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Building A Better Way
By Carol S. Siege, PCC
Founder, Family Pathways Coaching, LLC
When my boys were young, there were days so challenging, the best I could do was to simply survive until bedtime. I was rushing, managing, pushing, and pulling just to get through the day. There was no time to stop and adjust, let alone smell the roses. I was barely keeping my head above water.
It’s counterintuitive, but I have come to understand that those overwhelming times are when it is most important to take the time to adjust and even smell the roses.
When we are fighting to get through every moment, that may be exactly when we need to find another way. I know, I know, I know! I’ve been there! Overwhelmed, exhausted, swimming upstream… How in the world are we supposed to have enough energy left, let alone the mind space, to course-correct? That’s usually the time we are so exhausted getting through every single day we can’t even see we need the help – we know it, of course, but we can’t stop now, we have too much to do!
There were times when all of my boys were in therapy – different therapists, different times, different locations. And yes, there were times I sped down the highway, racing to make an appointment, only to realize halfway there I was heading to the wrong office. Please don’t tell, but I fell asleep one time and almost missed picking up a son from a playdate. Another time, I nearly left my son at karate class (thank God for good friends).
I have been there, really! Four sons, all diagnosed with a variety of special needs, can keep a mom’s head spinning! There was a time when every night I was up multiple times: one son wetting his bed, another enduring night terrors, and then there was the newborn. I remember one afternoon hopping into our SUV and being met by such a cacophony of voices and noises I couldn’t help but burst into laughter (better than bursting into tears).
My oldest decided it would be fun to count forever. Forever. Another son was just making noises – loud, random noises. My toddler was telling someone – anyone – a story. And my youngest, well he was babbling along with the others, trying his best to keep up.
It happens. We are juggling home and work and trying to care for kids who just don’t follow the typical patterns of behavior. We need to allow extra time to soothe anxiety, transition between activities, remember all the miscellaneous items that have found their way out of backpacks and bedrooms and closets and MUST be in our child’s hand NOW.
And yet, these are the times to recognize there is a better way. A way to make order out of the chaos. To develop a plan for the present and the future. To remember to care for ourselves so we have the patience to care for others.
Coaching can help, which is why I launched my coaching business, Family Pathways Coaching. Coaching will challenge you to look at things differently, help you discover what you truly want in life, support you in designing step-by-step action plans for achieving your goals, and hold you accountable for taking action. As a Certified Professional Coach, I will empower you to find answers that are just right for you.
So, whether you are feeling alone, overwhelmed, or out of ideas, whether you need to tame the chaos, build bridges or find a way to care for yourself, working with a coach will help you find your path forward. Give it a try!
