Are you hanging by a
thread trying to parent your complicated kid? Does everything
seem like a battle?
It doesn't have to be that way!
Here's what I know: Raising kids is Really. Freaking. Hard.
Being a parent is possibly the most challenging, gut-wrenching, confidence-busting thing we'll ever take on. Throw in a kid with an extra challenge like ADHD or anxiety, and you have a recipe for some seriously high-stress parenting.
For some reason, we all think we're supposed to just KNOW how to do it. You know, the whole "maternal instinct" sort of thing. And then you find yourself screaming at your kids, exhausted, demoralized, defeated, deflated. And that sure doesn't feel good. Or right. So you feel guilty. You feel like you're not enough. Like you're broken. Like your family's broken.
You're trying everything you can think of to be the best parent you can be.
And you still feel like you're coming up short.
Lonely
Constant battles with our kids can make us feel like we're on the outside looking in on other "happy" families
Burned Out
Dealing with teens who are rude, distant, or angry sucks the life out of us, and most of us don't know how to make it better
Guilty
We lose our patience more than we'd like, so we beat ourselves up whenever we get frustrated or angry and then yell at our kids
I ALSO know it's not too late!
I can help you learn how to find calm in those soul-crushing parenting situations and make a game plan for parenting
RIGHT NOW!
No matter what your relationship with your kid(s) looks like right now, there is
So. Much. Hope.
Whether you're pulling your hair out trying to deal with your difficult teen, or you're freaking out about the chaos of middle or high school for your kid, we will start exactly where you are. Right here. Right now. And begin to make the changes that will transform your family.
As the mom to two spectacular but oh-my-god-so-challenging kids, I know how hopeless it can all feel. As a mom who has come out the other side with her sanity intact (restored is maybe a better word!) and great relationships with her kids, I know how much hope there actually is. And as a Certified Parenting Coach, I can help you get where you want
to be as a parent.
Here's what some of my clients have to say:
“When it comes to growing as a parent, nothing I’ve tried – reading books/blogs, talking to friends, family and even therapists – compares to working with Chris. Our coaching sessions and her experience being a neurotypical parent to a neurodiverse child, have transformed my relationship with my son!”
-Faith
“I began working with Chris after a particularly challenging parenting year. Yelling, door slamming, and misunderstandings with my were a daily occurrence. Chris helped me learn how to connect my emotional and logical selves so I could create deep connections and understanding with my teens. Working with Chris not only brought peace back to our home, but also joy. ”
-Carson
“Chris’ parent coaching has been immeasurable in helping me navigate my role as a parent to a young adult child.
I now more confidently understand how I can best support my child.”
-Laura
Hi! I’m Chris Irvine
I raised my two kids in Marin County, California. Holy sh**, did I work hard. My daughter was diagnosed with autism at age 10. She was an immovable, complicated kid, and I had no idea how to parent her. I was barely clinging to my own sanity--lonely, guilty, and utterly exhausted. And then my teenage son--my "easy" kid--began to challenge me, and I felt so lost and scared. I tried SO HARD to be a great mom, but I was at the end of my freaking rope.
Then I figured some stuff out. About my kids. About myself. I made some big shifts in how I parent, and now we're ALL so much more calm and connected. I'm not perfect, but I'm so much more confident and peaceful as a mom. And I'm better prepared to help my kids grow and learn with confidence and self-compassion. Theirs. And mine.
I know that you, like me, don't want to fight with your kids all day. I also know you want to have great kids! Good news, Mom and Dads! Both of those things are possible! And that's why I now coach parents of challenging kids--to help them navigate the demands of raising kids in high-stress environments, find calm in the moments when it seems impossible, and create a new game plan for parenting.
The"power-over" model of parenting most of us learned isn’t working.
It makes you feel like you’re not doing a good job.
I used to think that at the very top of the Mom's Job Description was
"Guilt." It seemed inevitable. It turns out, though, that the real problem isn't that we're failures as parents. It's that we haven't been taught
how
to be the kind of parents most of us really want to be, so we end up slipping into the patterns we learned when we were kids. Duh! Of course that's what we do!
And that's a perfect recipe for a guilt sandwich!
I want to help you remove guilt from your Official Mom (or Dad) Duties. (Or at least put it way down the list!) So when you contact me, you will be met with understanding, a non-judgmental openness, and a supportive, personalized, and effective plan that I will personally guide you through every step of the way. Together we'll substitute in a nice helping of self-compassion, paving the way to a more satisfying experience for you and your family.
How it works:
When you book a call with me, we'll spend some time together so I can get a sense of what’s going on with you and your family, and see where I can offer support.
I’ll explain my approach and the options we have for working together. You can ask any questions you have and see what type of support would be the best fit for your life and schedule.
If it feels right to you, we can book our first session and get started. If it’s not a good fit, I will do my best to offer alternative resources or suggestions for support, wherever possible. There’s no pressure of any kind, simply an opportunity to see if we are a good fit to work together.
Let's Talk!
So that you can stop blaming yourself.
And instead take the first step towards becoming the kind of parent you know you can be.
