"The Parent Coach Plan is a creative new way for parents, foster parents, and caregivers to provide their children with the structure, consistency, and predictability that are essential to maintaining effective discipline."
Q: What age group is The Parent Coach Plan appropriate for?
A: The Parent Coach Plan is appropriate for children that are four years-old and older. The earlier you develop consistent and structured discipline, the more success you are likely to have.
Q: It looks like you have four different products available. How do I know which one will work best for my child?
A: There really is no way to tell which product will work best for your child. The good news is that anyone who purchases The Parent Coach Plan will also receive the Behavior Contracts, Behavior Charts, and Behavior Bucks for free. This means that you will have all four products at your disposal and can decide after reviewing them which will work best for your child.
Q: I am having a difficult time downloading the Behavior Contracts and Behavior Charts. What should I do?
A: If you are having problems downloading the Behavior Contracts or Behavior Charts then you can contact us and we will send them to you in another format (usually within 24 hours, often sooner).
Q: The Parent Coach Plan seems like a great resource for foster parents. Have you ever thought about using it as a training program for foster parents?
A: There's no doubt that The Parent Coach Plan will benefit foster parents. Many of the children that I used to work with were foster children and I spoke with many foster parents who were looking for this very type of program. The Parent Coach Plan is also a great alternative to parenting classes and an effective follow-up to residential treatment. Family support workers may also find the program useful.
Q: Is this program designed exclusively for "difficult" children? My child is not much of a discipline problem, but we've noticed that if we give him an inch, he'll take a mile.
A: The main focus of this program is to help parents provide a highly-structured, consistent, and predictable environment for their children. Any child can benefit from that type of an environment, "difficult" or not.
Q: You mention on your website that the program is modeled after the programs used in treatment facilities around the world. Can you explain this?
A: I created this program after years of working in a psychiatric facility for children and adolescents. I took the discipline model that we used at the facility and modified it for home use (as opposed to institutional use). I then added a wealth of information, advice, and tools that can be used to develop and improve parenting skills.
Q: I think this is an interesting concept. I was wondering if you have a version that could be used in an educational setting (day care, school, etc.)?
A: Yes. Go to the "Free Tools for Teachers" link (in the menu on the left). We have a "Classroom Management Plan" that teachers can use with their students. We also offer a "Student Contract" and many other tools for teachers.
Q: Are there any "rewards" or "consequences" that I should avoid using?
A: Yes. Avoid using rewards that are nothing more than "bribes." You should never have to reward your child for behavior that is expected. As far as consequences, avoid those that are harmful or shameful to your child. You should also avoid giving consequences that are "non-consequences." For example, if your child is sent to her room as a consequence and she has a phone, TV, video game system, and fun toys in there, then that isn't much of a consequence.
Q: Is there a discount for buying large quantities?
A: Yes, there is. You can contact us through the website and let us know how many you are interested in purchasing. There has been some interest from day care providers who would like to make them available to the families that they care for. Others have talked about having "Parent Coach Plan gatherings" in which several parents would get together to review and implement the program (sort of like a support group). We think both of these ideas are wonderful!
Purchase The Parent Coach Plan and download the Behavior Contracts, Behavior Charts, and Behavior Bucks for FREE!
