Parentotheca’s Newsletter
Learn. Parent. Grow.
Issue #1 – May 2025
👋 Welcome to Parentotheca’s Newsletter
Hello friends,
After a huge break, Parentotheca’s Newsletter is back!
And it’s back with a brand new website and with my 1:1 parent coaching practice (check out your exclusive offer below).
Parentotheca.com is a place where we explore how to be better parents, better partners, and better people one book, one idea, and one conversation at a time.
This newsletter is your monthly space to pause, reflect, and grow — not just as a parent, but as a person.
This month’s newsletter is dedicated to one of the core parenting skills – leadership. If it resonated with you or sparked some insights, I’d be happy to hear from you!
Let’s dive in.
🔍 Monthly Insight: Are You Leading, or Just Managing?
This month I was absolutely drowning in the sea of my work and life tasks, clenching to my family management systems as for a life ring. Managing the schedule of 3 kids with tens of different clubs and playdates, 3 businesses and all the house management felt quite overwhelming. But it made me think that how often behind all this management we forget that our main job as parents is actually to LEAD, not only to manage.
Parenting isn’t just about rules, schedules, and responsibilities.
It’s about leadership.
Your children don’t need a project manager. They need a role model — someone who shows them how to handle life’s mess with grit, honesty, and heart.
Ask yourself: How can I lead my family better this month?
📚 From the Library: Leadership Requires Courage (from Dare to Lead by Brené Brown)
Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead isn’t a parenting book. But here’s the truth:
Every child needs a parent who is a strong leader.
Because, as Brené writes, a leader is “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.”
At the core of parental leadership is courage to develop potential in our kids to help them thrive. And courage is a set of four skills that everyone can learn to become a better leader at work, at home and at life.
Check Out Our Notes | Get The Book
This book is one of my favourites and I strongly recommend it to every parent or carer and to anyone who wants to master leadership skills.
🛠️ Parentotheca’s Toolbox: A Tool To Build Trust as a Family Leader
As leadership expert John C. Maxwell wrote in his classic book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (check out our summary):
“The true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.”
Many parents focus on controlling their children – their behaviour, schedules, whereabouts, even their friendships. But here’s the hard truth: the tighter we grip, the more they pull away. Control is a short-term fix. And it always comes at a long-term cost.
You can’t – and shouldn’t – run their lives. That’s not parenting. That’s micromanaging.
Our real power lies not in control, but in influence.
And the secret ingredient for influence? Trust.
Without trust, there is no influence. No connection. No leadership.
One powerful tool to help with building trust with your kids is the BRAVING Inventory from Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead (check out our notes).
It’s a practical framework for building trust in everyday interactions with your children:
- B – Boundaries: Respect your child’s boundaries and clearly communicate your own. If you’re unsure what’s okay, ask. Be willing to say “no” kindly and firmly.
- R – Reliability: Do what you say you’ll do. Be dependable and consistent – especially with routines, promises, and follow-through.
- A – Accountability: When you mess up (and you will), own it. Apologize sincerely. Show your child how to make things right.
- V – Vault: Keep their confidence. Don’t share things they’ve told you in trust and don’t gossip about others. This shows you’re a safe place.
- I – Integrity: Do what’s right, not what’s easy. Walk your talk. Let your values guide your actions, even when it’s uncomfortable.
- N – Nonjudgment: Let your child speak openly without fear of criticism. Make it safe for them to ask for help, feel what they feel, and be vulnerable.
- G – Generosity: Assume the best of your child. Give their words and actions the most generous interpretation, especially when emotions run high.
🆕 What’s New on Parentotheca
Here’s what dropped this month:
✅ New Book Summary:
✅ New Articles:
- It’s Not About the Toys: How to Recognise and Respond to Your Child’s Need for Connection
- Self-Regulation: The Secret Skill That Makes Parenting (and Life) So Much Easier
🧭 Coach’s Corner: I’m Here to Help
Parenting is one of the most fulfilling yet challenging journeys, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. As both a parent coach and a life coach, I will help you grow in confidence, skill, and purpose – so you can raise resilient, thriving kids and build a connected, happy family.
I don’t just offer advice – I provide a clear, actionable roadmap to transform your parenting, strengthen your relationships, and help your child develop the skills and mindset essential for flourishing in life.
Ready to lead your family with purpose?
Bonus: Reply to this email and I’ll send you a private link for 50% off your first coaching session.
Let’s make this the turning point.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Parenting is hard. But don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better.
Talk soon,
Irina
