A LIGHTBULB MOMENT
Have you ever had a lightbulb moment? Or a eureka moment, as some call it? Well, I had one last week whilst working with one of my clients.
My client is a professional mum of two children under five with sleep issues. However, to improve my client’s sleep, first, I had to help with her daughter’s bed-time routine.
At that point, I had a lightbulb moment. I had been doing this work for the last 28 years in a previous career. This was transferable knowledge I could tap on, for my new business.
THE PREVIOUS STORY…
You see, for 28 years I worked in the Childcare Industry. I mainly worked in Management of Nurseries and Children Centers. My passion has always been helping children and parents achieve better outcomes in life. Helping others Achieving more is still the core principle that guides the work I do now.
FOCUSING ON FAMILIES
By increasing my focus on supporting families, I can have a direct impact on children’s lives. If I can help a child sleep through the night, the parent might sleep too. So a parent who’s been kept awake by their child, will be able to have a more restful night too.
When helping a mum reduce her levels of stress, she will be able to have more meaningful, quality time together with her children.
So, my work now complements what I already know and have been practising for years. This is a lightbulb moment. I have all those transferable skills already. Tapping into them is going to guide me, and help me define my niche.
EVERY CHILD MATTERS
Every Child Matters Agenda was published in 2007. It stated that agencies that provide services for children and young people, should work together in more integrated and effective ways. This is when I decided to get the degree: “Integrated services working with children and young people”.
MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Helping parents and mainly mums, it used to be a daily occurrence in Nursery life. You build meaningful relationships with individual children and their parents. This way you help them achieve and develop.
Studies have shown, that parents and carers are the main influencers on children’s development. For this reason, it’s imperative that these relationships are strong.
ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS
The EYFS Statutory Framework identifies such relationships as an essential element of ‘Enabling Environments’. “By sharing information, you and parents can respond to your nursery children’s individual needs. You can also support their learning and development”. NDNA declares.
CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT
These positive relationships are built on trust and two-way communication. By listening and finding solutions together, not just providing information. Parents are their child’s first teachers after all. That prompted me to take another course: “Parent’s as first Teachers”, (PAFT).
PAFT was created by a non-profit organisation called “Parents as first Teachers”. They offer a research and evidence based parenting programme for which I was trained. I worked one to one with parents and their children, pre-birth to five years old.
The aim is to develop family resilience and promote positive parenting behaviours. These behaviours will persist after the family’s engagement in the programme has ended. Source https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/public/files/pdfs/programmes-parents-as-first-teachers.pdf
JUGGLING TOO MANY BALLS…
I love working with parents, especially mums. At present under these really trying times, we are seeing across the country many households where mums are loosing that juggling act. Up to now these mums seemed to manage this juggling act very effectively.
Constant interruptions from children, managing multiple zoom calls for work, and on-line learning for young children which require constant supervision. Not surprising, many parents, especially mums, are reaching breaking point.
IT’S ON TV…
An exclusive Good Morning Britain poll has shown that parents across the UK are being pushed to burn out by the demands of home schooling and working from home.
This poll shows that 45% of parents feel burnt out. While 26% feel like bad parents and 30% often feel lonely. On top of this, 27% say having children at home has negatively affected their work . Another 64% say this lockdown is emotionally tougher than previous ones. Source https://www.itv.com/goodmorningbritain/articles/exclusive-gmb-poll-on-parental-burnout-shows-two-thirds-of-parents-suffering
The pandemic has disconnected children from family, friends, school and familiar routines. This is adding to their parent’s stress of trying to balance their role as providers, caregivers and educators.
In addition, parents may be dealing with the loss of employment or reduction in hours. However, This might force them to be faced with tough financial decisions to make ends meet.
The force of all these demands on parents, through the pandemic, is leading to anxiety, stress and depression. Not to mention economic hardship for those who had to leave their jobs due to closure or lack of childcare support.
HOW CAN I HELP?
I know, the service I provide can be invaluable to parents as a result of a lightbulb moment. As I am a Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach as well as a Health & Wellness Coach, and I have many years experience and knowledge of working with children and young people. Those parents could be struggling to deal with every day normal tasks such as sleep, keeping fit or feeding nourishing meals to their families.
If under stress, We become less effective at executing normal tasks when we have to juggle so many hats together. So at times, we need to rely on others to help us. Whether is physical, emotional support or just as an ally to help us see the way a bit more clearly.
If you feel you need guidance or support in any of life’s every-day tasks. Or if you are looking for accountability to help you execute any goals you set yourself, feel free to contact me for a FREE first consultation. At this consultation we will determine your goals and how I can help you feel a little bit more like you.
