Parenting can be tough. Unfortunately, adolescents don’t come with instruction manuals. Oftentimes, adolescence and young adulthood are the first times that a parent encounters that they feel lost and just don’t know what to do. It can be intimidating. Some parents find that communication might break down because their child becomes withdrawn, sullen or more aggressive in their communication. Some parents may feel helpless because they can’t seem to find the key to motivating their young person to want success. Some parents report that they just want the extra comfort of having another set of eyes on the situation.
It’s easy during tough times to step into the role of “Parent Cop”. We have found this approach to either force the child to shut down, or invite them into a defensive posture. Especially in today’s culture, children need our guidance but they are less accepting of it if parents impose it through intimidation tactics. When problems are discussed, the Parent Coach affirms through words and body language that parent and child are “on the same side” in their efforts to identify why the difficulty arose. In other words, the old standard, “I’m going to teach my child a lesson” is replaced by, “What is the lesson that both of us can be taught?”. We want to facilitate connection and effective communication between you and your child.
At Tucker and Associates , we can teach you skills to help you connect with your child in a meaningful way. We can help you know when move forward and when to back off, and can give you the assurance that you have support behind you as you navigate difficult waters. We have resources, such as skills to help you manage your own anxiety, templates to help you develop a safe and nonjudgmental dialogue with your child, assessments to help you and your child understand each other better, and we have access to such programs as random drug testing to set your mind at ease.
