What is parent coaching?
A parent coach guides parents through a process whereby bad parenting habits are identified, discussed and corrected. Parent coaches also assist parents in learning successful behaviors absent from their current parenting repertoire. Parent coaching transforms parenting by helping parents rediscover their leadership role in the home.
A certified parenting coach comes alongside parents—both couples and singles—and helps them to become better parents. It is not therapy in any sense of the word.
Leadership Parenting™ gives parents the underlying philosophy that will assist them in child rearing. Leadership Parenting encompasses decisiveness, minimal explanations and clear boundaries between parents and child. A Leadership Parenting Coach™ uses positive and affirmative coaching to help parents realize their own leadership potential.
Who is Parent Coach NoVa?
Sarah Hamaker started Parent Coach NoVa in the fall of 2012. She is a certified Leadership Parenting Coach through the John Rosemond Leadership Parenting Institute. She brings a varied background to parent coaching. Her parents took in more than 40 foster children during her teen and college years, and she experienced first-hand how traditional parenting worked with a myriad of children from different backgrounds.
Her best credentials are being a mother to her two girls and two boys. “I often feel like I’m swimming against the current parenting tide by following a more traditional approach to child rearing,” she says. “But I can see the value of not embracing the latest parenting fad and focusing instead on raising self-reliant, self-confident, and respectful children. I’m taking into account the future in child rearing, and that means sacrificing some short-term comforts for long-term gains.”
A Virginia native, Sarah and her husband live in the City of Fairfax with their four children and two cats. She has experience speaking to groups, and can talk on a variety of parenting issues.
What should I expect in a private coaching session?
Each private coaching session begins with an interview-based evaluation of the family. This helps define the child-rearing problem areas and the goals of the parents. Once that is completed, the coach will work with the parents on a strategy to solve problems and assist the parents in becoming leadership parents.
The process entails more coach participation on the front end, with that involvement gradually lessening as the parents become more confident in their own parenting. The coach will be available to answer any questions that occur after completion of the initial plan.
What services does Sarah offer?
Sarah offers a variety of services, including
- In-Person Meetings
- Phone Consultations
- Group Presentations
- Online Presentations
- Email Questions
It varies, depending on what assistance is requested. Sarah offers several different packages for parents, including Leadership Parenting, fixing problem areas, and a Parent Refresher session. Please contact Sarah for pricing and details.
What are some topics Sarah can talk about to groups?
Sarah has spoken to many groups about parenting and other issues, including MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), schools and churches. Topics include, but are not limited to:
- Sibling Rivalry
- The Well-Behaved Child
- Handling Homework
- How to Establish Your Authority With Your Children and Speak So They Will Listen
- How to Raise a Responsible and Resilient Child
- When Leadership Alone Is Not Enough
- Top Behavior Problems Solved
- Juggling Home and Work
- Using Your Talents to Working From Home
- Time Management
- Rediscovering Your Talents
What clients are saying about Parent Coach NoVa and Sarah:
I was at my wit’s end with my three-year-old son, who had started challenging me at every turn. I reached out to Sarah for guidance on establishing a bedtime routine that did not involve my son getting up every 5 minutes. Sarah offered me a tried-and-true, practical solution that empowered him with the option of taking control of the situation. He quickly learned that if he opted to get out of bed more than once that there would be a consequence for his actions.
--T.S., Pennsylvania
The thought of potty training my son was daunting. I checked out some books from the library on potty training, but after reading them, realized the advice given within was not very sound (who has heard of a toddler being attached to his bowel movement and why should I stop the process of potty training once I’ve started as suggested by T. Berry Brazelton?!). I was fortunate to discuss potty training with Sarah and was so happy to hear that it doesn’t have to be a difficult process. On her recommendation, I read through John Rosemond’s Toilet Training Without Tantrums in several hours, bought a potty seat that evening, and potty trained my son in a couple weeks. I am so glad I had Sarah’s commonsensical yet empowering advice to help me with potty training.
--J.R., Virginia
