Parent and Family Support
Parental support and guidance is important in helping the family system towards developing and maintaining a positive and productive track that aligns with the family’s goals and values.
Occasionally it is necessary to work exclusively with parents. This need arises when parents do not see eye-to-eye with each other in regards to raising their child. Differences in parenting styles can become more pronounced when their child exhibits problem behaviors. Sometimes raising a child exposes real differences between the parent’s values and strategies which they did not know existed prior to becoming parents.
A single parent needs help, too. Having all the ‘parenting hats’ to wear at once can be especially challenging to juggle. Likewise, having a preferred parenting style that does not fit the needs of your child or family can also be difficult to resolve. These challenges can be more difficult for the single parent family system to address.
The following are typical parental support approaches:
- Helping parents communicate with greater clarity
- Examining how parenting roles affect family dynamics
- Examining how childhood experiences influence your parenting style
- Creating flexible approaches in parenting
- Teamwork – building a unified approach
- Uncovering hidden or ignored agendas that sabotage effective parenting
- Helping parents problem solve when they or extended family members don’t agree