Work With Us
Real Parenting Circles
Our Real Parenting Circles create and hold the space for people to gather with a group of (2-10) friends, family, peers, caretakers, and partners in parenting in an intimate space with the goal of getting customized group support, guidance and strategies on specific challenges, needs, topics and questions.
Between the two of us, we have a wide range of experience as educators, coaches, and parents. From toddlers to teenagers, tantrums to trauma, anger to apathy, siblings to singletons, power struggles to pandemic parenting, we've got you covered. We hope you and your people will join us for these special custom gatherings. We are all in this together!
4 Steps to Booking Your Own 90 Minute Real Parenting Circle:
Step 1
Contact us to set up a time.
Step 2
Gather a group of 2 to 10 of your friends (this could also include partners, caregivers, grandparents, etc.).
Step 3
Send us your circle "roster", and we will gather questions and topics from the group ahead of your session.
Step 4
We create a custom 90-minute group session designed around and tailored to the needs and interests of your circle.
As seasoned educators, coaches, and parents, we field questions, lead the discussion, and share concrete tools and actionable guidance as we hold the space for you and your people to land, reflect, vent, breathe, connect, and learn.
Rates
8-10 participants
$50/person
5-7 participants
$75/person
2-4 participants
$100/person
What People Are Saying
“Adopting a tool kit that is universally applicable regardless of the specific values of each participant wants to parent to has fundamentally changed the way I interact with my children.”
—Workshop Participant
“The journey Darcy and Abby took me on has led as much to introspection as it has allowed me to become a better parent.”
—Dan, Parent of a 9 Month Old and 2 1/2 Year Old
“Darcy and Abby work with you to develop concrete strategies for ensuring that your interactions with your little person actually reflect your values and goals—focusing especially on those challenging moments when we so often feel we are ‘failing’ as parents.”
—Workshop Participant
About Our Work
Our work helps you to get clear about what matters to you, what you want, who your child is, and what they need and to clear out the noise (fear, fantasy) that scrambles the message for your child. This process will enable you to:
Show up.
Honestly and authentically. Feel clear, aligned, respectful and resonant. For yourself and for your child.
Find your anchor.
Your superpower, your kryptonite in the face of POTS (points of tension): toddler tantrums, playground squabbles, sibling spats, power struggles, unsolicited advice, holidays with the in-laws, judgement, inner critics, self-abandonment.
Be their mirror.
You are your child’s first mirror. Reflected in your eyes, your words, and your actions is how they see themselves, the world, and their place in it.
It’s not easy, but it is simple.
Goals of Our Work Together
Before
You find yourself stuck, trapped, helpless, frustrated and unable to find the right words or responses in challenging parenting moments.
Fears (and fantasies/illusions) about who your child is or is becoming, about what kind of parent you are or appear to be, and about what the pain in the moment itself means for the bigger picture leave you hurtling towards a version of a parent you didn’t set out to be.
You are overwhelmed by the messages, judgment, pressure, and even well-meaning guidance that you take in as a parent.
You crave a simple, clear and practical approach, aligned with you are and who your child is, that is actionable in moments big and small, challenging and easy.
When you hit those points of tension, you feel small and alone. In truth, your experience is universal.
After
Remove fear and fantasy from your parenting and instead raise children with respect and dignity.
Get clear about what actually matters to you so you can show up reliably and consistently for your children.
Gain the tools to do your own personal communication audit so that you can make your values visible in your interactions, choices, and environment.
Find perspective, reframe challenging situations, calibrate your expectations (of your child and yourself), and understand and manage your triggers.
You are able to respond instead of react, have increased self-compassion, and are armed with practical and reliable resources for daily life as a parent.
FAQs
For whom are the Real Parenting Circles designed?
Our current circles are designed for and tailored to parents of children from infancy through elementary ages (0-10yrs). We are open to developing customized sessions for parents of middle and high school aged students as well.
I’m not sure what to talk about. Can you give me some more examples?
We cover a lot of ground in the 90min we are together. We’re ready and excited to tackle the big questions—school this year, aversion to at home/distance learning, social emotional development, kid coronavirus fears, to name a few. Other examples could be how to handle tantrums, meltdowns, siblings strife, routines, boundaries and sleep struggles. It has been incredibly powerful to create and hold the space for parents in this way during this time.
What is your training?
We bring a combined 50+ years as educators, 40+ years as coaches, and 30+ years as parents to our partnership. As educators, our areas and ages of expertise run the gamut from infant through college aged children. Using our multifaceted backgrounds and areas of expertise, we guide and support parents both in their roles as parents as well as in other facets of their lives.
Are you parents yourselves?
We are. Darcy to a 28 year old daughter and Abby to a 6 year old son.
What ages do you have experience teaching?
All of them! Darcy has experience teaching early childhood, early elementary, and college aged students. Abby has experience teaching older elementary, middle school and high school students.
What type of clients come to you for coaching?
Parents, couples, families, teenagers, individual mothers and fathers, teachers and leaders in the field of ECE.
Where else can I find you or see your work?
Cow Hollow School, Collaboratory, Abby Sommerfeld Coaching, Entrepreneurial Mothers Circle, MOTHER Mag, Mom Rage Episode 73.