Parenting can be deeply rewarding and undeniably tough, and it’s normal to feel lost or uncertain at times. Parent coaching, offered by Lyra Health, can guide you through those difficult moments to help you experience greater joy and strengthen your connection with your child.
What is parent coaching?
Parent coaching is like having a personal trainer to help you build parenting skills. A parent coach can be an objective partner who guides you through the ups and downs of parenting and teaches you practical skills to manage anything from tantrums to technology use.
Parent coaching is not about pointing out what parents are doing wrong; it is about working together to set goals and make a plan to reach them.
How can parent coaching help?
- Balancing multiple roles – many of us feel pulled in different directions by roles like spouse, parent, employee and friend. Parent coaching can help you reconcile an idealized vision of parenting with the daily realities of life and provide tips for balance and prioritizing.
- Easing transitions – life is full of transitions, and they move especially fast for kids. Parent coaching can help you through the changing dynamics of your child’s life.
- Reframing thinking – parent coaching can help reshape perspectives, especially in complex situations like divorce or a new blended-family dynamic.
- Turning off your “default” setting – parent coaching guides us away from “default parenting” shaped by our own upbringing.
- Relating to your child – parent coaching encourages you to identify how you are showing up for your child and decide if that is an effective way for that particular child or age.
- Improving communication – parent coaching teaches communication skills that foster mutual respect, understanding and empathy.
- Processing grief – parent coaching can help with loss, whether it stems from life transitions like a child going off to kindergarten or college, grief for the loss of your life before kids or profound losses like miscarriage or stillbirth.
- Adjusting to parenthood – parent coaching helps you build confidence and adapt to your new role.
- Managing behavior problems – children’s behavior problems often come up in parent coaching. Parenting doesn’t come with a manual. It’s like on-the-job training, but there are resources for real-time support that can guide you toward a more effective approach where your child feels understood and receptive.
Parenting isn’t easy. No one has all the answers. Be kind to yourself and give yourself compassion. Parent coaching can provide guidance, practical strategies and emotional support along the way.
Join or Learn More
Vanderbilt employees and their families are eligible to receive 12 counseling or coaching sessions per household member each year, at no cost to the employee. Sign up today at vanderbilt.lyrahealth.com or call 877-804-2856.
Lyra has access to more than 6,500 care providers for children and offers provider matching based on preferences like race/ethnicity, gender and LGBTQIA+ identity. Your child will be getting the most effective care because Lyra’s providers use evidence-based approaches, which has been proven to enhance coping skills, improve emotional regulation and decrease stress.
You can view frequently asked questions on the Office of Health, Wellbeing and Belonging’s website.
