Strategies for Parenting and Co-Parenting
Do you ever feel like stress makes you a bad parent? Do you feel like nothing you do is working, that you aren’t enjoying your relationship with your child, or perhaps have difficulty working together with your child’s other parent? Studies show that many parents experience the parenting role as stressful. This is primarily because of discrepancies between expectations parents have for themselves and their child, compared to what is actually being experienced. Most parents don’t yell at their kids and lose their tempers for no reason; this often happens when a parent feels overwhelmed, stressed, and/or anxious. Parenting stress and problems often involve difficult and challenging situations that parents and/or their children create due to expectations, needs and behaviors. In addition, distressed parents tend to react to their children, rather than respond and engage with them in nurturing yet firm ways. Also, parenting distress is highly associated with a loss of pleasure, effectiveness in parenting, and behavioral problems.
Counseling can help parents develop strategies for a better approach to dealing with the stress and problems of parenting or co-parenting while using solid relational and behavioral strategies to help empower parents. In addition, counseling provides an opportunity for parents to discuss their child’s development with a professional, and this can help parents feel a sense of relief and teamwork. Furthermore, counseling can help parents change destructive behaviors and beliefs; often leading to better outcome for children. West Houston Counseling Center offers a variety of services including parenting classes, individual sessions, and family work to meet the needs of a variety of parenting and co-parenting challenges. Contact us today to learn more.