Parent Coaching
Please contact Alexandra for a confidential discussion about how parent coaching could support you.
Here is what parents have had to say about their experience:
"Homework used to be a nightmare- I dreaded what he was going to get for homework more than he did. Every week it was a struggle and a battle to get it done. This is one of the things that has transformed since my sessions with Alexandra. He knows what homework he has, decides when to do it and just gets on with it. The whole experience is completely different. The coaching provided tools and ideas about how to approach it differently. Giving my son choices and options, as well as struture and boundaries, trying out ways of having a timetable as well as creating the ideal environment for him all helped immensely. He is much more responsible and independent now."
"The space that Alex creates is completely non-judgemental. I felt like I could say anything about how I was feeling as a mother, what I was dealing with and my child's behaviour, without her judging my way of parenting or me. This was so important, she just kept re-presencing my commitment to my child and kept everything moving towards that. She was very focused on the specific results I wanted to achieve, there was a lot of clarity on the goals for the coaching and specific objectives were set and reviewed. We had a review call in which I suddenly realised we had accomplished everything I was looking for."
"As a busy single working mum, I found having time set aside where I was able to stop, focus and address some of the things I was finding challenging, really valuable. It is about having time to work on things that you normally just muddle through with. Alex was great at providing tools, support and ideas to try out and I could see what worked and what didn't. I was able to tailor her suggestions to my child. It was not prescriptive, more of an exploration."
"I was interested in parent coaching sessions not because there was anything wrong with my relationship with my child, but because I am committed to having the most amazing experience possible of motherhood. Every parent wants to enjoy their children, that is why you become a parent. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, because it is hard work and there is no manual! Parent coaching has given me more enjoyment of my child."
"Working with Alexandra helped me to see that I am doing a good job, I may not get everything perfect all the time, but it gave me confidence that I am a good au pair and I already have some strategies that work. I was able to gain a new perspective about my job and saw how I could use a different approach to certain situations with children and get the outcome I am looking for. Alexandra made me feel heard and understood; it was extremely valuable to me to have someone to talk to outside of the family and Alexandra's assurance of complete confidentiality allowed me to be more open and share my own opinions and experiences.
On the practical side, I felt really comfortable with Alexandra's advice as she has extensive experience in how children can behave and how to take responsibility for them. When I talked to her she clearly understood what the problem was and knew what to do about it. This gave me confidence that she empathised with what I was experiencing. I was not overwhelmed with too many ideas at once, she talked me through an approach step by step and then I was able to try it out and give feedback.
As a result of Alexandra's coaching, I have noticed an improvement in my relationship with the child I look after as well as his mother. Alexandra empowered me to talk in more detail to his mother about concerns that we both had, which can be difficult when everyone is so busy with responsibilities at work and at home. We sat down and really talked about how to work together to make things work and improve our relationships. Our working partnership is definitely key to the smooth running of the home and I think the fact that Alexandra was coaching both of us separately made these conversations easier as we were both prepared for them."
"Alexandra's experience in how to communicate with children was key- sometimes it was just a case of tweaking what you wanted to say very slightly to produce a completely different outcome. Her wealth of experience and knowledge came through and she had plenty of practical ideas to try out. The coaching was grounded in a context which I created for myself and this helped to keep us on track with our goals."
