Do you ever wish you had a parenting "pause" button? Being home together all the time can wear down boundaries and provoke power struggles. Parent coaching can help you see the patterns and break the cycles by setting clear expectations, providing loving limits, and following through consistently.

“I see you. I hear you. I am here for you. I will meet you where you are.” This is my promise to my families.

One day I arrived for play-based learning, and my student was curled in a ball under a bench. Because connection is about meeting people where they are. I lay down on the floor next to him. He was muttering “Oh brother,” so I joined in with "Oh sister." We went back and forth as he calmed down and started to smile. He expressed curiosity about the stories and games we would share, so we started right where he was.

There under that bench we read "I Believe in You." The ideas and illustrations were perfect for him. Every few pages, I moved a little further from the bench, and he followed. By the end of the story, we were both sitting on the bench and ready to make a play plan.

Connection before redirection is a powerful parenting strategy. It is important to meet a child where he/she/they is and build connection before offering correction. It's an investment in your relationship. After all, relationships are about saying “I see you. I hear you. I am here for you. I will meet you where you are. I believe in YOU.”

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Rebecca A. Weiner, M.Ed. is an educational consultant specializing in play-based learning, parent and teacher coaching, school consulting, and inclusion support. She loves to help families connect, partners and colleagues communicate, and teams of families, therapists, and schools collaborate to help children of all abilities achieve success.