Parent Coaching (Part 1): Happy Parents

Family
Written By Lulu Luckock, Social & Emotional Learning Consultant

Happy parents raise happy children, it starts with you!

 

Society has changed so much in such a short space of time and demands on parents and young families are very different now to the way they were just a short time ago. We are living in rapidly changing times where the norms and structure of family lives have been hugely impacted by outside influences, influences that we have little or no control over.

 

We have all had to learn to be more flexible and adaptable over the last few years and with the aftermath of the pandemic, the current war in Europe, political turmoil in our own country, the economic crisis and looming recession it doesn’t seem to stop!

In the words of the Collins Dictionary on the 1st of November the annual word of the year is Permacrisis- An extended period of instability and insecurity.

 

Is it any surprise that we are all feeling a little challenged and overwhelmed by life at the moment?

So, what can you do to keep going, be happy and grow happy strong families in amongst it all?

Start by looking after yourself because none of us can pour from an empty cup. The term self-care is really very important. We must look after ourselves as best we can especially if we are looking after others, and by doing this we also set the best example for our children.

Here are some reminders-

·       Look after your health- Get enough sleep. Do some regular exercise. Keep hydrated. Cut down on alcohol. Meditate or practice mindfulness. Pay attention to your diet, probiotics, vitamins, look after your gut.

·       Look after your time- Resist time famine. Block out time in your calendar for tasks not just meetings. Stick with a weekday family routine. Block time off in your diary just for YOU.

·       Look after your mind- Find someone you trust to talk to about how you’re feeling.

Find social support with your friends or a group of likeminded people.

·       Look after your leisure- Take up a hobby, one that nourishes and absorbs you, you don’t have to be good at it! Plan a family holiday away in nature, get the children involved in the planning. Organise a weekend away with your partner. Play an outside sport.

 

The next post (Part 2) will be all about different parenting styles.

 

To find out more about The Soke’s Child & Family Mental Health Services, please contact The Soke’s Client Services Team.

Lulu Luckock, Social & Emotional Learning Consultant

Lulu's professional life has focused entirely on working with children at primary school age. Having initially trained and worked as a teacher, in recent years her training and career has evolved to focus on social, emotional and behavioural challenges that children present and that their parents, friends and schools must contend with.

A core part of Lulu's work at The Soke is to provide help to parents whose children present with behavioural problems unrelated to mental health in a clinical sense. She is able to visit parents at home to develop a sense of their child's way of being in order to help them identify goals, establish new routines and behaviours, and ultimately create a more harmonious environment for the whole family.

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