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Tue 3 Jul, 2007 11:02 am
Don't know how to deal with your child - simple hire a parenting coach!
A parenting coach is a new breed of consultants who provide advice once sought primarily from grandmothers, neighbors, and Dr. Benjamin Spock. Their popularity has led to new schools, like the Parent Coaching Institute in Bellevue, Wash.
The coaches charge hundreds of dollars for a few hours of work, dispensing advice and soothing frazzled nerves of over extended moms and dads. The consultants, largely unlicensed and unregulated, are increasing in popularity.
Anyway ever hear of this before or use one? Would this be helpful to you?
To be honest about it, yes, if it hadn't been for the wonderful members of A2K I could have very well needed a parenting consultant.
Re: Hire a parenting consultant!
Linkat wrote:Don't know how to deal with your child - simple hire a parenting coach!
A parenting coach is a new breed of consultants who provide advice once sought primarily from grandmothers, neighbors, and Dr. Benjamin Spock. Their popularity has led to new schools, like the Parent Coaching Institute in Bellevue, Wash.
The coaches charge hundreds of dollars for a few hours of work, dispensing advice and soothing frazzled nerves of over extended moms and dads. The consultants, largely unlicensed and unregulated, are increasing in popularity.
Anyway ever hear of this before or use one? Would this be helpful to you?
You listened to Egan & Braudie today, didn't you?
Seems silly to me but I suppose if someone is terrified of the prospect of impending parenthood...
If you're alone in the world without anyone else to talk to about parenting or who you trust to give free parenting advice, then I guess it makes as much sense as anything.
Re: Hire a parenting consultant!
fishin wrote:Linkat wrote:Don't know how to deal with your child - simple hire a parenting coach!
A parenting coach is a new breed of consultants who provide advice once sought primarily from grandmothers, neighbors, and Dr. Benjamin Spock. Their popularity has led to new schools, like the Parent Coaching Institute in Bellevue, Wash.
The coaches charge hundreds of dollars for a few hours of work, dispensing advice and soothing frazzled nerves of over extended moms and dads. The consultants, largely unlicensed and unregulated, are increasing in popularity.
Anyway ever hear of this before or use one? Would this be helpful to you?
You listened to Egan & Braudie today, didn't you?
Seems silly to me but I suppose if someone is terrified of the prospect of impending parenthood...
No I didn't - it was on boston.com
FreeDuck wrote:If you're alone in the world without anyone else to talk to about parenting or who you trust to give free parenting advice, then I guess it makes as much sense as anything.
Well what the devil did parents do before? I guess they simply went with their gut.
Damn expensive to hire too.
Not all women have those maternal instincts. I know this because I'm one of them. Parenting isn't really natural to me. I know how important it is to do it right though so I'm not above paying for advice.
Re: Hire a parenting consultant!
Linkat wrote:
No I didn't - it was on boston.com
Ah! That musy be where they got it from then as well. It was their topic of discussion on the radio today. :wink:
Linkat wrote:FreeDuck wrote:If you're alone in the world without anyone else to talk to about parenting or who you trust to give free parenting advice, then I guess it makes as much sense as anything.
Well what the devil did parents do before? I guess they simply went with their gut.
Damn expensive to hire too.
I think historically parents were better connected. People stayed in their communities, moved less, had bigger families with sisters, mothers, grandmothers they could lean on or ask advice of. Parenthood was more widespread and less of the conscious decision that it is today.
Linkat wrote:
Well what the devil did parents do before? I guess they simply went with their gut.
Damn expensive to hire too.
A few of the parenting coaches that called in to the radio show expressed that many people who are becoming parents now had crappy parents to begin with. Many of them came from abusive homes and were afraid of repeating the experience with their children.
FreeDuck wrote:
I think historically parents were better connected. People stayed in their communities, moved less, had bigger families with sisters, mothers, grandmothers they could lean on or ask advice of. Parenthood was more widespread and less of the conscious decision that it is today.
That could be - some of the comments these people who used the services said - I waited til I was older to have children and want to make sure I do it right.
I also had kids older, but possibly because others in my office were pregnant at the same time and friends of mine had young kids, such a thing wouldn't occur to me.
Or if my kids step out of line, I just give 'em a good whipping. That always keeps them in line.
I think FreeDuck's connectiveness point is a huge one, especially when paired with Fishin's about one's own upbringing. As in, imagine that you live in a new city and you don't know anyone in particular and your own parents supply lousy advice when asked -- where do you turn?
I saw an ad for one of these in craigslist and briefly considered it (i.e, to BE the coach), but it was phone-based.
You get such for free (by law) here in Germany (health departments have special offices (mainly staffed with psychologists) as well as the youth departments, which provide social workers) .... or ordered by family courts, in the worst case.
sozobe wrote:but it was phone-based.
AND it's a rather daunting responsibility. I much prefer posting on A2K where other experienced parents can say "yep, what she said," or "Uh, not so much... try this instead."
I wouldn't hire one... but I would love to make the recommendation to a few. Some parenting things I see going on nearly drive me mad!
I was raising babies far, far away from the maternal nest. I grew very fond of my Doctor Spock paperback.
Raising kids is like cooking--a demonstration makes more sense than a dissertation--but Doctor Spock was all I had.
sozobe wrote: imagine that you live in a new city and you don't know anyone in particular and your own parents supply lousy advice when asked -- where do you turn?
All the above applies here. Yet a thought of hiring someone goes against my grain. I rely on common sense, my instincts, a few chosen parenting books, and on trying to keep the noun "parent" a noun, not the verb.
Can't folks just watch Super Nanny?
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