What follows are some of my core beliefs about parenting:
- Labor continues after you leave the delivery room. Sometimes instinct, intuition and the best intentions are not enough (or may be just plain off-base). It is surprising that there is so little practical training to teach parents how to be effective. You can read endlessly in hopes of learning and implementing the latest in child development research. Or, you can find a coach. If my basic philosophy here resonates with you, then I can help.
- Bonsai trees are amazing, but stunted children are not. An overzealous parent is like a bonsai artist. Excessive management stunts otherwise stately trees (cedars, junipers, maples and the like), transforming their very nature. Parenting requires a fluid blend of observation and guidance.
- Zebras are black and white. Parenting is not. A rigid, black and white parenting approach is counterproductive. Effective parents successfully adapt their approach to ever-changing circumstances. Both flexibility and consistency are essential.
- Trail blaze with your child’s perspective. What’s your child really experiencing? Adopt X-ray vision to penetrate beneath the surface. What you see on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg of his vast inner world. Boost your parenting power with this incredible insight.
- Slowing down accelerates your child’s potential. Overextending children with too many activities (even those designed for them) creates unforeseen problems.The always-on-the-go lifestyle of adults does not benefit children. For many adults busy = purpose. Children thrive in calm, orderly, nurturing environments.
- Parenting isn’t one-size-fits-all. But, there are critical, foundational elements to good parenting.
- You are not alone in your parenting struggles! You can find lots of answers here to common problems. You can also learn useful strategies to become the parent you always thought you’d be. This is my goal for you.