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Are you looking for a positive parenting program or course that will help you become an empowered parent? Check out the Jai Institute!
Have you ever felt like you could use a parenting guide or manual to help you in the most important job you will ever have? I know I have. Unfortunately, they don't give you a manual at the hospital when they send you home with your new sweet baby. Many people will use the parenting methods and strategies of their parents. However, there is a lot of new science and research that can provide some guidance on a better way to parent and the Jai Institute is here to help!
My friend is a parenting coach with the Jai Institute. She asked me a few months ago to participate in the coaching. I agreed but really did not know what to expect. After completing the 12-week course, I am here to tell you that it is a game changer! If you are interested in participating in coaching, I would encourage you to reach out to my friend Jaicie at Joyfully Connected Parenting. She has three children of her own and started out taking the course herself to try to strengthen her own parenting (so she has been there!). She was also a teacher for 10 years before pursuing parent coaching. She is super reliable, understanding, non-judgemental, and helpful.
Check out my other posts about this experience: Regulating Emotions as an Empowered Parent and Empowered Parenting.
Before taking the Jai Institute's 12-week parenting program with Jaicie as my coach, I often felt unsure of my parenting decisions. I also had no idea how to handle it when my son was having meltdowns or acting defiant, often feeling like I had no control and I was a bad parent. After completing the program, I feel infinitely more secure in the parenting decisions I am making. I have learned that things felt out of my control because "controlling" my child is not actually helpful. I feel like I am able to provide the support and nurturing my child needs, and I know that while I am an imperfect parent (aren't we all), I am not a bad parent.
The Jai Institute's course is all science and research-based (which I love because I am kind of a research nerd 🤓) and gave me the information I need to understand my child's development, needs, abilities, and how I can best support him. Jaicie was able to coach me on how to apply the parenting strategies learned to my unique child and situation. Additionally, she helped me in understanding how my own parenting has affected how I parent and my confidence in my parenting. I highly recommend this program and Jaicie!
I will share more specific examples of how this course has changed how I parent later in the post, read on! :-)
What is a parenting coaching program?
So you may be wondering, what is a parenting coaching program? It is essentially a course to learn about effective and healthy parenting strategies accompanied by meetings with a coach to help you apply the learning to your unique situation, work through your unique parenting situations, and help you overcome obstacles.
Jaicie at Joyfully Connected Parenting offers a variety of services. If you have any interest in parenting coaching I highly recommend reaching out. She can walk you through different options and help you figure out the best path with no pressure. That was one of my favorite parts about this program - no pressure, no guilt the whole way through.
How Jaicie's Coaching Works:
When you book a call with Jaicie, you will have a conversation about what’s going on for you and your family. This helps her get a sense of where she can offer support.
She will explain her approach and the options 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, you can book your first session and get started. If it’s not a good fit, she will do her 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.
Some of the different services Jaicie offers include individual or group sessions.
Individual Packages:
1 Hour Personalized Session
4 Week Mini Transformation Package
12-Week Transformation Package (This is what I did - highly recommend)
Group Packages:
4 Week Mini Transformation Package
12-Week Transformation Package
The Benefits of a Parenting Coaching Program
Okay, but why is a coaching program helpful? So not only is the content of the course awesome, but coaching allows you to get support. Anyone could find the information if you read enough books and research. But coaching is more beneficial because they offer you support, help you apply the information to your family, and help you work through difficult situations.
Working with Jaicie is super helpful because:
she offers support through parenting challenges.
she is understanding and non-judgemental.
oftentimes, she has been in a similar situation with one of her own children!
when requested she can offer helpful advice (she always asks before giving advice, so no pressure!)
she can help you work through past traumas and habits you would prefer to change.
she can help you build confidence in your parenting.
she can help you feel less guilt and self-judgment.
she can help you build more cooperation and joy with your family.
she can offer you an opportunity to learn more about how your child's brain, body, and nervous system work so you have increased awareness.
she can help you build connection with your child(ren).
What to Expect
I really did not know what to expect when I first got started with the 12-week program. When you sign up, you will get access to a learning portal with the Jai Institute. You will complete "homework" each week between meetings with your coach. So there is a video and workbook for each week and then you go over the information with your coach and apply the information to your family. In the workbook and with your coach you have the opportunity to reflect a lot on your background, childhood, beliefs, and how you would like to show up for your children.
Below are the topics for each week of the program:
Introduction
Intentions and Values
10 Pillars of Empowered Parenting
Attachment Science
Nervous System Science
Mindsight and Brain Science
Emotional Intelligence
Empowered Conversations
PEACE Process and Setting Boundaries
Anger and Healthy Agression
Playful Parenting
Personal Transformation
Each week you watch the video and complete the workbook then have a one-hour Zoom call with your coach. I enjoyed the content because it includes research and science, but in an easy way to consume. I also liked the content and the coaching because:
there is no judgment
the program leaves space for humanity, there is no expectation of perfection
it is based on the assumption that this will be a long process with a lot of practice and a lot of mistakes
there is no pressure
there is no guilt (it actually made me
it is flexible - while we tried to meet weekly, sometimes life comes up and there was room for flexibility
Interested in Learning More?
If you are interested in learning more, schedule a discovery call with Jaicie! She will discuss your situation and needs with you and helps you pick a package. She may even have special offers! This is a no-pressure call. You can learn more about the services she offers, the program, the outcomes with no pressure to enroll if it turns out it is not the right fit for you.
I encourage you to check out the Jai Insititute.
I encourage you to check out Joyfully Connected Parenting and schedule a call!
Examples
This post is not sponsored. I generally enjoyed taking the course and believe in the information they are sharing with families. Why? It has changed the way I parent and respond to my little one. I now feel more confident in my parenting strategies. I also find myself giving myself grace when I make a mistake or show up in a way that I would have preferred not to because I am human and I am still working on improving.
Below are just a few specific examples of how my parenting has changed with my two-year-old son.
Example 1: When my son is upset because he fell or got hurt, I start by asking if he is okay (instead of saying, "You are okay"). Even when I know he is fine. Oftentimes just being asked makes him feel better. He says, "Yes," and moves on. Either way though, I want him to feel seen, heard, and understood.
Example 2: When my son is being loud, getting upset, or just having a bit "too much fun" when we are out at a store or running errands I strive for my response to not be controlling him to be quiet and still. In the past, I would feel like others were judging me for "not being in control of my child." However, through this program, I have learned that I don't want to control my child. It is developmentally appropriate for him to want to play and move around. So I now respond differently. I may allow him to be out of the cart (if it is not too busy) so he can be walking, running, and dancing by the cart. Or I may play a game with him in the shopping cart. Or I might help him do bicycle kicks in the cart. Or a couple of times, I have realized that he needs more connection and I have given that to him in the middle of the store without caring what others are thinking of me.
Example 3: More and more my child avoids diaper changes as much as he can. This is a source of frustration for me, particularly in the middle of our morning routine. Working with Jaicie, I learned that introducing play into our routine could really help with this. So I will use a stuffie or a toy nearby or even the diaper itself to be a character to talk to Parker to get him to come to the changing mat. He thinks this is hilarious and even if he is mad, he gets over it almost immediately and starts giggling.
Example 4: The time I need to be cooking dinner can be hard for my little one. He is tired, he wants to play, he wants me to play with him, and due to being tired he gets upset easily and doesn't listen as well as I hope. This often leads to both of us getting frustrated! Working with Jaicie, I realized he oftentimes is just desiring connection. So by giving him a few minutes of my attention where I am playing with him and being present with him, I can then step away to make dinner with less struggle. It actually ends up saving me time in the end.
These are just a few examples of how my parenting has changed. Much of what I learned during this program takes practice, and so I am continuing to work on it.
Please note: Using this parenting style of positive parenting does not mean that suddenly everything is going to be easy, your child is going to be a perfect angel 100% of the time, and they will never have big feelings that will display as a tantrum or some undesired feeling. That is just not going to happen. However, the program gives you strategies to support your child, help them learn how to regulate, how to be mindful and make good choices in the long term. It takes time and effort. But it feels so much better than overly permissive or controlling parenting strategies.
Conclusion
If you are looking for new parenting strategies and more connection and joy in parenting, you may want to consider this wonderful parenting coaching program. This coaching program provides invaluable information related to kids' development and parenting, and working with a coach allows you to apply the information to your family and work through your past to help you parent in the best way possible.
Jaicie of Joyfully Connected Parenting can work with you to find a package that works for you. She is understanding and non-judgemental, plus she has experienced her own struggles as a mom of three.
Parenting is the most important job I will ever have and it is not easy. This program has helped me increase my confidence and increase my connection with my son. I highly recommend it.
Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!
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