Purposeful Parenting 
Because Purposeful Parenting is Happy Parenting!


The end of short-sighted parenting!

Our approach to parenting is pro-active, allowing parents to make purposeful decisions when faced with the many challenges of parenthood. 

What is short-sighted parenting and why does it matter?  Walk into the kitchen with me.....

Your house, 5 pm on a Tuesday night: you are busy preparing dinner and thinking about a project for work. Your preschooler skips into the kitchen, stating they are hungry and would like a snack.  First, you attempt to redirect the behavior, pointing out that you are cooking dinner that will be ready soon.  But your child persists and begins whining for a snack.  You hold your ground, insisting that a snack will spoil his appetite.  But his persistence wears you down and you give in to his request simply to get him out of the way so that you can concentrate on finishing dinner so you can get everyone else in your family fed.  

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 Focus on Consistency

We've all done it, and probably never thought twice about it.  However, this decision is short-sighted, making your life temporarily easier while reinforcing the behavior of whining.  In only a few of these "give-in" moments, your child learns that all he needs to do to get his way is to whine.  More importantly, your child learns that you do not always mean what you say.  Parental inconsistency and lack of follow-through are the top contributing factors to child misbehavior.  

As parents we are often startled and annoyed by the demands of our children. When we give in to or dismiss undesired behavior, it is not our intention to reinforce or reward it.  We are simply distracted by all the stimuli and stress that engulfs our busy lives. This pattern may make things quieter, easier and more peaceful in the short-term, but it harms us and our children in the long run.  

Purposeful Parenting helps you parent for the long-term goals for your family, as opposed to simply surviving parenthood in the short term.  

Part of parenting for the long-term and one of the most important tasks of parenthood is to help your children establish and maintain the life skills  that are necessary  to function and thrive adults.  As parents, we often hinder this development by swooping in to solve our children's problems.  Purposeful Parenting enables you to teach those skills without creating additional stress or work for yourself!

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Curriculum
Philosophy into Practice

The Purposeful Parenting curriculum focuses on building on the strengths of individual families, with the goal of increasing attachment and reducing family stress.  Featured components include child development and emotional intelligence.  Nurturing behaviors promote family bonding and meaningful quality time.  

The first step is to clarify your family values and parenting approach.  Then, parents can identify which areas they feel need improvement.  In other words, parents can honestly ask themselves, "What is not working?" We can help you find alternatives to the the things that are making parenting more stressful than it needs to be.
  
Once priorities are identified, we can develop a plan of action which assists parents in making changes to their behavior in order to model the behaviors they desire in their children.  By focusing on ways that parents can increase their consistency and follow-through, family standards can be established and children naturally "get on board."  Progress is monitored over a 2-month period, while family members adjust to the changes and work out any kinks, though parents can usually enjoy benefits within a few days.

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How It Works

This approach helps you gain a deeper understanding of child development, targeting your expectations and communication to the specific needs of each child.  The curriculum empowers parents to rely on personalized scripts and short-cuts, which make it easier to be consistent and "stick to your values."  With these skills, you will not be caught off guard again and will be free from many of the the immediate stresses of parenthood, leaving more time to "invest" in your family relationships and think about the things that are really important. 

Every technique is viewed through the lens of nurturing, helping families enhance bonding and attachment by mastering emotional intelligence. Our  approach to discipline focuses on natural and logical consequences, as well as building routine and ritual into your family life.

Once goals are accomplished, families can choose the next step: creating a new action plan for a desired outcome or participation in follow-up service, where the Parent Educator checks in by phone with parents every 6 months.  

 

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             Build your confidence as a parent! 

Experience more joy and less stress in your daily life!