Parenting coaches have recently made headlines as a new option for parents who are at the end of their rope with managing their children's behaviors. But just who are these parenting coaches and when does it make sense to hire one?
A Virginia couple, Niki and Stephen Worrell, recently appeared on the Today Show to discuss their parenting difficulties. As parents of triplets, they found themselves overwhelmed with their parenting responsibilities. They discovered it was taking a toll on their relationship as they often disagree about effective discipline strategies.
They agreed to hire a parenting coach who will assist them with discipline strategies to improve their children's behaviors via conference calls and video chats. They agreed to make another appearance on the Today Show following their experience with a parenting coach to report on whether or not it was successful.
Are parenting coaches, the wave of the future? Are parents going to be calling in professionals to assist them with managing their children's behaviors?
There are a lot of ways in which parents can help themselves in finding effective discipline strategies to manage behavioral issues. However, making change is difficult and if you've fallen into some bad habits with parenting your children, their behaviors may get worse before they get better if you start offering effective consequences for their behaviors.
If you decide to hire some professional help to assist you with parenting, make sure the person is a qualified, trained professional. There is not a particular license that qualifies someone to be a parenting coach so make sure the professional is a trained mental health provider. Counselors and psychologists may specialize in parenting education and may be able to provide you with assistance in an office setting or may offer programs that come into your home to assist with parenting interventions.