5 Family Issues Parent Mentors Can Help With

Parent mentor programs, such as the one through Bridge The Gap, were created to provide families with individualized guidance, support and education. Some families are at a higher risk for abuse or neglect and need the appropriate direction to make positive changes for themselves and their children. 

Reaching out for help is NOT a sign of weakness - it’s a sign of strength. It means you recognize that your family can benefit from extra support until you are back on your feet. Even families that were once vibrant can run into problems that negatively impact the unit such as death or addiction. 

Bridge The Gap is here to support parents and guardians. There is never any judgement - we want to make your family stronger, healthier and more resilient. Below are five family issues that our parent mentors can help with. 

1. Essential Parenting Skills 

Most parents aim to be the best they can be, but circumstances like money, illness and divorce can get in the way. Some parents also struggle to be effective role models - maybe they were a teenage parent or suffered childhood abuse or neglect. 

If you feel that you lack essential parenting skills, a parent coach can help you develop them. Having this roadmap is extremely important because you’ll know where to direct your attention. Here are some of the parenting skills our mentors focus on: 

• Love and affection 

• Autonomy and independence

• Education and learning

• Life skills

• Health and safety 

• Behavior management 

• Stress management 

• Relationship skills 

2. Parental Supervision 

Parental supervision is a parenting technique that involves looking after a child and monitoring their activities. When children are young, this supervision keeps them safe and ensures their basic needs are met. As they get older, proper supervision encourages kids to make smart choices and stay out of trouble. 

Our parent coaches feel that all parents should monitor the following: 

• Social life

• Friendships 

• Education 

• Emotional health

• Physical health 

• Use of media and technology 

3. Addiction and Mental Health 

If someone in the family is struggling with substance abuse, it can cause a great deal of disruption to the family unit. In order to break this cycle, it must be dealt with in this generation. Otherwise, addiction can be passed down to future generations. 

Children with parents who abuse drugs or alcohol tend to:

• Have household responsibilities beyond their maturity level

• Develop a parent-like relationship with their younger siblings

• Withdraw from friends at school due to embarrassment

• Struggle with physical ailments like stomachaches and headaches

• Live in fear of being taken away and placed in foster care

Enlisting help from a parent coach is one of the most constructive ways to break damaging behavior problems and create sustainable change for your family. 

4. Non-Physical Forms of Discipline 

Some parents lean toward physical forms of discipline. However, more recent studies reveal lasting harms for children who are physically disciplined such as increased aggression, antisocial behavior and mental health problems. 

If you were spanked as a child, physical punishments might seem like the easy answer. But there are much more effective ways to discipline your child. A parent coach will work with you to practice other forms of discipline such as: 

• Losing privileges 

• Teaching new skills

• Allowing for natural consequences 

• Praising good behavior

• Assigning extra responsibilities 

5. Setting Healthy Boundaries 

Boundaries aren’t just important for parents - they’re important for kids too. Having boundaries helps young people develop self-control and reminds them that they are loved and cared for. However, many families struggle to enforce good boundaries. Their boundaries may be too strict, too weak or not followed through with.

A parent coach will work with you to create healthy boundaries for your family, along with the consequences that will occur if they’re not respected. Teens are especially difficult because they are fighting for independence, but there are ways to respect each other and find a middle ground. 

Bridge The Gap’s Parent Mentors Can Strengthen Your Family 

Bridge The Gap offers a Parent Mentoring Program that is committed to strengthening the family system. All family members can get the necessary support and education they need to make changes in their lives and be productive members of society. This program includes daily check-ins by phone, weekly family therapy sessions and weekly support groups.

To learn more about our Parent Mentoring Program, contact Bridge The Gap today.