We had the good fortune of connecting with Kim Muench and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kim, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
As a Jai Institute for Parenting Certified Coach who works specifically with women parenting adolescents (those ages 10-25), my business, Real Life Parent Guide, helps the community by empowering mothers to become aware of and shift their limiting beliefs, hone their intuition, and gain the confidence needed to help their children grow into their highest potential. The impact is first seen in the family unit, which is then brought into the school and work environment (via the children and the mother who is doing the work), then into the larger local community and, family by family will ripple out into the world. Our kid’s behaviors (the increase in anxiety, depression, suicide, failure to launch) are calling us to evolve the way we parent from one of over children to WITH children. Often kids whose emotional well-being is suffering have a parent whose emotional well-being is also compromised. When the parent works on their mental and emotional health they are more attuned to, and better equipped to, support their children. The healing work and teaching I do with mothers are shifting generational patterns.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Some of my greatest personal qualities that I bring to the work I do with moms include: listening to understand, practicing nonjudgment, helping identify limiting beliefs and shifting them to ones that serve the parent/child relationship in a more positive way, educating moms about the teen brain and behavior. The field of parent coaching is relatively new so one of the challenges I have is raising awareness this help is available to parents and building the value of working with someone to change patterns and negative behaviors so everyone in the family can benefit and grow. It hasn’t been easy yet I am passionate about serving families and being a conduit for change in the way we raise the next generation. With five kids of my own (now ages 15-33) I have experienced many challenges along the way (including my own teen pregnancy and my eldest son’s addiction to alcohol in his early 20s), I continue to learn as I coach and grow in the relationships I have with my now (mainly) adult children as they pursue their unique paths. I have overcome the challenges by continuing to work on my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. I believe our children come through us, not for us, except for the lessons they reflect to us (during their journey) in an effort to grow us up along the way.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, my mom has always been my greatest source of compassion and nonjudgment, support, and guidance. I also attribute each of the five children who have come into the world through me as my greatest teachers of faith, calm, courage, patience, and grace. In recent years, the work of psychologists Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Dr. Dan Siegel, Dr. Brene Brown, and spiritual guide Neale Donald Walsch has been instrumental to my journey. Aside from the Conversations with God series and many books by Dr. Brene Brown, I recently read Bronnie Ware’s book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying which made a significant impact on my personal decision to jump full-time into coaching women.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would definitely visit the Arboretum in Dallas, no matter what the season it’s a vibrant and natural setting to enjoy for any age! We’d enjoy Clyde Warren Park as well. I love the Legacy Shops in Plano so we’d spend a day tooling around there. The Fort Worth Zoo and the U.S. Bureau of Engraving are also must-sees while in the DFW area. Not to mention Sundance Square and taking in a Texas Rodeo!

Website: https://realifeparentguide.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-muench-68a29687/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimmuench.realifeparentguide

Image Credits
Mia Muench (my daughter)

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