Are You Feeling Overwhelmed as a Parent?
- Are you a single mom or dad who’s struggling to raise your kids on your own?
- Are you and your partner having disagreements on everyday things with the kids?
- Are you and your teenager arguing all the time?
- Do you feel like you’re losing control?
- Are you overwhelmed with handling the stress of calls from school?
- Do you worry that your child will never recover from your divorce?
- Are you concerned that your child may be struggling with depression or anxiety?
- Has your attempt at co-parenting turned into a mess instead of a team effort?
- Do you struggle to set boundaries for your teen?
We’ve all heard the joke about how kids should come with an instruction manual. But even if there was one, it likely couldn’t address the unique complexities that parents consistently face.
You care deeply for your child but expressing your love isn’t always easy. All around you, there are pressures. Common ones include employment, financial, health and family.
What you want most is for your child to thrive and to connect with them in a meaningful way. However, there can be seemingly endless obstacles to this end that can arise.
Things like divorce, bullying, peer pressure, mental illness, grade difficulties, behavior struggles and substance abuse are just a few of the many obstacles that stand in the way of your child thriving.
When it comes to communication with your child, you face many roadblocks, too. You may share custody of your child, limiting the influence you can have on him or her. Your child may be nearly always gone with school and sports or working a job. Add to that your demanding work schedule and resulting fatigue and the odds can really feel stacked against you.
Too often, instead of solid, healthy communication with your child, it can feel like just the opposite. You find that, against your will, your communication feels forced, awkward, strained, stressed or even hostile.
Lack of Support as a Parent is a Common Struggle
You may feel alone in your struggle with lack of support as a parent right now. But be encouraged to know that all parents experience extreme low points at times. During these troughs, parents feel on the verge of breaking instead of just bending.
Counseling can be a great way to increase your support network. And the services we provide have a proven success record.
Therapy for Parents Can Help with Communication and Lead to a Happier Family
With support through counseling, you can improve communication with your child and develop an increasingly happy relationship.
Simply focusing on the bad behaviors of your child and aggressively trying to eradicate them only makes things worse. But, as a parent, it’s easy to keep trying that strategy with the same undesirable results.
What happens when we simply focus on unwanted behaviors? Your child clams up, shuts down and rebels. Your communication falters and both of you become frustrated.
Would you like a relationship that seems more like an interaction with the “behavior police?” Probably not. Neither does your child. But every parent has felt this is what their parenting had become at one point or another.
What your child most wants, although it may not seem like it at the moment, is you.
They want a thriving, happy relationship with you. They want to have fun with you, to laugh with you, to work with you and share memories.
That’s where the real change takes place. When your child senses you care more about their heart more than their actions, ironically, that’s when the actions fall into place. At this point, your child wants to make you proud instead of rebel.
This sort of relationship may seem impossible to you at the moment. But, with the proper evidence-based support through counseling, you can greatly increase your odds of success.
Comforts of Home Counseling offers many opportunities to help your parental relationships thrive through mediating between you and your child, helping you cope when you feel overwhelmed, assisting you in communication with your child and just helping you unwind and enjoy time with your child.
“What if my counselor thinks I’m a bad parent?”
We foster a very non-judgmental culture at Comforts of Home Counseling. We’re here to help you, not add to your hurt. Our staff also understands that parenting is one of the most demanding, challenging and rewarding human responsibilities.
Even the best parents make many mistakes. Great parents aren’t defined as people who don’t have problems or make mistakes. Great parents are those who make mistakes but find ways to improve on their failures.
So, when you come to us bearing your shortcomings, we understand. We’re here to help you realize there are many things you’re doing right. And we’re here to give you the encouragement, skills and resources to do even better!
“I feel like I’ve failed so much as a parent. I’m afraid that even counseling can’t help me.”
One of the top reasons parents feel this way is because they’re badly lacking in support. Many parents who feel like you find out just how badly they needed support once they start counseling. They witness the release and relief of being able to talk with someone who’s non-judgmental and trustworthy about their struggles.
Nearly all parents who seek help from us experience significant breakthroughs in their parent-child relationships. Many parents have started counseling with Comforts of Home Counseling thinking their case was a lost cause.
What they found, instead, is that those hopeless feelings weren’t based in reality. If you’re a hopeless parent at the moment, you can find the hope and confidence you need to break out of your discouragement.
Are you struggling right now as a parent? You certainly aren’t alone. It’s completely normal and OK to need extra support as a parent. Why not call today to schedule an appointment with Comforts of Home Counseling?