“Even the best parents can use help from time to time…Anna gave us easy to apply techniques that showed results instantly. We can now approach the day with much more ease, knowing how to tackle problems before they occur.”
-Erin*
What makes Behave Your Best Different?
- Training. Our coaches did the bulk of their education in behavioral psychology, and are either board certified or have a PhD level of education.
- Research-Backed Methods. These aren’t just pop-parenting methods or the latest tips from the web…we teach you solutions backed by solid research.
- Individualized. Each child is unique and each family has different goals and cultures, so we work with your family dynamic and avoid cookie-cutter approaches.
- Ongoing Support. Text messages, emails, phone calls…we don’t leave you hanging in between sessions!
- Speed. Because our solutions are backed by research we don’t waste precious time with hit-or-miss methods. That means we get you in and out quickly, ultimately saving time and money.
- Experience. We’ve already helped well over 400 families in the Twin Cities area alone…and we use these same solutions with our own kids.
What is a Parent Coach?
- A parent coach is someone who helps you gain the skills you need to parent more effectively.
- A parent coach can be the bridge to a better relationship with your child, through healthy parenting skills.
- A parent coach works with you to develop parenting plans that address unwanted behaviors and then comes alongside you to support you as you put those plans into action.
- Parent coaches come with a wide variety of training and levels of certification. We believe our team offers some of the most well-trained, highly experienced coaches out there.
- Unlike a traditional parent coach, our child behavior experts coach you from a very specific training background in behavior analysis that focuses on the building of your child’s skill and your ability to guide this skill building.
When is it Time to Find a Parent Coach?
If you’re noticing any of the following, it’s probably time.
- You keep addressing the same behaviors over and over.
- You’ve resorted to bribes, threats, or manipulation to get your child to behave.
- You’re “just trying to ride it out” until your kids get older and more logical. (Spoiler alert: this just creates bigger problems for the school age and teen years.)
- Your home feels out of control.
- You’re tired of (or don’t have time for) reading all of the conflicting parenting books and websites and are ready for research-backed solutions.
- You want to feel like you and your spouse or co-parent are on the same team, working out of the same playbook.
- You feel overwhelmed.
- You’re ready to enjoy the days with your child again, and you’re ready to put in the front-end work to make that happen.
Why Choose Parent Coaching?
- A greater level of peace in your home is possible
- Parenting doesn’t have to be a game of navigational guesswork
- You can gain the skills to address unwanted behaviors before they start
- You can drop parenting methods that don’t work for ones that do
- More effective parenting means less time managing behaviors and more time enjoying your child
What Types of Issues Do You Address?
Some concerns we can help you gain skills to tackle include (but are not limited to):
- Temper tantrums
- Pretending not to hear you
- Whining
- Aggressive behavior
- Picky eating/under eating
- Preparedness for a new sibling
- Sibling fighting
- Hitting
- Pushing boundaries
- Transitions
- Potty training
- Sleep and bedtime struggles
- Drama when leaving a preferred place or activity
- Power struggles
- Biting
- The “strong willed” child
- Not listening
- Interrupting
- Head Banging
- Defiant behavior
Throwing food, toys or other objects
“Our busy son would not eat much and therefore had concerning weight issues…After only two sessions our son showed marked improvement and weight gain at this next well child check up.”
– Autumn
How Do I Know That My Child Won’t Just Outgrow These Behaviors?
Generally, your child engages in unwanted behaviors because they are benefiting them in some way. While it’s true that sometimes a child will “outgrow” a certain frustrating behaviors—like hitting—they will usually replace it with another unwanted behavior if the root issue hasn’t been addressed.
This is where our depth of training as behavior analysts comes in. We can help determine how the unwanted behavior is serving the child, and how to help you develop the parenting skills to teach your child more appropriate ways to express their feelings and needs.
From here, you’ll be able to recognize the root issues in many similar behaviors that come up and you’ll have the skills to address those new behaviors as well.
What If My Child’s Behaviors Began As The Result Of A Medical Condition?
Sometimes behaviors that begin this way get “stuck” for kids, even outlasting the original trigger for the behavior. We can work with you on gentle, effective ways to address these concerns.
Does Your Method Mesh With Various Non-Traditional Parenting Styles?
Attachment Parenting, French Parenting, Baby-Wise, Calm Parenting, Peaceful Parenting, Respectful Parenting…whew! So many parenting styles are out there today!
We work hard to create individualized plans that fit with each family’s culture and needs. On the spectrum (think Attachment Parenting at one end and Baby-Wise Parenting at the other) our methods lean a little bit towards the attachment side, but because they are evidence-based (backed by research) families across the spectrum find ways to implement them successfully and without compromising their values.
Do You Take Insurance?
In order to limit costs, insurance companies require us to remove services that are vital to the success of the program. Because of this, we do not work with insurance companies.
In some cases, however, families are able to seek reimbursement from FSA or HSA funds for our services.
How Is Payment Handled?
Prepayment is required to reserve your preferred appointment times. We use PayPal to send you an invoice, and then you can use PayPal or a credit or debit card for payment.
How Much Support Will I Need?
The level of support and number of sessions varies depending on several factors including, but not limited to:
- The behavior(s) of concern
- Coach, parent, and child schedules and learning styles
- Frequency/intensity of behavior
- The length of time your child has been practicing the unwanted behavior; the longer the behavior has worked for your child, the longer it will take to resolve
- The extent to which the behavior serves multiple functions for the child; a given behavior may work to get attention from others and may work to effectively escape or avoid non-preferred situations/activities
- Parent ability to implement recommendations – each person has a unique learning style and response to training
We want to see you succeed, so we will work to empower you with the skills you need in the fewest number of sessions necessary. We cannot, however, guarantee or promise the success of our program in any number of sessions or a specific time frame.
What Are The Long-Term Benefits Of This Style Of Parent Coaching?
The ability to prevent future unwanted behaviors before they start
A child who develops healthy habits that will follow them into the future, like the ability to tolerate denials, handle transitions, and delay gratification
Greater connection between you and your child due to a decrease in unhelpful parenting methods
In addition to helping you build parenting skills, our team can answer questions you may have such as:
- Is this normal toddler behavior?
- Why won’t my child listen to me?
- Are my toddler’s temper tantrums signs of bigger problems?
- Why isn’t discipline working?
- Should I be negotiating with my toddler?
- Why aren’t time outs working?
- How do I get my kid on a sleep schedule that actually works?
- Is there any thing I can do about my picky eater?
- Is my child ready for potty training?
- How can I help my children prepare for the new baby on the way?
“We worked hard in between sessions and saw much improvement with our daughter’s behavior (tantrums, delaying, not listening) quickly. I have recommended BYB to countless people already and will continue to do so. It is 100% worth the investment!“
-Jill*
*Per the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts we cannot solicit testimonies from current clients. You can read more about our practices and policies related to testimonials here.