Understanding Your Child's Behavior: Why Parent Coaching Can Make All the Difference

Parenting today comes with a level of complexity that previous generations didn't face. Between academic pressures, screen time, changing family structures, and a growing awareness of neurodiversity, many families find themselves unsure of how to best support their children. When challenges arise, it's common for parents to feel overwhelmed — but navigating those challenges doesn't have to be something you do alone.

Parent coaching offers a structured, compassionate, and research-informed way to help families move forward with confidence. With over 20 years of experience as a school and clinical psychologist, Dr. Aenne Grannis supports families who are working through behavioral, developmental, and educational concerns. Her approach blends clinical insight with a warm, practical perspective shaped by both professional work and lived experience.

Why Behavior Is Communication

Children rarely misbehave "just to misbehave." Whether it's resistance at homework time, trouble following directions, or heightened emotions at home or school, behavior is almost always a form of communication. A child might be signaling difficulty with transitions, overwhelm, sensory needs, academic frustration, anxiety or uncertainty, or a mismatch between expectations and skills.

Parent coaching helps families interpret these signals and respond in ways that foster skill-building rather than conflict.

When to Consider Parent Coaching

Families often seek support when they notice frequent morning or bedtime battles, challenges managing screen time or routines, behavioral concerns at school, conflict between siblings, emotional outbursts that seem bigger than a child's age, difficulty navigating parenting differences between adults, or questions about learning challenges, giftedness, ADHD, or autism spectrum concerns.

Parent coaching provides concrete strategies that help children feel supported while giving parents the clarity and confidence they need.

A Clinical Perspective Grounded in Real Life

Many parent coaches offer advice, but not all combine guidance with deep clinical training. Dr. Aenne brings expertise in psycho-educational evaluations, a strong understanding of child and adolescent development, experience with specialized services — OT, speech, PT, feeding specialists, and more — knowledge of school systems across public, private, and homeschooling environments, and a lived perspective from raising four children in a binational, adoptive and biological family.

This combination allows her to connect with families in a grounded, authentic way.

Supporting Families with Neurodiversity

For children with ADHD, autism spectrum needs, giftedness, or learning differences, parenting can feel particularly complicated. Parents often wonder whether they're "doing it right," or how to balance support with independence.

Parent coaching can help families understand assessments and diagnoses, build routines that work with a child's strengths, navigate IEPs and 504 Plans, choose the right learning environment, and connect with local professionals and referral networks.

Dr. Aenne has spent two decades collaborating with therapists, developmental pediatricians, and school teams — giving families the tools they need to advocate effectively.

Why Supporting Parents Changes Outcomes

One of the core beliefs behind Dr. Aenne's work is that the most meaningful change happens when parents feel empowered. Children live within the family system; when caregivers gain clarity, skills, and consistency, children thrive.

Parent coaching gives families a clear roadmap, tools that work in everyday real-world situations, better communication among family members, and strategies that reduce conflict and build connection. It isn't about perfection — it's about progress, understanding, and strengthening the foundation of the home.

Taking the First Step

Whether you're struggling with a specific challenge or simply want to build stronger routines and relationships, parent coaching can be a powerful investment in your family's well-being. With a combination of clinical expertise and personal perspective, Dr. Aenne offers guidance that is both practical and deeply supportive.

You don't need to face these challenges alone. With the right tools and insight, families can move forward with confidence — together.