Who We Serve
We all have different approaches to raising our kids, and we're all in our own place on our parenting journey. Our backgrounds are different. Our experiences are different. This is why there can never be a one-size-fits-all approach to our parenting support and coaching.
At Learning Through Play, we view each client as an individual with unique needs. Almost any issue a parent struggles with can be improved through working on communication and connection. We encourage you to reach out to us regardless of what you're facing. We’re here to help.
Attachments
Adjusting to parenthood can be hard. It can impact your relationship with your partner and perhaps even compromise your effectiveness at your job. While juggling these responsibilities, you may find your self struggling to bond with your child. You may even be feeling wistful for your former life. Or, reacting to triggers from your past, may be causing you to turn into the parent you said you would never become. If any of this sounds familiar, you may be struggling with attachment issues. This is an all too common tale, and we are here to help!
Discipline
You are finding yourself struggling with effective discipline techniques. You might find your fuse is ever-shortening. Alternatively, you might be feeling defeated, and like a doormat all the time.
Perhaps your young child isn’t yet capable of emotional regulation, and you are having a hard time with the constant meltdowns and tantrums. We wholeheartedly believe in naming it to tame it, and there’s no better way to do so than introducing fun emotion identification games.
Or perhaps the problem is that your child is particularly willful. You want to be a positive parent, but every day feels like a fight. Play is the perfect vehicle to implement healthy boundaries and limits. Learning limit-setting through play helps parents extend these same principles to their parenting practices.
Homeschooling
Educational Support
There are many different approaches to education. There is no one size fits all curriculum. Every child is an individual and might need a different take or approach to what they are getting at school. How do you get your child the information and skills they need if it is not being taught in a way that they can understand at school?
You're attempting to home-school your child(ren) but you're feeling overwhelmed by all the things you don't know. You're worried about what they might be missing out on by not attending a regular school. There are plenty of resources available, but you simply don't know how to sort through them and decide which are trustworthy and which will work best for your family.
Transitions
Change is hard. Some of the biggest challenges parents face are during times of transition. For instance:
New Sibling
The addition of a new family member is both exciting and terrifying, not just for the parents but for your child as well. Your little one is used to having you all to himself/herself and that dynamic is now changing. Facing these worries head on is the best way to tackle this. There are many fun, playful interventions that can help, some of which are introducing big sibling books and adding new additions to your child’s toy house and/or doll collection to mirror the upcoming changes.
Transitioning your little one to school
Transitioning your little one to school can be a huge adjustment. Little people have big feelings when trying something new, and feelings are never wrong. Children feel supported when they are validated. Additionally, preparing your child for the upcoming change helps the adjustment go more smoothly. Role-playing scenarios that may arise is a helpful way of dealing with anxiety and uncertainty during this new phase.
Emerging Teenagers
There is a growing rift between you and your pre-teen or teenaged child. You thought you had done everything "right" to ensure they'd be open and honest with you as they grew up, but something feels off. You're worried about them and their activities, but the lines of communication seem severed and you don't know how to repair them. Puberty brings about many changes. Your child is growing up and may not be as willing to share their deepest thoughts. Their brain chemistry is changing. They might be confused by the changes that they are experiencing and not know how to discuss them with you. It’s a sticky situation for everyone, but we can help you find the right time and choose thoughtful ways to help you overcome this hurdle.
Death
Separation and Divorce
You and your partner have chosen to split up and you're struggling to figure out how to be effective co-parents. Maybe the split is negatively affecting your child(ren) or maybe it's just unsettling one of you to the point you feel like you can't be a parent the same way you used to. Your family feels turned upside down. Now, more than ever, is the time to really focus on fostering close connections with your children, and play is an ideal way to do this.
Parental Self-Care
Since becoming a parent, you feel like you've lost your identity. Maybe you've lost touch with your friends or put your passions and hobbies on the backburner. You have no time or energy for self-care. Your only role is "parent" and you hate feeling that way. All you want is to feel normal and like yourself again.
You're juggling so much all the time that you feel constantly burnt out. You're struggling to keep things organized and maybe your home environment is permeated by a sense of chaos or disorder. You need help refocusing and making your home a sanctuary for everyone in your family, yourself included.
Discussing death is always a difficult subject to tackle. Depending on the age of your child, it can be hard to navigate the best way to broach this subject, especially when parents are dealing with their own grief. The caring team members at Learning Through Play are trained to assist you in coming up with a clear and direct plan to help you during this trying time.