How hard are you on yourself when it comes to parenting?
The stories we tell about ourselves, to ourselves, are the stories that come true.
If you are telling yourself, “I’m a bad parent,” you are not only doing yourself an enormous disservice. You are also taking your energy away from your adolescent, and the person who needs you most, and making it all about you. Hello! This is not your crisis!
If, “I’m a bad parent,” is running through your head, swap it out for “This is a challenge.” Go on. Give it a shot. Monitor your thoughts and see how each thought makes you feel AND how useful it is for you. Does it make you feel like a hands-on, onto-it parent? If it doesn’t then it doesn’t serve you. It’s not useful. And you know what, you don’t need to keep it! Choose a new thought. It’s that easy.
If your teenager is experiencing mental health challenges, the way you parent them is even more important. In order to be their rock, you need to be your own rock first.
As a parent who has successfully guided her daughter through a severe teenage crisis, my number one piece of advice is this: get support for you too. This is bigger than think, scarier than you ever imagined and harder than you thought possible.
You can no longer pick them up and kiss them better. Your new role is to guide them through this time as they learn to solve their problems on their own.
Be proactive. Get supported. And be kind to yourself. Make these swaps today.
Head over to the coaching page and find your best fit. I can’t wait to work with you.