Hello! When we’ve missed a class, where do we go to listen?

The filter by which we view life is key to what we get out of ours. Attitude is key when we are committed to making change. Your presence in this group is a confirmation that you have a measure of hope in your mindset. However, I want to challenge you. I want you to do a self-check and ask this question: How do I handle conflict and change mentally? If you were to rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being awful and 10 being fantastic, how would you score yourself? First of all, there is no judgment on this. Self-awareness is important and this question is an opportunity for you to see where you stand. Secondly, having a baseline helps us know where we are and provides direction on where we want to grow. Last and most important, we get what we look for. Many times we play out all the scenarios of "what could be" in order to mentally prepare for the worst. If we can focus on staying present in the day instead of writing the last chapter of our story, we will be more likely to have better results in whatever we choose to do. We cannot control what happens to us but we can choose to decide how we will approach the issues we do encounter. What about you? What is your current mindset? What if any changes do you think you need to make?

Hello Parent, I am so excited you are here! We are going on a journey together that will help you create the relationship with your adult child you have always wanted. Parenting in this season is not for the faint of heart and I know from personal and professional experience what it takes to be a successful parent to adult kids. You are already ahead of the curve. You are here, hungry to learn, and wanting to grow! Your children are fortunate to have a parent like you who is teachable and willing to invest in your relationship with them. There is no ceiling on a parent who is committed to being the best version of themselves and you will learn on this journey how to be who your child needs you to be: Accepting, emotionally safe, and worthy of trust. Parenting is about you and how you show up in the relationship, not how your children turn out. This is your journey so take whatever time you need to walk through this framework. I have helped parents for over 40 years and I have implemented what you will see and hear with my own adult children, who are in their 40's. I will take you through this process step by step so you know exactly how to incorporate these skills and insights into your life. I want you to be kind to yourself as you start this process. There are millions of parents who have the same questions so take comfort in knowing you are not alone. The good news is that now you are a part of a community who will learn together how to parent adults with confidence and grace. Thanks again for being a part of the P.A.R.E.N.T. Method community. Let's get started! Warmly, Catherine

Today's zoom was informative and instructive. I've thought a lot about my experience parenting both of my daughters and frankly it has felt like complete emotional whiplash. I have 2 adult daughters, 37 and 34. My eldest was challenging in a variety of ways, colicky, cuddle-averse and entered the "terrible twos" by 12-15 months. With the gift of 20/20 hindsight I can recognize that she was vocal, hypersensitive and had some troubles with self-soothing out of the gate. My youngest was the exact opposite...for the first 10 years. Their father died from undiagnosed colon cancer when they were 13 and 10 resulting in them doing a 180 degree personality flip. What I did not recognize at the time was that my husband was always harsher on my eldest, mostly verbally critical but occasionally physically. I did not even know the extent of it until years later. I was aware of the verbal issues and would attempt to soften the blow but while doing so, I was not aware of the perception my youngest was developing. Years after her father passing away, she commented that her "favorite parent" died and that her sister was my favorite. Talk about a shock reaction. She did have her father on quite a pedestal and over the years found out some things that knocked him down a few notches to "human" but I believe she's still processing this. Meanwhile (again years later) I discovered that my eldest basically had the reaction of "ding dong the witch is dead" in response to her father's death....but then had to work through THAT guilt. She has done incredible work over the past 2 decades and we have a good connection and have shared quite a lot about those painful years and trauma. I am estranged from the youngest daughter (her decision to stop communication) and although I feel that she is working through and processing issues, it's difficult to deal with not being able to discuss things with her. I have to say that one of the largests gifts from this course has been increasing my self-awareness. The concept of curiosity and learning what my kids are really experiencing and feeling as opposed to filling in the blank or void with what I assume or think has been a steep learning curve for me.