Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaret Webb.
Hi Margaret, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I began my parenting journey in 2003 feeling confident since I was a teacher and my husband was a neurosurgeon. This confidence lasted until things weren’t going as expected with my son’s development. He didn’t speak consonants until he was 6 or 7 and was diagnosed with autism, ADHD, apraxia of speech, and anxiety. This rocked my world and I realized that after trying very hard to get him caught up with his chronological peers that it was best to meet him where he was developmentally. I also became aware of the importance of me taking care of myself and my thoughts about what I had expected parenting to be like. He is now 19 and is happy, confident and super social. I have become a master certified life and parenting coach and have been coaching parents for the past 12 years, incorporating all that I have learned as a teacher and coach but also as a mom to my son. My clients love that I am on this journey just like they are and can share what I have learned by being curious and open to other ways of parenting, ways that don’t include succumbing to judgement and shame. Life is too short to live in a place of fear around what others think. I feel I have grown as much as my son these past 19 years and love helping others to find their way while on their own journey in parenting.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not a smooth road! I struggled with finding my voice as the team leader for my son which meant not handing power over to the “experts.” I could listen to their wisdom and advice but learned that they don’t always know best. I struggled with parenting in a way that was different from how I was parented and for that, I am grateful. I was a people pleaser and my son is not. I had to learn how to not take things personally and also to be clear about my intentions for even the smallest of things so that I could give attention to them that would actually work. I had to learn to be more curious and not care what others thought about my child or my parenting…including family members. I had to look at education for my son in a very different way since traditional schooling and even schools for special needs populations weren’t a good fit for him given the difference between his developmental and chronological ages.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Margaret Webb Life Coaching?
I began my coaching business in 2010 and specialize in coaching parents that have children with special needs, who are on their own developmental timeline or who simply march to the beat of their own drum. These children are autistic, dyslexic, have ADD, ADHD, SPD, PDA, executive functioning challenges, etc. What sets me apart from others is that I am on this parenting journey as well so I fully understand what it is like to feel pressure, judgment, uncertainty, frustration at the levels that parenting neuro-diverse children bring.
I am most proud of the course that I created years ago, “Parenting the Child You Didn’t Expect While You Were Expecting” and the book I’ve written, “Hero’s Journey in Parenting: Parenting the Child You Didn’t Expect While You Were Expecting.”
For my clients around the world, I offer 1:1 coaching as well as tele-classes and on-demand courses. I also speak and lead parenting workshops for organizations, schools and therapy clinics. www.margaretwebblifecoach.com
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My advice would be to find someone who values what you value. I value connection and by sharing what is real. Early on I realized that if I wanted to coach parents, I had to coach parents. This meant ignoring advice from others to raise my rates in order to acknowledge the value that I bring to people. Doing this has created a full schedule of coaching clients and also has connected me with podcasters who have interviewed me over the years, specifically TiLT Parenting hosted by Deborah Reber. I am now one of the parenting coaches for her Differently Wired Club that is known worldwide and it is so fun to connect with and support these parents. I also treat free sessions as though they are no different from paid coaching sessions and have gotten a lot of clients that way. No sales pitches, just lots of value from a place of truly wanting to help others who are struggling in a vulnerable arena. After 50 minutes of support and ideas to try, they frequently ask me how they can sign up for more.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.margaretwebblifecoach.com
- Instagram: margaretwebbparentcoach
- Facebook: Margaret Webb Life Coaching
Image Credits
Kim Miller Bonten and Ramblin’ Rose Photography (First group photo only)
