There's a post on a blog about "parenting coaches." It's total satire, but worth a look.

http://bestparentever.com/2008/05/01/31-parenting-coaches/

Any advice you need on how to not be a spineless slave to your brat's whims is available for free right here: www.rosemond.com. The doctor is syndicated in many newspapers and advocates realistic parenting in which the adult, rather than the child, sets the rules.

The Parent Coaching Institute (PCI) is grateful for the article in Newsweek which has brought attention to our non-profit organization. However, the article on discipline simply 'scratched the surface' of the parent coaching profession and all that it offers to parents. Parenting is the most important role of all. We all go through some type of challenge while raising kids. That's a given! But parenting issues are varied. So the reasons moms and dads seek out PCI parent coaching for their most important role are also varied. The coaches at the PCI can provide relevant information and ongoing support lasting months or more for a broad spectrum of situations that do not require therapy or counseling. Please log onto www.thepci.org to get the full picture of what PCI Certified Parent Coaching® is all about. Thank you.

Sharon

Outreach Coordinator at the Parent Coaching Institute

Good parents offer their best to their children.  They persistently seek wisdom for parenting, whether the insights come from friends, family members, books -- or a coach.  What dedicated parent has not been deeply puzzled from time to time in choosing the appropriate response to the toddler or adolescent they cherish?

The parents in this article are to be commended for their diligent care.

Glen

Indianapolis

'Of course, we cave in every time'

That quote pretty much summed up the whole article and need for a 'coach'. Can't wait to hear where the author is with her kid 12 years from now. lol.

The 'Cult of the Child' is out of control in this country. The nation's next generation to come of age will be full of narcissistic tyrants raised by spineless adults.  I am by no means a the perfect parent. My kids throw tantrums, sass back...all the things I thought when I was single my kids will never do. But I DON'T back down, there are consequences to be paid if you disobey.

I find myself jumping on the "negative comment" bandwagon after reading this article. I can't believe that one of your readers considers a bossy child to have a "disruptive disorder".  The children described in your article sounded perfectly normal to me.(soon to change due to the parents raising them)  These are hardly "problematic children".  What is appalling is the behavior of the parents. I can't believe any parent would think either of these situations warranted "calling in the experts"   Simple common sense was all that was needed. To recap; The "expert" advice regarding the bossy 5 year old who got mad at her playmates when they wouldn't follow her orders?  "no more play dates if she can't behave".   And the little girl who will only go to bed on her terms and threw tantrums?  .Set up bedtime rules and stick to them no matter what.  Wow!  I can't believe anyone would need to seek out "a coach" with either of these problems much less admit to having to pay paying for that advice.   These parents are weak! (and seemingly friendless since they have no one to ask for help who doesn't generate an invoice for said advice) The one parent freely confided not being able to muster the courage to even implement the sage and expensive advice received from Super Nanny.  Parents like these (and the articles that highlight them) are the ones who denigrate the parents of  children with serious behavior problems.  The parents in your article take trivial parenting dilemmas and turn them into unmanageable behavior issues that require "professional" intervention.  It's insulting to the parents of children who have truly challenging behavior issues to tackle. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. The stigma arises when "help" becomes a" four letter word" needlessly exploited. Apparently, though,  there is no stigma attached to being an ineffectual idiot who is bamboozled and manipulated by a two year old and needs to pay for advice that could be gleaned for free from just about anyone.   Children need guidance and rules, tempered with love. (That will be $75.00. You'll receive my bill in the mail.)

Joan

Your new coach Claire compliments your choice of healthy snacks for your child and that small amount of validation made your visit worthwhile? Seriously? Did your mom raise you well? Are you pleased with how you and your husband turned out? Are YOUR parents any sort of resource for you? It galls me to read about the professional outsourcing of parenting. Read some books, talk to some people woh seem to have their act together, and then try to set limits, stick to them and focus on teaching your kids how to live in their world. It IS hard to hold the line, but that is the job of the parent. It's the job of the child to push. Communicate! Find the words to be clear about your expectations, your limits, what power you will and won't allow, and the consequences -- all the while communicating that you love them and think this is the right way to do it. You can always change your mind -- but not th role in thier life. The trend of needing a 'coach' to replace therapy suggests a lack of common sense, a loss of back bone and focusing on how the parent feels rather than what is best for raising a child.  

I think it is appalling to see the negative comments and think of the stigma that has been placed on seeking help for managing a problematic child.  I think that the ignorance these comments show is all too common in the U.S. Behavioral parent training has actually been shown to be the most effective treatment for childhood disruptive disorders and it should be promoted and not denigrated.  The people making these comments have obviously not considered the fact that not all children are the same.  They may have had children that responded to the type of parenting they employed and yet other children would not have.  To suggest that parents who try to find help for their children are weak is wrong and in most cases the opposite is true.  I hope that the people that have bad comments about this never face a challenging situation where they do not know what to do because it sounds to me as if they may have some trouble asking someone else for help.

This article misses the mark in that it is promoting parenting coaches with certifications in parenting tips only.  This may help in moderate cases of child problematic behaviors but licensed psychologists should be consulted when children exhibit severe disruptive behavior.      

You've got to be kidding. Seeking professional advice for serious situations is commendable, but come on, paying someone to tell you how to put your two year old to bed because she's having a fit over who does the bedtime routine?! The first and only thing you should ask yourself in this situation is "Who's in control here?" The answer should be embarrassingly clear - in this scenerio, the 2 year old is in control. Now what happens when she has a fit about not wanting to sit in the car seat or giving up a pair of sharp scissors? Hopefully the parents can "muster the courage" to protect the child and say no. And hopefully they (the parents) will grow up and accept THEIR responsibility as parents to set guidelines to help the child know what is acceptable and what is not. Parents have a job to teach their kids. It's not always fun and it's definately not always easy. Stop looking for the easy way out. There is none. But it certainly is easier and happier in the end if the child knows what is expected of them. Two year olds turn into 15 year olds and then 22 year olds. You really don't know what to do? Set some guidelines, mean what you say, and be consistent!

Parents who need to be "coached" on issues of the will of a child shows that wanting their children to "like" them means more to these insecure adults than realizing that the job of parenting is to give children an appropriate sense of balance - to recognize that they may not be able to have life their way all the time and to help them understand when compromise is in order.

A parent who can't bring themselves to implement bedtime, eating, play rules and guidelines is raising a future troublemaker.  Kids need parents to be parents and to set and adhere to reasonable boundaries - tears and tantrums and all.