The Whole Parent Coach

NEW FREE ONLINE COURSE:
❤️ FOUNDATIONS OF CALM PARENTING ❤️

Do you often get frustrated with your child’s behaviour and wish they would just co-operate?!
Do you worry about what others think of your parenting or that you’re just not enough?
Do you often feel overwhelmed, stressed out, out of control?

As a parent myself to a 4 and 1 year old who both have complex needs, I have felt those things many times. Having supported families as a social worker for over ten years, trained as a life coach and developed an obsession with all things parenting, I’ve learnt a lot that has helped me to believe in myself as a parent through some really tough times.

I want to share that learning and support other parents to develop calm, confidence and resilience for themselves and their families.

My new free online course will support you to:

FACE YOUR PARENTING CHALLENGES WITH CALM CONFIDENCE ❤️

During this course you will:

Create more joy, ease and resilience in your life and that of your family.

Strengthen your bond with your child and increase their emotional wellbeing by increasing your own.

Learn how to recognise and meet your own needs even when life feels chaotic.

Learn how to manage your child’s behaviour with confidence and empathy.

Build sustainable habits to recover quickly from setbacks and mistakes.

Develop ways to cope with feelings of doubt, guilt and the worry of being judged.

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

This course is ideal for parents of children aged 0-5 whose circumstances often feel overwhelming and who wish to strengthen their ability to cope and live a more fulfilling family life even amid the chaos.

It is for busy parents who want to take small, steady and consistent steps toward improving their own emotional regulation and modeling emotional wellbeing for their children.

WHEN DOES THIS COURSE RUN?

This course runs from 20th February to 19th March 2023.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

Just this once it is completely FREE. As this is the first time this course will be running, all you need to do in return is agree to provide your honest constructive feedback.

This course is designed to adapt to your needs. Together we can make this course the best it can be to support parents like you and me.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

You will receive:
- A weekly email containing videos to guide your learning.
- Access to a supportive Facebook group where you can ask questions and celebrate your progress.
- A weekly Q&A session.
- Worksheets to support your learning.

HOW MUCH TIME WILL YOU NEED?

Ideally you will spend up to two hours per week watching the videos and Q&A, and at least a few minutes each day reflecting on the course material and practicing some of the suggested tools. The more time you can put in the more you will get out of it, however this course is designed for busy parents and my aim is to give you tools that you can use easily as part of your daily life on an ongoing basis.

SIGN UP HERE: https://forms.gle/mCrRQveWuFUe7TNa8

Or send me a message for more information ❤️

Asking for help has been one of the hardest things I have had to do as a parent, and as a parent to two children with complex medical and developmental needs, I've had to learn the hard way.

I think a lot of us struggle with this. Maybe we don't want to burden others or make them feel obliged to help us. Or we're scared we'll look inadequate or like we're not coping.

What we perhaps need to remember is that asking for help is actually a gift to the person we're asking. We're letting them into our inner world where few people are allowed to come. We're trusting them with all our human vulnerability. I know for me that when I have taken that brave step (and it is brave!) to ask for help, it has led to closer relationships with the people I know I can truly rely on. It's not always been a straight or easy path, but it's always worth it.

And let's also remember that if we're asking another adult for help, it is THEIR responsibility to say no. Yes I know this is another thing a lot of find difficult, but if you ask someone for help and they say yes against their own intuition, that is for them to work out. Let's treat each other like mature adults that can take ownership of our own decisions. This is how all of us grow.

And of course, we all know that we were NEVER meant to raise children alone. We all need help now and then and I believe we have a responsibility to do so for the health of ourselves, our families and our wider communities.

So, what do you think? What are your challenges when it comes to asking for help and what helps you to overcome them?

Taking even just a moment to do something simple to nourish ourselves during the course of our busy day can be so helpful in creating a greater sense of calm and positivity.

Practicing this regularly whenever we find a moment to do so will, over time, set us up to face our more difficult moments with greater ease.

So next time you are about to start a new task, ask yourself "can it wait a moment?" and allow yourself to press pause.

Would you like more in-depth support around meeting your own needs and staying calm? Check out my new free course Foundations of Calm Parenting: https://forms.gle/mCrRQveWuFUe7TNa8

My start to parenting was nothing I had expected. When my son was born via C-section instead of at home as I'd wished, I comforted myself that in a few days I would be home cuddling up to my new baby in my own bed.

But there were more surprises and shocks to come. My son had Down syndrome and we were told this might mean some health problems. He struggled with his breathing, was taken to NICU and given oxygen and a feeding tube. Then we were told he had a heart defect that meant he would need surgery within months.

In and out of hospital with a poorly baby, I was tormented by self-doubt. I didn't feel good enough for him and all the conflicting advice from professionals and wider society added to my overwhelm.

Becoming a parent is such a vulnerable time for a lot of us, with more challenges, anxieties and uncertainties along the road as our children grow and develop.

It took time and work for me to develop the confidence and resilience to face the many uncertainties and challenges of my parenting journey with the deep trust that I now have in my own intuition and knowledge of my children's needs.

I want all parents to feel that trust in themselves, their abilities and their decisions.

If that's something you'd like support with, I have a free online course on calm parenting coming up. You can find out more and sign up here: https://forms.gle/mCrRQveWuFUe7TNa8

Tips for Calmer Parenting

Slowly building in small moments of self-care into our day is more manageable than trying to create a whole new habit that requires a big investment of time and energy. What's one small thing that you can try today to nurture yourself that little bit more?

For more in-depth support in staying calm, strong and resilient as a parent, check out my new free course Foundations of Calm Parenting: https://forms.gle/mCrRQveWuFUe7TNa8

Tips for Calmer Parenting

On weekdays I'm going to be sharing ideas for small, manageable things you may be able to easily build into your day to work towards becoming calmer and less reactive. Let me know in the comments if it's helpful.

And for more in-depth support check out my new free course Foundations of Calm Parenting: https://forms.gle/mCrRQveWuFUe7TNa8

NEW FREE COURSE

Foundations of Calm Parenting

Face your parenting challenges with unwavering calm.

Begin parenting from a place of calm presence to create more joy, ease and confidence. Model emotional health for your child and enjoy a more deeply connected relationship.

You will learn how to recognise and meet your own needs even when life feels chaotic.

You will learn how to respond intentionally and calmly in difficult moments, instead of reacting without thinking.

You will learn how to set boundaries with confidence and empathy to strengthen your bond with your children.

You will build sustainable habits and a strong mindset to recover quickly from setbacks and mistakes.

This course is ideal for parents of children aged 0-5 whose circumstances often feel overwhelming and who wish to strengthen their ability to cope and live a more fulfilling family life even amid the chaos.

This course runs from 20th February to March 19th 2023.

You will receive:
- A weekly email containing videos to guide your learning.
- Access to a supportive Facebook group where you can ask questions and celebrate your progress.
- A weekly Q&A session.
- Worksheets to support your learning.

Ideally you will spend up to two hours per week watching the videos and Q&A, and at least a few minutes each day reflecting on the course material and practicing some of the suggested tools. The more time you can put in the more you will get out of it, however this course is designed for busy parents and my aim is to give you tools that you can use easily as part of your daily life.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/mCrRQveWuFUe7TNa8

Please share with anyone else you think may like to hear about this course.

Welcome to The Whole Parent Coach ☺️

Ready to be the parent you really want to be?

Parenting is the most important job in the world, now more than ever. I truly believe that parents like you and me have the power to create a more compassionate world through the way we raise our children.

And that we can do this while absolutely loving our family life.

But sometimes it feels like a monumental task just getting through the day, doesn’t it?

Maybe you often feel bogged down by everyday stress and spend too many days just longing for bedtime.

Maybe you find it hard to manage your own emotional reactions.

Maybe you often get to the end of the day and wonder where on earth it went.

Maybe you feel depleted because your own needs never seem to even make it onto the to do list.

Maybe you are plagued by feelings of guilt or thoughts of not being enough.

Maybe you feel so confused by all the conflicting advice out there that you have lost faith in your own abilities and judgment.

You are definitely not alone. I know that I’ve felt all of these things on many occasions and that it takes consistent commitment to deal with the challenges of being a parent while still finding joy and meaning in life.

I also know that it is possible with the right support and mindset.

Here are some of things I can help with:

Balancing the needs of everyone in the family, including your own.

Recognising and managing your own triggers so you can stay calmer in the face of challenges.

Finding joy even in difficult times.

Building a deeper connection with your child.

Understanding your child's needs and behaviour.

Understanding your own hopes and goals for the future so that you can start working towards them in the present.

Prioritising your precious time for more fulfilment doing more of the things that bring you joy.

So, who am I?

Hi, I’m Natalie. I live with my husband, 4 year old boy and 1 year old girl. Both of my kids have Down syndrome and were born with significant health problems, needing a lot of medical intervention when they were small babies. Touch wood we are over the worst of it, thank goodness, though there are still various medical and developmental challenges that we face. Like many families, we’ve been through (or we’re still going through!) disrupted sleep, feeding difficulties, toileting issues, struggles with time management, struggles with staying calm etc etc. We also a have a life filled with a whole lot of love and joy, and I’d honestly say as a family we are thriving.

I have always been fascinated by what it takes for people to thrive and since my son was born this has become a full blown obsession. I’m a keen consumer of books, podcasts and courses on parenting, psychology, neuroscience and personal growth. Having supported hundreds of families as a Social Worker for over 10 years, I have now also trained as a life coach with Pure Coaching Academy. While of course I still have bad days like everyone does, what I have learnt since becoming a parent and training as a coach has transformed my mindset, confidence and ability to regulate my emotions.

Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means perfect. I don’t have it “all figured out”. I still get impatient, yell, cry and snap at times. Everyone does. What I am is committed to continuing to grow and learn. And so I cry and snap a lot less than I used to and when I do I can forgive myself and move on. It’s ok to be imperfect. (More than ok in fact, but that’s another story!).

Every family has its own unique set of needs and challenges. Our modern world makes it even harder to face them because we are all so cut off and isolated from each other. In recent decades science has taught us so much about the importance of connection, emotion, empathy and really understanding the needs behind our children’s behaviour. At times this can feel really helpful, at other times completely overwhelming if we’re feeling like we can’t give our children everything they need. Added to this it can be so confusing when a lot of parenting advice still comes from a more traditional outlook.

My goal is for parents to have everything they need to raise emotionally healthy children while living a life they love. Yes, we live in an imperfect, unequal world and our external circumstances are not always quick or easy to change. But we do have control over how we manage our own internal resources and there is a lot we can do to build these up to a point where we can enjoy a family life that is joyful and meaningful, where we can stay calm under pressure and we can have the confidence to do things our own way.

You are the expert when it comes to your children and your family. You know what is best for you and your family. You have what it takes within you to thrive as a family. Whatever your unique goals, wishes, needs and challenges, I’d love to support you in your journey

If you’d like to find out more, please send me a direct message or email me at [email protected]. Ask me anything you like, or jump right in and book a free, no obligation 30 minute chat to discuss your unique needs and how I could help. I’d love to hear from you.