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Feeling overwhelmed? Parent coaches and consultants are stepping in to help parents take some of the guesswork out of rearing children Date published: 12/12/2006
By KIM BAER ASHLEY SCOTT WAS a new mom. She felt as if she spent all of her time trying to get her head above laundry and diapers. She felt as if she didn't have time to work on potty training or transitioning her 2-year-old son from a crib to a bed. She felt overwhelmed. Her friend Holly Schiffrin, a psychology professor at the University of Mary Washington, was getting certified as a parent coach. Schiffrin needed a guinea pig for her new skills. Scott wanted guidance. It was a perfect match. "Parent coaching helped me to be a better, more focused, more organized parent," Scott said. Parents have long turned to friends and family for help. The most zealous of parents have taken classes and joined support groups. But parenting help has moved to the next level. Across the country, more parents are seeking coaches or consultants for guidance with specific issues--from picky eaters to bedtime battlers--or help with setting parenting goals. The concept picked up steam thanks to two popular television shows, "Supernanny" and "Nanny 911." On these programs, professional nannies come into each family's home, observe parenting problems and offer on-the-spot guidance. Parent coaching differs from family therapy because it focuses on specific parent and child behaviors, said Terry Diebold, a licensed family and marital therapist with a Fredericksburg practice. "Parent coaching is a great idea and can help avoid family dysfunction later," Diebold said. Steven Mintz is a history professor at the University of Houston. He has written a book called "Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood" and is co-chair of the National Council on Contemporary Families. Mintz said parent help is becoming one of the economy's biggest areas of growth. This help includes businesses that pack healthy lunches for the children of busy parents, and businesses that will teach children life skills such as toilet training. Some observers fear parents are "outsourcing" their responsibilities by hiring help, Mintz said. But he does not necessarily agree. Parent coaches can provide objective advice that friends and family cannot, he said. "Most parents turn to coaches not because they want to subcontract their responsibilities, but because they genuinely need help." The Fredericksburg area is home to at least two parent coaches or consultants.
Date published: 12/12/2006
I was very frustrated as well with potty training. When I was researching potty training a common theme seemed to be praise and positive reinforcement. I came across a website called www.pottytrainingrewards.com. We hung it in the kitchen and named the little boy on the front of the package, Bobby. My son could not wait to go to the potty so he could push the button, hear the praising message, and get his chocolate reward from, Bobby. It really got my son excited about using the potty himself and it was fu
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