Brush strokes in a Masterpiece

Classic Masterpiece Paintings Made of Shredded Magazines - My Modern Metropolis by candidlove on Pictify

It is so easy to focus on the larger picture, to constantly be planning the future rather than living fully in today. I do not know the future and, for all the plans I attempt to make, many things are out of my control. 

How often do we offer the advise to ourselves and our friends to see "the big picture?" But today I am reminded that the big picture is made up of tiny brush strokes and intentional choices of color that create the masterpiece. 

As a Parent Coach, one of the principles I understand to be true of life is "the little things mean more than we will ever know." It is the paradox of knowing there is the big, beautiful picture but living fully in the beauty, mess, and chaos of our current stroke of the masterpiece.

The Little Things

Do you wonder...

Do you wonder... What in the world is Parent Coaching? 

Before last fall, I had never heard of the term, "Parent Coaching." In the next few weeks, I thought it might be helpful to go into more detail about parent coaching. Today, I thought I'd start with "what." As I said last week, Parent Coaching is not therapy, mentorship, or consulting. I think sometimes people hear the word "parent coach" and they think about the "Super Nanny" coming to their home, watching how they interact with their kids, and telling them everything they are doing wrong as a parent and what they need to do to fix it. This is NOT parent coaching. When we approach a family from the view of what is wrong and then look for quick answers to those perceived problems, we miss out on the heart of the family and each individual that makes up the family. Rather than experiencing lasting change, the fixes are often temporary.

Parent Coaching is a unique relationship between a coach and parent with the purpose of supporting the parent and family to be their best selves. This is done through a shifting of the mind to what is working within the family rather then what is not. The conversations progress through four stages. The coach guides the parent through these stages with questions, thoughts, and exercises that tap into the parent's inner wisdom. The conversations begin with discovering the strengths and gifts of the parents, children, and family. Recognizing that there are dreams of a preferred future within the family, the next stage focuses on drawing out those dreams. Then, based on the strengths of the family, the parent and coach work together to design action steps to making the dream a reality. The conversations end in destiny as the evidence of the dream becoming reality is identified and celebrated. 

One of the things I appreciate most about my work as a parent coach is the "ah-ha" moments that come through our work together. Each person has been given unique gifts and talents that equip them for the good and the hard stuff of life. It is so easy to loose sight of these gifts. The conversations I am privileged to have tap into these gifts. As we see these gifts in ourselves and how they are just right for whatever we face, we can't help but say "ah-ha!"

Parent Coaching

About a year ago, my life took an interesting twist. Life does that sometimes. Through the twist and turns of this last year, I returned to school to pursue a graduate certificate in Parent Coaching from Parent Coach International, or PCI. Now, you might be wondering what Parent Coaching is. First, let me begin by telling you what parent coaching is not. Parent coaching is not therapy. It is not mentorship or even consulting. Rather Parent Coaching is a unique relationship between a coach and a parent with the purpose of supporting the parent to be their best selves.

My desire, and I believe the desire of most parents, is to give our children the best but often feel at a loss in how to do this. We are entrusted with a precious gift the moment our children our conceived. Don't you wish that each one came with their own instruction manual? Last fall I began researching field's of study that would equip me to equip parents. That's when I came across Parent Coaching and the PCI. 

The PCI, founded by Gloria DeGataneo, is year long graduate-level parent coach training program. The unique coaching model prepares coaches to partner with parents and support them to be their best selves. It recognizes that each of us is created with amazing gifts and talents that make us the best parents for our kids. So often, these gifts and strengths get lost in the busyness and stress of parenting in today’s world. What I have come to appreciate about the coaching model is its approach to life. Rather than seeing the world in deficit mode, where all we can see is the struggles and problems, the coaching model appreciates what is currently working and uses these strengths to design actions steps towards the preferred future. This shift in approaching life has effected me not only as a parent but also as a person. 

I will graduate in March 2014 with my certificate as a PCI Parent Coach. My plan is to begin my own coaching practice. I hope to share the journey with you on this blog. The name of the blog is  "The Daily Rhythms of Life." The phrase "daily rhythms" has always resonated with me. In the past, I have shared stories from my life as well as recipes and other fun things on the blog. I hope to continue that as well as add some post that invite each of us to be our best selves in "the daily rhythms of life."