OUR STORY

By Jennifer McCallum, Founder of the Parent Coach Club

I guess you could say I was a typical first-time mom. I wanted to do it all perfectly and never mess up. I wanted to show the world that I could do it all and do it well.

And then my first child was born.

That was almost 25 years ago.

Bringing home our baby was terrifying. I was lost. I was tired. I was frustrated. I needed help but I didn't know where to go to get it. I had trouble with everything - breastfeeding, dealing with the lack of sleep, maintaining my relationships and having enough confidence to know what I was doing was right...the whole gambit!

At the time, I was sent home from the hospital with bags and bags of pamphlets and fliers. I was expected to sift through and find the resources I needed. Well, this tired mom couldn't find them at all..there were so many pamphlets to go through and each time I would call a listed organization, they would send me to another one. It was like a wild goose chase just to get a straight answer.

There was no Google to go to when I needed help with one specific thing like breastfeeding, first foods for baby, diapering, and daycare

We ended up back in the hospital with our new baby a few days after the birth.

It was a traumatic experience for all of us and thanks to the fabulous nurses, we were able to make it through and leave a few days later with a healthy baby

Fast forward a few months later when I found it difficult to find information about things like: cloth diapering, organic food, community playgroups, and daycare options I felt like it was a full-time job to research all the choices I had to make as a parent, and in the process was saddened by the time I was missing out on just enjoying my new baby.

How could I help other parents? Maybe a pamphlet would help...one that listed all the community resources –something like the phone book (remember them?) but just for parents???

I called the maternal newborn care units at the local hospitals and asked them if they would hand out a pamphlet of resources if I put it together Without question, they agreed That pamphlet ended up being a 100-page book!

That first year, with a toddler and 5 month-old baby, we delivered our first edition of the books to the hospitals as promised

For 18 years, I printed parenting resource books that went to every new parent after their baby was born. 16 of those years I also printed a School-Age edition for parents of kids starting school. I expanded to new cities and before I knew it, we had printed 59 editions!

What a ride.

I spent the next two years researching in a fog of worry, stress, confusion, and the ever-present overwhelm.

I tried to go back to work and wondered if I would ever find any work as rewarding as raising my baby It seemed like life had gone on for everyone else and I was still trying to figure out this new mom gig and failing

And then, one day, it became clear what I needed to do I needed to help other new parents so they didn't have to go through what I did

JENNIFER MCCALLUM

And, then my kids grew up and became teens. It was yet another stage I wasn't prepared for.

When my first baby was born, I created resource books...when the first two kids entered school, I created a school-age book...but teens...this was a whole new area to navigate...and I wasn't ready!

I felt like I was always the last one to the party the party of understanding teens

I struggled with the everyday things that teens go through, not willing to give up control, and adding a lot of stress, shame, and guilt, onto both my teens and myself

In the midst of this, we also adopted twins

I knew I needed to be better than I was. I knew that if I just had the key to the answers, I would be the best mom ever. I had four kids counting on me now.

That is when I discovered Parent Coaches. They changed my life.

I began working with them and my relationship with my kids became better. I also felt better about myself and that forward positive motion really does create more peace at home. They gave me tools and strategies to use to build our relationship. In fact, one small idea created the biggest impact....and I got this in a 30-minute chat with a Parent Coach!

At the same time, I was also pivoting my business and wondering what I could do next to continue to help parents, without printing thousands of books each year Google was a much better, environmentally friendly way to find resources now

The answer was right in front of me. Parent Coaches! I could help Parent Coaches grow their business so they could help more parents, like me.

But, there was a problem - not many parents had even heard of what a Parent Coach could do for their family.

Now, this is a very short overview of how we got here It was not easy and some days I even wondered if I was cut out to be a mom. There is a link below if you want to read more, but I want to leave you with one thing to consider....

What do you want your relationship to be like when your kids are adults?

I wanted mine to be better, and thanks to Parent Coaches, this is exactly what I got. My kids are now 24, 21, 16, and 16. I may be a bit biased, but I think they are the best kids in the world and I am grateful that I worked with Parent Coaches so I could be the mom they needed me to be. It's a work in process, but I am getting there!