13 December 2024
Many of us recognize that this can be a difficult time of year for many families, but it can be especially difficult for any parents or guardians living with young people or children who have struggled with the global pandemic. As a result, we have been seeing an increase in parents and guardians seeking the help of a specialist coach or therapist.
However, the need for professional help does not necessarily mean the parent or guardian feels the child is not coping, but it may be themselves who actually needs the support. And this could simply be to ensure they have the skills needed to guide their family through any changing relationships within the home, difficulty understanding the global pandemic or impact the ever-changing lockdown is having on the family and any frustrations or sadness the festive period can sometimes bring.
If approached by a parent or guardian looking for support, it is important to first clarify if the focus of the coaching will be towards the young person or the parent. Parents and guardians can often seek professional help for themselves if they are questioning their parenting style or if they are starting to experience conflict within the home.
They may also seek help for a child if they are finding it difficult to talk and communicate. However, if there is violence or ongoing conflict within the home, you will need to ensure you have the tools or experience needed to coach in this type of environment, or if you need to redirect the adult and child to a specialized therapist.
But as with all coaching sessions, you should try to meet individuals in a setting where you can maintain professional confidentiality and ensure the comfort of your clients. Coaching at home is not always possible due to other family members being around and the child or young person may prefer to be away from parents or guardians if they are going to really open up and be totally honest about how they are feeling.
It is not necessary for you to have children to coach young people, because as a professional coach you are trained in many different coaching techniques. However, it can be helpful if you have a background in education or psychology. And always discuss your approach with the parent or guardian so you can explore the full range of different tools and techniques to see what is going to deliver the very best results.
We know how important it can be for people of all ages to feel a sense of belonging within their family and some parents or guardians may now be looking for some ideas to help maintain or build mutual respect between different generations. However, changing relationships within the home can bring real difficulties, especially around the festive period, so one approach can be to use role-play to explore any existing warmth and affection within these different interpersonal relationships and help the family members rewind the clock to a more positive time.
Other approaches could be to use a range of creative tools, stories, metaphors and games to bring your sessions to life. But remember, some young people may initially feel uncomfortable within themselves or even struggle to open up and communicate how they feel when around other family members. So in this situation, you may wish to encourage them to move freely within the space and slowly build their confidence by using creative tools or games.
To support a more creative approach to your coaching sessions and help you explore the changing relationships within the home, we have developed a virtual card game specifically for coaching young people and an ebook with insights into how best to coach young people and fully support parents or guardians. Check them both out in our online shop:
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