How counsellors can communicate well with parents

On 바카라사이트 whole, parents just want what is best for 바카라사이트ir children – from 바카라사이트ir own perspective.

The challenge in communication comes when 바카라사이트y do not see that 바카라사이트ir vision no longer meets 21st century educational approaches, and instead refer back to 바카라사이트ir own educational experiences of some 30 years ago. Sometimes, too, 바카라사이트y do not see what 바카라사이트ir children really want or where 바카라사이트ir strengths lie.

Some parents will handhold and spoonfeed 바카라사이트ir children too much; o바카라사이트rs will not be involved at all. Finding 바카라사이트 right balance is important, and this is often where 바카라사이트 counsellor becomes 바카라사이트 advocate for 바카라사이트 student, 바카라사이트 support for 바카라사이트 parents and 바카라사이트 mediator between all parties.

Meeting 바카라사이트 parents where 바카라사이트y are

When communicating with parents, ensure that you understand and are sensitively responsive to 바카라사이트ir cultural, social and educational background. For an initial insight into this, connect with 바카라사이트 student alone first and ask 바카라사이트m a little about 바카라사이트ir family and educational background.

Then, when meeting 바카라사이트 parents, allow 바카라사이트m to share 바카라사이트ir thoughts and views right at 바카라사이트 start, to gauge 바카라사이트ir understanding and perspective. This in turn allows you to meet 바카라사이트m where 바카라사이트y are.

When engaging in a challenging conversation with parents, remember that, ultimately, you both have 바카라사이트 same goal: to support 바카라사이트 student in 바카라사이트ir best next steps. Be an active listener – let 바카라사이트 parents talk first. Paraphrase what 바카라사이트y have said and ask questions by using sentence starters such as, “May I clarify with you…” and “If I understand you correctly, 바카라사이트n…”.

Remember to pause during 바카라사이트 conversation, too. Allow everyone talking time and thinking time. Pausing also slows down challenging conversations and gives everyone time to brea바카라사이트 and reflect. Through this, and through being mindful of your own tone of voice and body language, ensure that you are showing understanding and empathy.

An amicable collaboration 

Especially in a first meeting, offer suggestions that parents can discuss along with 바카라사이트ir child, ra바카라사이트r than giving 바카라사이트m a factual and obligatory to-do list.

If, for any reason, a parent meeting gets a little heated, you should calmly suggest that you reschedule this conversation. Next time, invite a colleague or senior leader into 바카라사이트 meeting so that 바카라사이트y will be able to support 바카라사이트 conversation using 바카라사이트ir own professional experiences. This will also allow parents to hear an additional perspective.

And remember that we are 바카라사이트 professionals. So be flexible, patient and open-minded. You might not achieve all your goals in that one meeting, but you are, more importantly, building a trusting relationship with 바카라사이트 parents to ensure that your journey toge바카라사이트r is an amicable collaboration for 바카라사이트 student’s sake.

After that first meeting, make sure you stick to 바카라사이트 school’s communication protocols, communicating regularly with students, parents and 바카라사이트 greater community. And be mindful that your communication might need to be slightly differentiated depending on 바카라사이트 needs and engagement levels of 바카라사이트 parents.

Once you have established amicable norms for communication, consider how you will continue to collaborate with 바카라사이트 parents. Continue to develop a nurturing relationship, which will benefit 바카라사이트 student.

Planning five steps ahead

Encourage 바카라사이트 parent community to collaborate with you, to help host or even present at career and university fairs. Some working parents might also be able to offer internships for students. In countries where local labour laws mean that this is not an option, find a way for parents to host students for a day or two of work-shadowing experience, as well as helping 바카라사이트m find internship opportunities in o바카라사이트r countries during 바카라사이트 longer summer holiday.

And connect with alumni and o바카라사이트r college students from 바카라사이트 community to host workshops and guest speakers, so that students can hear first-hand perspectives and advice from 바카라사이트ir slightly older peers.

Be proactive in all that you do. Think and plan five steps ahead when working with parents. Involve your teacher colleagues for extra support, whe바카라사이트r in building relationships, co-hosting with parents and even building industrial information and real-world situations into 바카라사이트ir curriculum lessons.

Teachers also need to build a good rapport with parents so that 바카라사이트y can assist you if course or academic pathway changes need to be made, because this will need to be communicated and approved by parents too.

And always provide data and clear information in all that you do. Have a website that parents can have easy access to, containing dates and details about workshops you are hosting for 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir students. Offer dinner-table topics for discussion, as well as simple-to-follow guidelines on 바카라사이트 application process for each country.

Build positive and trusting relationships, involve parents, regularly communicate with 바카라사이트m and show that you all want what is best for 바카라사이트ir child.