Two of my kiddos will be graduating from high school this spring. Along with the feelings of excitement, anxiety is creeping in. Stress about completing a senior project. Anxiety about the future. Should I go to college and where? What next? For my son, he was getting more anxious and feeling stuck. He needed a plan.
So…as an Intentional Parent, I helped him come up with a plan. An action plan. Guess what? His anxiety is down. He has a plan. He is now excited. And hopeful. As parents, we can feel that same way. Stuck. Anxious about the future. Not sure what to do. When it comes to parenting adopted and foster kiddos, it can be challenging – and exhausting. Often, parents are just hanging on. Reacting. I know what that feels like. When I began this journey almost 17 years ago, I spent a lot of time just getting by. There was very little research about parenting adopted and foster children, and even less support. It became a survival game. Hanging on til bedtime. Going to bed exhausted and starting all over again the next day. But…that kind of functioning was not getting us to where I wanted my kiddos and our family to be. We were not getting to HAPPY & HEALTHY. I needed a plan. An action plan. Every week in my Intentional Parent Coaching Group, that is exactly what I am helping give parents. An action plan. A plan based on THEIR kiddo’s needs. THEIR family’s needs. A plan tweaked just for them. With an action plan, they are no longer just hanging on. They are PROACTIVE rather than reactive. They are feeling empowered. Relieved. Hopeful. They are seeing success. Progress. Healing. If you’re just hanging on or if your plan isn’t working, let’s get you an action plan to get your child & your family to HAPPY & HEALTHY. YOU belong here...This is where it happens! Join me in the Intentional Parent Coaching Group - JOIN US TODAY!
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As a parent of a child who struggles, have you ever felt totally understood? I mean so much so that the other person can finish your sentences and say things out loud that you have never dared speak?
There have been so many instances of a Mom saying she was embarrassed to talk about her challenges during our Coaching Group sessions because she thought she was the only one. She felt so different than everyone else...so alone. Well...within seconds heads begin to shake. Everyone else begins to chime in to share with her that they have all been there...that she is NOT alone. I have to tell you it is such an amazing feeling - to have people around you that get it! So empowering! Our children's journey to happy and healthy can be a very long one and the best way we can help them get there is to be able to stay in it with them for as long as it takes. Being around people that get it is what will fuel us in the good times as well as the challenging times. In my Intentional Parent Coaching Group, you will find yourself held up by parents you have never met yet Moms and Dads who totally know your challenge because they live it too. You will very quickly know you belong here. When you truly feel understood, you feel renewed and relieved. You find your hope. Everything makes new sense. You will find you have new energy and foresight, which is so needed to put your family's unique plan into action. Look, I have been there. Always doing it differently. Always being questioned about my parenting choices. It IS Exhausting. It is a lonely place to be. That's why I want to personally invite you to join my Intentional Parent Coaching Group...this is a place you will never feel misunderstood again! YOU belong here...YOU and YOUR FAMILY deserve to be happy. This is where it happens! Join me in the Intentional Parent Coaching Group - JOIN US TODAY! P.S. We're talking Mother's Day and how to make it your best yet! As you might know, over the past 12 years or so I have been supporting parents around the globe - One-on-one Coaching, Webinars, Support Groups, my Book, and More - and it has been GREAT!
My goal has and always will be to be able to support you IN THE TRENCHES. What to SAY. What to DO. In the heat of the moment! I have lived this and I know that's what's missing. Well...we have just gotten one hundred steps closer to achieving that! As of April 1st, there are multiple more ways we can get your family to Thriving instead of just Surviving! I'd like to introduce to you the Intentional Parent Coaching Program. As members of the Intentional Parent Coaching Program, you become part of an incredible movement of Adoptive, Foster, Kinship, Step, and Guardian Families all parenting a NEW way...the way that creates HEALING. That brings the JOY back. The HOPE. That empowers Moms and Dads to feel good about themselves, feel strong, and to be the force that will make the difference for their child. The first step in joining this movement is to become a member of the Intentional Parent Coaching Group. We meet Live online WEEKLY so that I can answer your questions and help you make an action plan that works. You get access to a Learning Library of 12 of my best selling classes. You get to be a part of an incredible group of families from across the globe on our closed Facebook Group. It's awesome! Being a member is crucial. I know that the coaching group is YOUR safety net and needs to be in place for us to walk through the trenches together. This is a long journey as you know and to stay engaged for as long as it takes and no matter what IS absolutely doable when you have that kind of support! And just wait till you hear what we've added...we've just moved so much closer to me being right beside you every day. First, we have added what we call Focus Groups...I foresee these groups being used for "a season" so to speak. As we Intentional Parents build the safety net, we work hard to tie the knots nice and tight and that's great, but then a new challenge pokes out in a different place - so we have to move to tie those knots. The focus groups are meant to help you focus in on one particular spot of the net and make it as fail proof as possible, while still maintaining the rest. Our Focus Groups are small groups in which we dig deep and create an action plan to help your family get to the peace you are looking for. The first three focus groups are: Homeschooling Your Adopted or Foster Child Parenting Adopted and Foster Teens School and Your Adopted or Foster Child Secondly, we have added another fantastic option for members, which is the ability to have affordable One-On-One Coaching Hours with me via phone or online. This time allows families to narrow down to the tiniest next step of their action plan, to ask questions, learn new strategies and so much more. It is SO EXCITING to witness the powerful shift that is happening for families who are immersing themselves in becoming INTENTIONAL. I know how hard it can be, especially when you are doing it alone. The thing is...it doesn't have to be so hard or so lonely. Come and join us. We are doing it differently and moving towards all the great stuff our families deserve! To get started just join me in the Intentional Parent Coaching Group! Let's Do This Today! JOIN US! With great excitement for the future of your family, Stacy Manning Rough Road Ahead. I saw this sign on my way into town today and thought...well, isn't that the truth!
Seriously, this was just like the path many of us travel. There was no warning, the sign just appeared. No detour marked. No map to show the driver another option. I was not prepared. And I've got to tell you, it was REALLY ROUGH! Just like I learned when trying to parent my adopted children, I quickly realized I was going to have to do this differently than I normally would...I had to be very intentional about my choices. I mean I could just drive the speed I usually did and stay right in the center of my lane like I have been taught to, but that would have meant hitting every pothole, feeling every bump, jostling my body, tearing up the bottom of my car and making me just plain grumpy. Nope, not what I wanted. So, I tweaked my expectations and intentionally chose to do it differently. First, I reminded myself that it was okay to get there when I could get there. I slowed down...my expectations needed to change and be based out of the reality of the situation. Just like when we look at parenting our children - we've got to meet them right where THEY are at, not where we (or society) thinks they should be. Secondly, I had to get really intentional and not be afraid to do it differently. I had to look at the road as if I'd never driven it before to avoid the holes. There were times I had to slow almost to a stop or swerve here and there, times I had to drive in the other lane (luckily it was a back country road), and at times I even had to use the shoulder a bit. NONE of this was in my plan when I left my house to run a few errands. I can honestly say that today's outing reminds me of our journey and those of the thousands of Moms' and Dads' stories I have heard over the last 16 years. SO many parents share that they were not anywhere near as prepared to adopt or foster their children as they thought they were. They just thought (as we did) that they'd do it the way they had before, the way their friends and family did it, the way they were raised,, but all of a sudden they saw the SIGN - Rough Road Ahead. That's when things got difficult. Hard Behaviors. Disconnect. Mistrust. Sadness. And so much more. They felt stuck! Here's the thing...A rough road doesn't mean you have to stop. It doesn't mean you can't make it through. It doesn't mean that you can't get to where you want to go. It means you have to do it differently to be successful. It takes a shift in your thinking and intentional choices to get to the other side This goes for parenting our kiddos as well. Yes, it can be rough. Yes, it takes a while. Yes, it is possible to make it through if we intentionally choose to meet them right where they are at. And commit to no matter what and for as long as it takes. So, have you hit the Rough Road Ahead sign? You don't have to do it alone. I really want you to know that I have navigated through the rough stuff and I am dedicated to helping you make it too! The map is in place. And the most effective path is laid out. I want to personally invite you to join me in my Intentional Parent Coaching Group. This is where I will show you exactly how to deal with YOUR rough road. What to say, what tools to use, how to help others support you. And SO much more! I'd be honored to lead you to the other side! It's Time! JOIN US! I know you are being pulled in a million different directions. School, social workers, doctors, therapists, family members, friends, random strangers...all want to tell you how to help your child heal.
Where do you turn? Who knows best? How can you find something that works? It's exhausting and lots of times it gets tempting to just quit! I've been right where you are - it feels like you're on a merry go round that just won't stop. I fought hard to get it to stop and what I learned was that what we need is FOCUS! To get your family to where you want it to be it's important to stop comparing, stop looking back, stop using tools that don't work, stop fretting, and stop questioning yourself. All that stuff trips you up. The faster you get to FOCUS, the faster you get to ACTION. And the faster you get to ACTION, the faster you get the OUTCOME you are looking for. My OUTCOME? I wanted a shift. I wanted the hard behavior to stop. I wanted my child to be happy. I wanted her to feel connected to me. I wanted her to feel safe. I wanted to feel like a good Mom again. I wanted to laugh. I wanted peace and calm. My FOCUS became...parenting a new way. The way that was best for each of my children. Even if it was different then everyone else -and it was! My ACTION was (and still is) to meet my children right where they were at. Using tools and strategies to Intentionally parent my whole child. Deficits, trauma, grief and loss, history, gifts, and challenges - eyes wide open - meeting them for as long as it takes and no matter what! The Final OUTCOME...I got what I was looking for! My children are each thriving as individuals. We are very connected. No more ugly behaviors or words. When feeling safe kicked in, they began to find their passions and are blossoming. We began to make new happy memories. Our family is peaceful and calm. Wow, what a difference! How about YOU? Is your family where you want it to be? Are YOU Focused? Do you have an ACTION PLAN? Are YOU ready to create change? I have got REALLY GOOD NEWS for you...I have brought together everything you need to jump in and make it happen. No more wondering. This is it! My Intentional Parent Coaching Group - Find your FOCUS. Take ACTION that works. Create the OUTCOME you want! As a member you will have all of this at your finger tips plus more:
Let's do this TODAY- JOIN US! We are in the middle of winter, but have had an unseasonably warm past several weeks. Even managed to hit 60 degrees in February, which is unheard of in Minnesota.
The birds must have gotten the memo that we are warmer way earlier so they have begun heading back home after their southern winter escape. My living room overlooks a pond. Today, I’ve been hearing and seeing many, many birds. My granddaughter and I just watched a flock of geese fly by. She was SO excited! As I watched them fly, it made me think of the power of flying in a flock. The V formation. One bird leading the way. The other birds flying right along. But…as they got tired, they could coast a little bit, drafting on the tails of the one in front of them. They didn’t have to go it alone. They didn’t need to try to navigate the route by themselves. They didn’t have to solely rely on their stamina. They made the trek TOGETHER. I know too many parents who have tried to make their trek alone. Not knowing where to turn to get the support and direction they need. Not having a way to coast. Only relying on their stamina (or lack of it). Only relying on their navigation even in territory they have never encountered. After hearing time after time from those parents who felt alone, who felt unsure of how to help their children, I created something new – Intentional Parent Coaching Group. A way to give them tools, direction, and support.
Let’s get you and your family SOARING! www.tohavehope.com/intentional-parent-coaching-group The other day I overheard a couple of parents talking about their teenagers. One responded with the phrase, “It is what it is.” I bit my lip because I wanted to chime in and say Seriously??
When it comes to our kiddos, we should never take the approach of It Is What It Is. Yes, there are things that we absolutely cannot change. We cannot change the fact that some of our kiddos were born to another mother. We cannot change the fact that had a deep loss when they lost their biological family. For some, they lived in orphanages. Some bounced from home to home and family to family in the foster care system. We cannot change their history, their story before they came to us. BUT…that does not mean that it is what it is. When people take on that attitude, it gives themselves permission to be done trying. To be done finding ways to lessen the impacts that those experiences have had on their kiddos. They believe that they can’t make a difference. That nothing’s going to get better. They give up hope. And guess what…their kiddos start believing that too. So...I want to encourage you to avoid the pitfalls of that kind of thinking. It is time to think and speak a very different message. “Things can get better.” “I am going to keep doing whatever I can to help my child.” “I have HOPE.” “I refuse to give up.” “My child deserves me to keep keepin’ on.” Ready to take that stance with me? Join me in my Intentional Parent Coaching Group where we are not throwing in the towel. Not accepting that things are "this is just the way it is." We are heading to change. Heading to healing. Heading to a bright future. We are doing whatever we can to help our kiddos. In my Intentional Parent Coaching Group, here's how we get there:
Your child, your family and you are worth it. Let’s get you the support and tools that are going to make a HUGE difference for your family! Looking forward to having you JOIN US! Just a quick note today from me to you...if you are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and ready to "quit", I want you to know that things can be better.
I have SO been there. Sixteen years ago, no one talked about the challenges of adopting, fostering, or kinship care. The reality is no one really knew what to do. We were hanging on tight. Just surviving. There wasn't much happiness at all. And quite honestly, I found myself totally done! I just couldn't take it anymore so I followed a hunch and that is when the shift happened. The difficult behaviors started to slow down. Connections began to strengthen. I felt like there was hope. The more INTENTIONAL I was and the more I parented my kiddos from right where they were at, the more SUCCESSFUL we all felt! With success came Self-Confidence, Energy, Trust, Joy, Connection, and so much more...the shift was life-changing for our whole family! I would be honored to share all that I now know with you. Your family can feel the shift too. My friend, it is time to break away from the old and step into the new! I have brought together everything you need to jump in and make it happen. As a member you will have all of this at your finger tips plus more:
Immerse Yourself and Live the Change - Energy. Joy. Happiness. Hope Looking forward to having you JOIN US! Imagine…you and I and other parents on this journey sitting at your kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking about your child and your family. Picking my brain, asking questions, and getting tools that actually work. Getting an action plan for YOUR family.
When I created my Intentional Parent Coaching Group, that is exactly what I pictured. Talking to parents around a kitchen table. A safe place where they knew they were with those who really got it. Who really understood. A place where they could speak their true feelings, ask questions, and dig into what the challenges. But, I wanted it to be more than that. Much more than that. I wanted it to be that parents can leave the table armed with something that is going to work. An action plan. Something that they can go put into place and will have a big impact. For them. For their kiddos. For their entire family. And here it is…my online Intentional Parent Coaching Group. Grab yourself a cup of coffee, sit at your kitchen table (or your desk or on your bed, wherever works for you) and let’s get started. We meet weekly. We also have a private Facebook page PLUS an entire Learning Library where you can access 13 full length courses for FREE! Sound like something that’s missing for you? I want to personally invite you to join us. You are going to feel so much better. It is going to make a HUGE difference – for your child, for you, and for your entire family. In my Intentional Parent Coaching Group, you'll get:
Your child, your family and you are worth it. Let’s get you the support and tools that are going to make a HUGE difference for your family! Looking forward to having you JOIN US! I want to share some EXCITING news with you!
Probably the part of my Intentional Parent Coaching Group that parents find the most helpful are the LIVE sessions. They get to pick my brain, ask their questions, and get a plan specific to their kiddo’s needs, one that works for their family. It’s the piece where they get the support they really need. I got to thinking. If that part is really helping parents, let’s make it easier for them. So…starting this week, we are going to now do those calls weekly. Meeting online LIVE every week. Having a rough month? You will have the opportunity to ask me your questions. Every single week. You don’t have to wait until the next month. Can’t make a call? You will get the recording, but you will also know that there will be another call next week. And the week after. And the week after. You get the idea. Every single week. I want to come alongside you and give you all the support & tools you need to feel empowered and supported to get your family no longer just surviving, but actually THRIVING! In my Intentional Parent Coaching Group, you'll get:
Your child, your family and you are worth it. Let’s get you the support and tools that are going to make a HUGE difference for your family! Looking forward to having you JOIN US! |
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