The Brave Parent Journey: Parenting with local connections
A look into a parent’s passion of connecting with our local community with Rachel McBride, a Jai certified Conscious Parenting Coach…
What first brought you here to Long Beach, and more importantly, what keeps you here?
After spending a couple of years living on the West Side of LA (with a baby who cried the entire time he was in a car seat in all the traffic!) my husband and I moved to Long Beach. That was 14 years ago just before our second son was born. And two years after our move, our daughter was born in Long Beach. I immediately joined a few Mom groups and began making Mom friends in the community as I needed the support of other women who were walking in the same shoes.
When my kids were part of a preschool co-op in Long Beach, I realized the need for a mom and toddler play program in the city. I created the program and moms and toddlers from around Long Beach attended weekly. As children played with playdough, painted, and sang songs, moms connected, and I supported them by answering toddler and parenting related questions.
While I was the Director at the Lagoon Playgroup Preschool in Belmont Heights, I again noticed that moms were seeking a space to feel seen and understood. So many moms feel uncertain about their parenting decisions and are longing for a safe space to receive support without judgement. It was then that I knew I wanted to offer moms something more. When I started my parent coaching business, I was honored that the moms whom I had worked with in the community were the very people who jumped in to support my new business! Moms who have known me for many years came for support and sent me referrals! It feels so good to be a part of a community who values and trusts me and the work that I do.
Parenting is hard and being a kid is hard some days too. My three kids attend school in Long Beach. Raising multi-racial children, I value the diversity and culture that my family experiences in this city. I stay in Long Beach now with the hope to help moms build connections with their children so that they can stop living in guilt and fear and feel appreciated and respected. If we parent now with the intention to build connections with our children, they will learn to build connections with each other and our community will reap the benefits.
Why did you create Brave Parent Journey?
After working with children and families for over 20 years, I noticed that parents were longing for support. Parenting is hard and we add to the stress by punishing ourselves with guilt and shame and the uncertainties of knowing if we are making the best choices for our kids. As a mom of three, I understand the importance of feeling seen, heard and understood. When we feel overwhelmed and helpless, when we realize that threats, punishments and bribes no longer work with our kids, we often seek support from friends and family who are doing the same things and facing the same struggles in parenting. After working with a parent coach, I changed my relationship with my kids, I am so much less stressed and I enjoy my teenagers and feel connected to them. I feel hopeful and I want moms to know that there is another way! There is a path to connection that leads to cooperation.
Can you explain the Brave Parent Journey? What does this entail? What should I expect?
Parenting is a journey. Connecting with our kids takes commitment and time. And it takes bravery to walk the path to peaceful connection with your child. When you work with me in this program, you will experience a safe space where there is no judgment. We will discuss your parenting past and create your new parenting future where you will feel confident, informed and aware in a way that you have not experienced.
What are some of the skills or techniques that I will learn as a parent during the Journey?
When you work with me, you learn how to repair relationships with your kids. Connection leads to collaboration and we work together to understand what your kids really need to feel connected. You will learn how to set boundaries that work and how to approach conflict peacefully.
Since empathy and peaceful conflict/ resolution skills were not modeled for most of us when we were younger, it makes sense that we feel helpless now when our kids are angry at us or fighting with their siblings. I’ll show you how to calm the storms in your home.
A lot of parents feel alone or judged in the parenting journey: how do you help parents deal with these problems?
I am with you in the trenches of parenting! I have spent years feeling judged by my decisions and experienced the feeling of confusion and helplessness when things weren’t working and needed to change. After you work with me, you’ll feel confident in your parenting choices believing that you are doing what is best for your child and feel less worried about the judgment from others. Many of my clients have said that working with me and having the space to talk every week is a gift that they give to themselves.
Is this therapy or is this a parenting program?
I am a certified parent coach and mom of three. I have worked with children and families for over 25 years. This is a parent centric coaching program. This process is about gaining awareness, information and clarity so that you can show up with more confidence in your parenting journey.
At what point should I sign up for the Brave Parent Journey program? When do I know that I need help?
You know when you have reached your last straw, when you feel stressed in your parenting journey and it seems like you are met with resistance every day from your child. When you want to cringe because you think you sound like your mother. When you have read all of the books and attended workshops and nothing seems to work.
When you work with me you will see transformation in your parenting and your relationship with your kids. Parenting is hard and we all need support sometimes. Sign up for the program when things aren’t working the way you planned and you are ready for a change.
