Parent Case study
A mum sought out the help of a me as her parent coach to get help with her teenager daughter who she struggled to connect with.
Initial Enquiry: Frustrations with 14 Year old Daughter
1. Where were you in your parenting before you worked with Fiona (What were your biggest struggles?)
Before I met Fiona I was lost in how to communicate with my children but particularly my 14 year old daughter.
2. What made you realise you needed some additional support in your parenting?
It was by chance I came across the Happy Me Parenting’s Instagram and her posts resonated with me, particularly how my parenting had evolved from my own upbringing. I was subconsciously repeating this and it was making me unhappy.
3. How did you initially find the 10 week process?
I mostly enjoyed the process but there were some personally difficult points. This is the point of the course, I had to go through it to work through the issues.
4. What was Fiona like as your coach?
Fiona as my coach was like having a good friend to talk to with all the expertise in an area that I found myself struggling.
5. What do you feel was your biggest breakthrough?
I think it was recognising the link between my parenting and how I was parented and in turn the reasons I was struggling and was able to let go of my anger and frustration.
6. How would you describe yourself as a parent now? (What were the biggest changes made)
I am much more self-aware and confident in how to handle situations in family life. Difficult moments will always arise but I am more able to cope and deal with them.
7. Would you recommend the 10 week process to friends and family?
I would absolutely recommend to family and friends, this process is quite life changing.
8. What would you say to someone sat on the fence about going through this process?
As above, it has been life changing for me.
9. What does your family look like now, after the process?
Family life is much better, however my daughter is still a teenager so there are still flash points. They are however less frequent and I have much more understanding and empathy with the situation.
What we worked on:
This parent had previously had therapy but many years ago. She initially came to me wanting support with her 14 year old daughter who she struggled to connect with and who she felt spent a good portion of time on computer games.
Together we worked on actively listening, communication skills, emotional intelligence and understanding her daughter on a deeper level to try and find ways to connect with her.
This parent learnt more about brain science, understand which part of the brain her daughter was in and where she was at in her development to ensure expectations were developmentally appropriate.
We worked on boundaries around tech, how to give her daughter more choices and more control and how to meet her love languages.
Some books this parent explored were:
Gary Chapman – The 5 Love Languages
Ross Greene – The Explosive Child
Dr Gabor Maté and Dr Gordon Neufeld – Why Parents need to matter more than peers
Dr Daniel Siegel – Brain Storm
“On a personal note, Id like to thank you for all your help and support during this process, it really has been like having a good friend to speak to and see me through those difficult times.”
