Real Parenting Circles
Intimate, engaging, and informative topic-driven circles for parents co-facilitated by two experts in the fields of education and family coaching.
When
Monthly
6:00-8:00 PM
Where
Cow Hollow School
387 Moraga Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94129
Cost
$75 Per Circle
14-16 Participants
Topics We Tackle
December 12, 2024 | Rituals + Routines: developing strategies for flexibility and predictability, front loading skills and tools for change
January 9, 2025 | Baggage Claim: identifying triggers, investigating root beliefs, auditing values and doing our own work as parents
February 13, 2025 | Under Pressure, Over Threshold: staying steady in the face of dysregulation, disarming fear and fantasy using the facts
March 13, 2025 | Raising a Reader: understanding and supporting kids who notice, feel and express deeply and differently
April 17, 2025 | Big Feelings, Little Bodies: tools for building emotional literacy and resilience in young children
May 8, 2025 | Hold the Line: setting effective boundaries, respecting needs, recognizing resentment, kindness through clarity
About Our Circles
Our circles are an opportunity to get clear about what matters to you, what you want, who your child is, and what they need and to clear out the noise (fear, fantasy) that scrambles the message for your child. This process will enable you to:
Show up.
Honestly and authentically. Feel clear, aligned, respectful and resonant. For yourself and for your child.
Find your anchor.
Your superpower, your kryptonite in the face of POTS (points of tension): toddler tantrums, playground squabbles, sibling spats, power struggles, unsolicited advice, holidays with the in-laws, judgement, inner critics, self-abandonment.
Be their mirror.
You are your child’s first mirror. Reflected in your eyes, your words, and your actions is how they see themselves, the world, and their place in it.
It’s not easy, but it is simple.
Circle Goals
Before the Circle
You find yourself stuck, trapped, helpless, frustrated and unable to find the right words or responses in challenging parenting moments.
Fears (and fantasies/illusions) about who your child is or is becoming, about what kind of parent you are or appear to be, and about what the pain in the moment itself means for the bigger picture leave you hurtling towards a version of a parent you didn’t set out to be.
You are overwhelmed by the messages, judgment, pressure, and even well-meaning guidance that you take in as a parent.
You crave a simple, clear and practical approach, aligned with you are and who your child is, that is actionable in moments big and small, challenging and easy.
When you hit those points of tension, you feel small and alone. In truth, your experience is universal.
After the Circle
Remove fear and fantasy from your parenting and instead raise children with respect and dignity.
Get clear about what actually matters to you so you can show up reliably and consistently for your children.
Gain the tools to do your own personal communication audit so that you can make your values visible in your interactions, choices, and environment.
Find perspective, reframe challenging situations, calibrate your expectations (of your child and yourself), and understand and manage your triggers.
You are able to respond instead of react, have increased self-compassion, and are armed with practical and reliable resources for daily life as a parent.
What People Are Saying
“Adopting a tool kit that is universally applicable regardless of the specific values of each participant wants to parent to has fundamentally changed the way I interact with my children.”
—Workshop Participant
“The journey Darcy and Abby took me on has led as much to introspection as it has allowed me to become a better parent.”
—Dan, Parent of a 9 Month Old and 2 1/2 Year Old
“Darcy and Abby work with you to develop concrete strategies for ensuring that your interactions with your little person actually reflect your values and goals—focusing especially on those challenging moments when we so often feel we are ‘failing’ as parents.”
—Workshop Participant
FAQs
For whom are these circles designed?
In their current iteration, our workshops are designed for and tailored to parents of children from infancy through early elementary ages (0-10yrs).
Do you offer circles for parents with older kids?
In the works. Please let us know if you would be interested in learning more, as we are currently developing offerings for parents of elementary, middle, and high school aged children.
Why the smaller, topical, monthly format?
Small. By keeping our numbers small, we allow for more sharing and learning. While participants have different backgrounds, experiences, family structures, value and goals, all are parents with a commitment to learning and growth. A smaller group allows for more mutuality, vulnerability, and generosity of space and time.
Topical. The unique structure of our focused, topic driven circles allows for introduction to, inquiry around and integration of information, frameworks, strategies and tools. We stick to two hours as this seems to be the sweet spot for us and the limit for a generative and fulfilling yet sustainable gathering like this. Retention, comprehension, and takeaways from the content improves in this model as well.
Monthly. Regularity and frequency take the guesswork out of scheduling and help to make commitment more realistic for parents with full schedules and lives.
How do I know which circle is for me?
We suggest you let the topics be your guide and see which ones feel more urgent or relevant for you at this time. Attend one, attend a few, or attend them all! We wanted to give people different entry points to our work, from both a scheduling and content perspective. Whether you attend one or attend them all, you will walk away with clarity around your values, how to communicate those values to your children, and how to avoid falling prey to the pitfalls that get in the way of doing so.
Do people sign up for more than one circle?
Yes. The circles are complementary, connected in terms of content, and overlap (in terms of vocabulary and concepts we use throughout all of our work/offerings), but are not redundant in any way.
What is your training?
We bring a combined 50+ years as educators, 40+ years as coaches, and 30+ years as parents to our partnership. As educators, our areas and ages of expertise run the gamut from infant through college aged children. Using our multifaceted backgrounds and areas of expertise, we guide and support parents both in their roles as parents as well as in other facets of their lives.
Are you parents yourselves?
We are. Darcy to a 30 year old daughter and Abby to a 10 year old son.
What ages do you have experience teaching?
All of them! Darcy has experience teaching early childhood, early elementary, and college aged students. Abby has experience teaching older elementary, middle school and high school students.
What type of clients come to you for coaching?
Parents, couples, families, teenagers, individual mothers and fathers, teachers and leaders in the field of ECE.
Where else can I find you or see your work?
Cow Hollow School, Collaboratory, Abby Sommerfeld Coaching, Entrepreneurial Mothers Circle, MOTHER Mag, Mom Rage Episode 73.
Additional Offerings
Bespoke Gatherings
We design intimate, customized, private gatherings to be held among friends in one’s home or in another space of one’s choosing. Past formats have included salon, roundtable, and focused Q + A on topics ranging from toddlerhood to teenagers. We work with you to tailor the structure and content of the event to the needs, goals, and interests of your group. Inquire for more inspiration and details about these custom gatherings.