As parents, we work pretty much non-stop 24/7 to take care, help, and even worry for our child! But, how often do you take the time to coach your child? And, what does this even mean?
Now, take a step back and ask yourself.
Do you spend most of your time telling your child what to do or how to do (literally!) in order to achieve the potential you want them to have? Or, do you spend the time to guide them to understand themselves, find out what their dreams and strengths are and how to go about reaching their true, inner potential? The one that gives your child their joy and happiness?
You’re right. Coaching, is not about telling someone what to do, but teaching them life skills to figure out how to do on their own.
Read on for 5 benefits of coaching your child!
1. Coach your child to increase their self-awareness and self-regulation
If you notice your child is often unable to self-regulate, ask yourself: have you taught your child how to understand, accept, and regulate their emotions? We can’t expect our child to know how to do so if we haven’t taught them!
2. Coach your children to learn how to set and achieve goals
One of the most important things you can do as a coach is to teach your child to set meaningful goals for themselves. This will teach them how to plan and work towards something they want to achieve. It's a valuable skill that they can use throughout their life.
3. Coach your child how to bounce back from a setback
Life is full of challenges and setbacks. As a coach, you can teach your child to deal with difficult situations in a constructive way. This will teach them how to cope with adversity and how to bounce back from setbacks.
4. Coach your child how to resolve conflicts
It is unavoidable to be in a situation of conflict. Teach your child the communication model on how to respond when they have a conflict. Not only will this help you in managing conflicts at home, your child will also learn to be confident in dealing with conflicts with their friends. When your child knows how to resolve a conflict, it is also less likely for them to use violence or meltdowns to express themselves!
5. Coach your child how to build self-confidence
We play a big part in helping our child cultivate the self esteem and self confidence. We can begin by helping our child identify and leverage on their personal strengths, and teaching them how to self-affirm without frequently needing external validations. When they learn to believe in themselves more, they also gain more confidence.
So, how often should you coach your child?
Simple, every day! As parents, we can incorporate coaching into our daily activities with our child.
Keen to find out more on how to be your child’s life coach?
Join me in the upcoming Parent and Child workshop where both of you get the opportunity to bond and connect over meaningful activities and you get to explore some tips to take away to help guide your child to explore empathy and emotional regulations!
Or, use feeling cards as a bonding and teaching activity with your child! Get your cards here. These cards are created by kids for kids, and 20% of proceeds will go to support SPCA, a registered non-profit animal welfare charity to promote kindness and prevent cruelty to animals!
