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Would you hire a parenting coach?
Filed under: Just For Moms, Just For Dads, Development/Milestones: Babies
I don't know about you, but there are times I wish I had access to an expert on the ins and outs of child rearing. But of course, there is no such thing as an 'expert', right? Wrong. There are schools where you can earn a certificate declaring you to be a 'parenting coach' and thereby enabling you to charge lots of money to hapless parents who feel they need professional assistance in raising their children.
I find the whole idea a bit suspect and did a little searching online to find out what they are all about.
Coach-Parenting is pretty typical of what I found. For a mere $70, you will receive a book and a 5-CD audio course. But if you are willing to shell out $635, you can purchase the Gold program, which includes five hours of private coaching with the company's founder. Either way, you will receive a certificate declaring you to be a "certified parent coach". Others, like Parent Coaching Institute, are a little more involved and require more time - and money - before you can hang up shingle and call yourself an expert.
Who would call in a parenting coach in the first place? I don't know. If you are dealing with emotional or psychological issues with your child, surely you are going to look for a highly trained professional, not a certificate-wielding stranger. What if the issues were less severe, like whining or slipping grades? I do see the advantage of asking an objective outsider for advice, but isn't that what friends and family are for?
Am I missing something? Why do we need parent coaches?
I find the whole idea a bit suspect and did a little searching online to find out what they are all about.
Coach-Parenting is pretty typical of what I found. For a mere $70, you will receive a book and a 5-CD audio course. But if you are willing to shell out $635, you can purchase the Gold program, which includes five hours of private coaching with the company's founder. Either way, you will receive a certificate declaring you to be a "certified parent coach". Others, like Parent Coaching Institute, are a little more involved and require more time - and money - before you can hang up shingle and call yourself an expert.
Who would call in a parenting coach in the first place? I don't know. If you are dealing with emotional or psychological issues with your child, surely you are going to look for a highly trained professional, not a certificate-wielding stranger. What if the issues were less severe, like whining or slipping grades? I do see the advantage of asking an objective outsider for advice, but isn't that what friends and family are for?
Am I missing something? Why do we need parent coaches?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
7-05-2007 @ 1:12PM
rebecca Biernesser said...b/c people fall for it......
Reply
7-05-2007 @ 10:16PM
caitlin said...Well, we have a lot of unrealistic expectations for parents these days. I didn't really get that the coaching service was for severe problems, more for the day to day stuff.
And I guess my mother-in-law could be considered my parenting coach. Whenever I've tried -everything- and it didn't work, I call her and she gives me some advice. Sometimes it's along the lines of "this too will pass" or something more specific.
But not everyone has someone to turn to for good parenting advice. I have friends whose parents did not do a good job of raising them. And being the kid of bad parents can make you doubt your own parenting abilities. And they may not have anyone telling them that they're doing a good job.
I've noticed that my parent friends with older kids did say more encouraging things when we were going through the worst of the toddler tantrum stage. And knowing that other people go through that helps a lot.
Reply
7-27-2007 @ 8:46PM
Diana Woolls said...Parents are afraid to say that bad, bad word "NO". Having a parenting coach gives the parents someone to blame when the kid says "WHY".
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 10:02PM
Jennifer Wolf said...Hi,
I'm so glad you're asking this question. I'm glad, too, that you've done your HW on coaching programs. See, I actually am a parent coach, and my certification is through The Parent Coaching Institute, which you mentioned, in conjunction with Seattle Pacific University. The distinction between The PCI and some of those "overnight" training programs is that The PCI's training includes 12 months of graduate level coursework, in conjunction with on-site workshops and coaching hours. Plus, they're very picky about who they'll accept into the program.
But I actually wanted to comment not so much on The PCI, but on the validity of coaching. I work with a lot of well intentioned, thoughtful parents who find themselves falling into patterns of behavior and relating that they know aren't successful, but aren't sure how to change. Sometimes it's bedtime routines, giving in to our kids, balancing our busy lives... As a coach, I don't tell my clients what they should or need to do. Instead, I help them uncover what they already now about how their family works best. The beauty of it is that they can then make those positive changes for the long haul and come to a place where they're really enjoying their family and find that things which used to be frustrating are now running much more smoothly.
It might not be something that every family needs, but the families I've worked with have expressed deep gratitude for what was set into motion in their lives through our work together.
Thanks again for posing the question about parent coaching. I think it's important! And I appreciate the opportunity to share.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Wolf
http://www.pathwaysparentcoach.com
Reply