Coaching Skills for Parents
Families teach us a lot about ourselves. I recently attended a train the trainer course for 'Coaching Skills for Parents' with Barefoot Coaching along with Executive Coach, Sorrel Roberts. Sorrel recently published this piece about the experience which I would like to share in this blog.
Families can be so many things, and even the word 'family' means different things to different people, they are places of love, laughter, joy, fun, noise, chaos, grief, fear, anger, falling out, forgiveness and so much more. The roles we play with them can engage, delight, frustrate and challenge us...
The role of parent is undoubtedly the most important job I have every had, and will ever have. And yet, there's no preparation, there's no manual, there's no on boarding, there's no appraisals. It brings me enormous highs and lows, delights, surprises and shocks me. Sometimes I feel strong, capable and even occasionally like I'm getting it right, and other times I feel angry, exhausted, and utterly ill-equipped to deal with the challenges it throws at me.
Last week I spent three days deepening my knowledge of coaching skills for parents with the fabulous Kim Morgan of Barefoot Coaching and a wonderful cohort of fellow coaches. It was thought provoking, challenging, supportive and deeply practical. Unlike many parenting books and advice, this programme does not advocate a one size fits all approach. It draws on a wide and varied selection of sources that Kim has brought together from over 25 years' experience of people development, and her experiences of what universally works to make great leaders, successful individuals, productive teams, happy families, outstanding organisation and brilliant coaches.
As with all the best coaching, this programme allows individuals to find their own answers to their own challenges. It allows space to think, sharing of wisdom, support and challenge, practical ways forward, commitment and accountability.
I wish my workplace had provided this when I was a new step-parent, when I was struggling with the challenges of returning to work after my second babe, at the times when I felt that I was just surviving and, with a bit of support, could have been thriving, it would have been invaluable. I'm so grateful to have these tools now and excited to share them.
