health professional. |