As an ICF certified coach and long-time educator with specialities in coaching youth resilience, academics and ADHD executive function coaching, I welcome you to the Cognitive Keys Coaching blog. This blog is for you – whether you’re a teenager struggling at college or university, or a parent or carer desperate to help; and whether or not you are neurodiverse (or think you may be). Teen and parent coaching both offer powerful solutions to teenage challenges and can unlock the happiness and success you desire for your child. As you consider if coaching would be a good fit for you and/or your teen, please use this blog as a reliable source of advice, ideas and actions that you can implement to help your teen begin to grow into the happy young person and successful student you know they have the potential to become.
For all students and young people
If you’re a teen, maybe you are reading this because you’ve been directed here by your parent or maybe as a young adult, you’re independently looking for help. Working as a teen and parent coach, I understand how being a student can be tough. Perhaps you’re struggling to manage your workload and are getting sanctions for missing submission dates. Maybe you are stressed out about your exam revision and whether you’ll get the grades you need. Or it could be you’re getting behind due to difficulties concentrating or perhaps you’re in trouble for skipping class!
Whatever the way your struggle is showing up for you, I get it and I want to help. I want you to know that some of these articles will be written just for students like you. The blog will have some some useful knowledge drops, tools and hacks to help you unlock your full potential. Because you have so much potential!! If the daily grind of education gets you down, know that it won’t last forever. Visualise your future goals. They are your ‘why’ to give you fuel to get through the hard times. Believe me, with my help through coaching or this blog, you can achieve these goals and be happy!
A note for students with neurodiversity such as ADHD
In my coaching, I work with students with ADHD and recognise the extra educational and life challenges this condition brings. I am passionate about supporting neurodivergent students just like you navigate a neurotypical world. As a mum to two teens with ADHD, I have seen first hand how ADHD difficulties can also impact your home life, and you as a person. But please don’t just see your ADHD as a challenge. It also brings gifts and strengths that make you the beautiful, unique person that you are! Beyond the structured demands of school and collage, using these strengths will become easier and will help you shine! And don’t give up! We can work together to build systems that can help you get back on track! Through this blog, you will also find resources specifically for students with ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions. Know that you are not alone!
For parents and carers
If you are reading this blog, you are probably a parent or carer of a teenager who is struggling with school, college or university. I know how worrying it is to see your child falling behind, especially as they approach important exams. Perhaps you are also concerned about increased detentions due to missing or late homework, or growing school behaviour sanctions. You’re anxious how this may impact your child’s future in school and beyond. It is also likely that your teen’s school struggle is showing up at home. As parents, we often bear the brunt of our child’s school stress but it’s not always easy to know how best to handle it. You want to help your child, and protect your relationship, but you’re not sure how. Teen and parent coaching can help!
Adolescent challenges
During the adolescent stage of development, teens naturally strive for independence. This can push a wedge between your precious (and previously close) parent-child relationship. And it can hurt! Remember those days when you could swoop up your child in your arms for a hug and make everything right? Now it can feel like you’re treading on eggshells unsure what to do for the best. Maybe you’ve tried to help your teen but, instead of thanks, you’ve been met with resistance and accusations of nagging! For teens with ADHD, their executive function skills will likely lag behind their peers by three years. This combination of adolescent changes alongside lagging emotional regulation skills, for example, can create even more explosive responses!
I know how hard it is to navigate this developmental stage alone. Friends and family can’t always relate to your experience (particularly if your children are neurodivergent) and it can be hard to listen to advice that you know won’t work for your teen. It can be a even more lonely place to be when their advice turns to judgment! While social media can connect you with like-minded parents, it can become overwhelming. Have you ever felt completely confused by the contradictory advice and sheer volume of different strategies to try? My mission is to ease the struggles for you and your teen, so you can get back to feeling like you are on the same team again, on the path to success!
How to connect with me
I hope that this blog will become your go-to source of reliable information and guidance, to empower you and your teen to take actionable steps towards your goals. I will also be sharing proven strategies to help you better understand your teen, re-shape your relationship with them and create a calmer, collaborative home life. The posts will be like regular little snippets of teen and parent coaching, just for you! If you’d like to receive them direct to your inbox, please join my email list here.
If you need additional support tailored to your teen’s needs, I’d love you to connect with me here. Alternatively, if you think you may be ready to explore the options of teen and parent coaching for your family, please arrange a free consultation so that we can discuss how coaching can help your teen get back on track.
