We chatted with Tanya Kalush, mum of four and parenting consultant, to get the lowdown on what the role is all about.
Ever heard of a parenting consultant? Neither had we. But the more we thought about it, the more it makes sense to have one. We go to school, study for a trade or a degree, and learn the ins and outs of all we need to know in our chosen career path. So why don’t we do the same for parenting, arguably one of the world’s most important jobs?
Meet Tanya Kalush, a mum of four who wants to share her knowledge and experience with other parents to help them navigate the tricky world of parenting gently and consciously. She practices what she preaches and can help with answering tricky parenting questions and resolving universal issues we have all faced at one time or another. But how did she get here? We have a chat with her to find out…
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today, Tanya! Can you share a bit about yourself and your family?
“My name is Tanya, married to Dror and a proud mother to Iddo, Danielle, Tom and Mika. More than a decade ago, while I was developing my career as an HR specialist in a number of leading start-ups in Israel, we got an unexpected offer from my husband’s High-Tech company to relocate to Sydney, Australia. Back then, it was just the two of us, as our kids had not been born yet. We gave it some thought and decided it could be an exciting experience.
Indeed, we had a great time in Australia, and among other things, we had our first three kids there! Six years later, we were ready for our next chapter in life and relocated to Singapore. A short time after settling in Singapore, we had our daughter Mika and became a really big and happy family with four kids and two dogs, making for a very loud and cheerful household.”
2. Can you share about your journey to becoming parents?
“When Dror and I got married, we decided to wait for a while before extending our family. We thought it would be nice to enjoy some more “freedom time” before we became a big family (we both knew we wanted many kids).
After two years, we felt we were ready. We were lucky to conceive quite fast and thought it was so easy! Nine weeks later, in my first scan, we found out there was no heartbeat. Our premature excitement quickly turned into sadness, as we both felt utterly devastated. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our last disappointment. A few months later, I became pregnant again, only to discover some time later that it was an ectopic pregnancy. The path to becoming parents was more difficult than we had expected.
My OB at the time gave me a great piece of advice, one that later on I would frequently use with the families I was working with. He said, ‘Tanya, all is good with both you and your husband. Try to relax, don’t force the process and just try to enjoy it.’ I know this advice doesn’t work for everyone, but in my case, he was right. We took a break, relocated to Australia, and within two years, a cute baby was added to the family, with three more since then!”
3. What inspired you to become a parenting consultant?
“As Dror’s “dependent” for visa purposes in Singapore, I re-calculated my journey and mission in life. It was clear to me that I would not be willing to give up quality time with my children, as I was determined to be present in their daily lives and experiences, especially during the critical years of infancy.
However, I was determined to develop myself professionally and, above all else, share the set of skills I had accumulated over the years. A combination of self-satisfaction, accomplishment and a prosperous career path. The idea of parental consulting developed in my mind, with a special emphasis on the challenging struggle of raising and educating children, which is part of my daily life!
During a visit to New York City, I happened to be exposed to the parenting methodology of the Adler approach. After careful research, I realised this was the right path for me. Today, after many holding meetings and conducting workshops, and giving a lot of assistance to worried parents, I can look back with satisfaction and determine that this was the right decision for my career.”
4. What does a parenting consultant actually do, and how is it useful for a family?
“In today’s world, we have the means and access to get education and support to deal with any challenge or mission we may face. We study for years to obtain an academic degree and invest endless days and hours to receive professional training, but I found out that for parenting, which is one of the most challenging, complex and important tasks in our lives, there’s very little awareness and effective practical support to help families to deal with challenges that are common to us all!
I’ve learnt that by getting the right “toolbox” and through analysis of complex and frustrating situations – families can no doubt improve significantly their quality of life and give their children a solid and calm foundation for success in life. A family consultant addresses behaviour and emotional issues causing family problems and helps family members to improve communication and resolve conflicts.”
Tanya shared some insights with us on commonly asked parenting questions, stay tuned to hear her answers!
Want to find out more? You can reach out to Tanya via her website.
