Episode 41: Making your step- genie feel and be part of the family with Ayanda

In this episode, we speak to Ayanda Tetyana, a parent and "parent coach" who has a Diploma in Education and is currently pursuing her qualification in Psychology. Her passion for Psychology helps her understand what parents and individuals, in general, are going through as parents.  Ayanda was a young mom and knows the struggles of raising children with limited resources.  She runs various programmes and workshops and the majority of the parents she deals with are parents currently going through separation- trying to parent through divorce and separation.  One of the workshops she runs is called the ‘Superhero Fathers’ workshop, which aims to encourage fathers to be aware of their massive role in parenting. She further describes the science of a child being raised by both parents and how that affects the child’s schooling, life and the overall function of a father in a child’s life.  Ayanda also describes that parenting is about raising someone who will go out into this world, so being conscious of the “transitional roles” you play as a parent. As a coach of blended families, she says that it is important to build a relationship with the step-genie, by showing them that you love and respect them - even before you can even start disciplining them. It is better to allow the biological parent to discipline them while you’re building a relationship with them.  Raising step-genies requires us to be aware of our intentions and always ensure that our intentions toward the child are good, while not trying too hard- just being yourself- using your strengths to ‘parent’ them. This episode is like a good album, no skipping any tracks, just full of gems so grab your favourite warm drink and listen to this episode with your notepad in hand.   Notable quote in this episode: “Once you start raising your child with their future and adult version  in mind, you are going to become a more conscious parent.”   Connect with Ayanda: Email: [email protected]