Embracing Difference
How youth coaching can help parents
"Being the mother of a teenage boy who had disengaged from school, Jo gave us both, but him in particular, the self confidence and ability to see a brighter, more positive future. I cannot thank her enough."
"I wish I'd had a coach when I was a teenager..."
Living in unprecedented times
As we all continue to live and work in close proximity and often away from the support of our offices, peers, schools and universities, a coaching approach can really help a household run smoothly and happily.
The situation can exacerbate any ongoing issues that a child may be grappling with. So please do get in touch if you have an inkling that your young person would like to make a change. Coaching can be just as effective by phone or online as face to face.
We all see the world through different lenses
If you are reading this, then you want the best for your child. I’m a parent too and I want the same. We want them to fulfil their potential and be happy.
Where are you stuck?
Are you frustrated because your teenager or young adult doesn’t seem to want to work at home? Or is disorganised?
Are you worried because they seem unhappy or anxious?
Perhaps you are clashing over discipline and are concerned about something in their behaviour.
Do you want to help them but are not sure how?
You may even be thinking about therapy or counselling. But coaching provides another - often quicker - route to resilience for young people.
And it all hinges on the fact that it is not advice.
You may be frustrated that your child doesn't seem to take your own advice. But you might be surprised at how much they do in fact want to change.
What young people don’t necessarily want is to do it our way. Although we all have the best intentions, what we often forget is that our children are not us. We all see the world through different lenses. We are the product of what has gone before. So what works for one person, may not work for another.
In Wisebird terms, when young people are stuck, if they can dig deep inside themselves they will find their path. Rather than giving them advice, coaching helps them to do just that. In a series of one to one, confidential, sessions, it asks them questions so that they find the answers that work for them, and can use their senses to help when they are really stuck (more about Neuro Linguistic Programming).
They then grow stronger as individuals, take ownership of their ideas, and feel more confident moving forward towards what they want - and you have a clearer mind for the other aspects of your life
When might coaching be useful for your child?
Coaching can help your child at any age or stage. It might be:
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Getting down to work at home
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Getting down to work in the holidays
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A friendship or relationship issue
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Anxiety about exams, performances, friendships, or something else?
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Overcoming a phobia
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Choosing future subjects or careers at school, university and beyond
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Getting through difficult times -family changes, bullying, recovery, moving countries and fitting in
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Improving self esteem
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Improving study/work/life balance
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Making a career change
“I enjoyed talking to someone with no pressure or judgement. Coaching helped me find the answers I had all along which improved my confidence"
Some coaching stories
WISEBIRD PATH 1
Improving family relations
This student was finding his relationship with his father had taken a turn for the worse and was feeling unhappy.
Coaching helped him remember how he had resolved a similar issue in the past, and he was able to apply it to improve things with his Dad now.
WISEBIRD PATH 2
Getting their facts straight
This student was demoralised and without purpose as they faced A’levels without an idea of university course.
Coaching helped them understand that they had come to believe certain assumptions they were making about the courses available to them. When they conducted proper research, they discovered their options were much more exciting than they thought.
WISEBIRD PATH 3
Staying motivated
This student was lacking motivation and finding it hard to get down to their work.
Coaching helped them to understand what motivated them in other areas of their life and how they could apply it to their work.
WISEBIRD PATH 4
Achieving balance
This student was working long hours to get everything done. They were going to bed late, feeling too tired and unproductive to work, and didn’t have time for their hobbies.
Coaching helped make them aware of inefficient work habits and unhelpful self talk which they were able to change and improve their life dramatically.
Contact me
If this all sounds familiar...
1. Contact me to arrange a free introductory call with you to see if coaching might be right for your teenager or young adult. Remember coaching is not advice, it is not counselling, and it is not therapy. Your young person must be in a place to want to DO something about their situation, as well as TALK. Coaching is about action.
2. Direct your teenager/young adult to the youth guide to coaching to help them understand how it can help.
3. Consider coaching for yourself. Letting go of giving advice can be hard as parents after years of telling our children what to do, helping them to grow up. Coaching can help us to get used to the idea of stepping back and explore how we might change our own thoughts and behaviour to take different action which might help our young people to blossom as individuals - and us to adjust. (see adult coaching).
4. Consider coaching for you and your friends. If you want to talk together about common parenting issues and find new ways forward, contact me to arrange a workshop.