Aware Parenting Coach in Sussex & Online. Gentle Parenting Support for Big Emotions, Sleep & Behaviour

Go beyond gentle parenting to understanding your child and trusting yourself as a parent. Understand what your child’s behaviour is really communicating so you can respond with connection, clarity and trust. Supporting you to feel confident responding to tantrums and big emotions and offering gentle sleep support without cry-it-out.

If parenting feels harder than you expected, you are not alone.

I can help you when:

  • Your child’s behaviour feels overwhelming or they just won’t listen

  • You don’t want to use rewards or punishments, but don’t know what to do instead

  • You find yourself reacting in ways you don’t feel good about

  • You feel judged or unsupported by others

  • You are trying so hard and still feel unsure

And underneath all of that, there may be a quiet feeling of “I just want to feel more calm, confident, and connected.

Learn more about my parent coaching services.

What if your child’s behaviour isn’t the problem?

In Aware Parenting, we understand that behaviour is communication. When children have big feelings, are not listening, or acting in ways that feel challenging, it is not because they are “bad” or trying to make things difficult.

It is often because:

  • They have an unmet need

  • They lack information

  • They are holding stress or emotions that need to be released

As we understand this, everything starts to shift and we can move away from control towards connection, understanding, and trust.

This isn’t just about your child.

It is one thing to appreciate this in theory but another to stay present with it in real life.

Because your child’s feelings don’t just exist in isolation.

They land in you. They can bring up overwhelm, frustration, doubt, and even your own past experiences.

This is why my work doesn’t just focus on children. I support you too.

So you can:

  • Feel more resourced in the moment

  • Understand what is happening in you

  • Respond in ways that feel aligned, not reactive

Through my work, I support parents to:

  • Understand behaviour as communication

  • Respond without rewards or punishments

  • Support big feelings with more confidence

  • Set limits without shame or control

  • Reconnect with their own inner trust

This is not about getting it perfect.

It is about having the right support to help you find your way.

I help with:

  • If your baby or child isn't sleeping and leaving them to cry feels wrong, there is another way. I support parents to understand the emotional and developmental reasons behind sleep difficulties, finding an approach that works for your family without sleep training or cry-it-out methods.

  • Toddler tantrums and aggressive behaviour can leave you feeling helpless, embarrassed, or just utterly exhausted. I help parents understand what is really driving the behaviour so they can respond with warmth and confidence rather than dread the next meltdown.

  • It's so disheartening when nothing seems to work and your child just won't cooperate. I help parents look beneath the surface of defiant or dismissive behaviour to find what's really going on: whether that's an unmet need, missing information, or stored stress so that cooperation becomes genuinely possible.

  • When your child experiences the world more intensely than others, standard parenting advice can feel completely beside the point. I work with parents of ADHD, autistic, and highly sensitive children to understand their child's unique nervous system and find approaches rooted in connection rather than compliance.

  • If you experience constant bickering and fighting and feeling that you're always referee then sibling rivalry and conflict is one of the most draining parts of family. l help parents understand what each child is communicating through the conflict and how to respond in ways that gradually build real sibling connection.

  • If you find yourself reacting in ways that shock or surprise you please know you are not alone and you are not broken. As an Inner Child Journey Guide I offer a gentle, structured process to help you understand your triggers and begin to heal the childhood wounds you carry into your parenting. I have also developed an Inner Relationship Parenting Process and offer courses to support through this.

  • So many parents feel overwhelmed, isolated, or unsupported but are too exhausted to even name it. I create space for you to feel genuinely heard, and to slowly rebuild a sense of trust in yourself as the parent your child needs.

  • We don’t always don't know what parenting differently looks like in the messy reality of daily life, when we didn’t have role models who parented with connection. I offer clear, grounded support rooted in Aware Parenting that helps you move from good intentions to real, lasting change.

Work with me

  • Rebecca Sheikh, parent coach in East Grinstead and Forest Row helping families with toddler tantrums, sleep problems, and ADHD support

    Free Discovery Call

    Discover how Flourishing Childhood can support you and your family through a free discovery call. (20 minutes)

    This initial conversation is an opportunity to explore your specific challenges that you are experiencing or related to children's behaviour.

    I would love to journey with you.

  • Rebecca Sheikh, parent coach in East Grinstead and Forest Row helping families with toddler tantrums, sleep problems, and ADHD support

    1:1 Consultation

    Begin your journey with me here where we explore your unique parenting challenges.

    You will leave with a clearer perspective and actionable steps to enhance your parenting journey.

    An hour online consultation

  • Rebecca Sheikh, parent coach in East Grinstead and Forest Row helping families with toddler tantrums, sleep problems, and ADHD support

    Weekly Hop On

    Let's walk the journey of parenting together. (30 min weekly hop on - Monthly Subscription) Parenting can often feel overwhelming, but regular check-ins can provide valuable support, guidance, and help you to connect with your and your child's needs. FREE access to my members area with a library of videos, play ideas and more.

    ANNUAL PACKAGE - 2 months FREE

  • “Meeting Rebecca has changed my life for the better in so many ways. I first found her in 2020, during lockdown, and she was such a source of deep compassion, wisdom and kindness and held such a loving space for me, helping me to support my son as well as myself, suggesting wonderful attachment games for our family to play together, and helping me really understand Aware Parenting. Since then, I have become an Aware Parenting instructor myself, and Rebecca continues to support me on this journey. I couldn’t be more grateful and am so happy to have found Rebecca. We still have regular check ins and I always feel so much more grounded and confident after our sessions. Thank you lovely Rebecca!”

    Helen, parent

  • “Thank you Rebecca for all the big and small ways you enriched my life as a mum and as a woman. I felt heard and appreciated and looked forward to our sessions and always came away inspired and with really helpful guidance to put into practice. However, more than anything, you helped me realise that I already know a lot more than I thought and that I have a deep and wise intuition I can tap into anytime. So much gratitude for everything!”

    Noemi, parent

  • “I am so glad that I booked six sessions with Rebecca. She showed such compassion and empathy as she listened and validated my feelings which helped enormously. She is so knowledgable and has so much wisdom to share and she helped me with many practical ideas of how to support my daughter. I would recommend working with Rebecca to anyone.”

    Lou, parent

  • “Learn how to understand your kids emotions, reconnect through play and start to enjoy parenthood!”

    Beatriz, parent

  • “We had a fantastic experience with Rebecca (And will undoubtedly be back again in the future). She clearly really knows her stuff, and shared lots of stimulating ideas and thinking with us that made practical and tangible impacts on our situation. But more than anything we felt a genuine sense of warmth, empathy and compassion from Rebecca for us and our children. We would thoroughly recommend.”

    Dan, parent

  • Meeting Rebecca has changed my life for the better in so many ways. I first found her in 2020, during lockdown, and she was such a source of deep compassion, wisdom and kindness and held such a loving space for me, helping me to support my son as well as myself, suggesting wonderful attachment games for our family to play together, and helping me really understand Aware Parenting. Since then, I have become an Aware Parenting instructor myself, and Rebecca continues to support me on this journey. I couldn’t be more grateful and am so happy to have found Rebecca. We still have regular check ins and I always feel so much more grounded and confident after our sessions. Thank you lovely Rebecca!

    Helen, parent

  • “Since my little boy was about 8 months old, Rebecca has been my weekly sanity check. She has supported me in ways I never thought I needed. Whatever is going on for me, however broken I am, I always feel like every emotion is welcome and respected. I initially came to Rebecca for support with my son’s sleep, which has had me on my knees. Far from the approach of other sleep coaches, with Rebecca I have felt supported to follow a path that feels right for me and my family. She has helped me to find the strength to explore my own parenting philosophy and to understand our needs as a family. She is also always open with her own struggles and celebrations and is a source of constant wisdom and advice if I need or want it. Her approach as an aware parenting instructor resonated with me from the start. I feel like an empowered and much more connected mother thanks to our chats. I would recommend her in a heartbeat!”

    Lisa, parent

Upcoming events

Let’s walk the parenting journey together today.

FAQs

  • Aware Parenting is a philosophy founded by Aletha Solter, PhD, that recognises children's need for attachment, emotional release, and freedom from punishments and rewards. It helps children heal from stress and trauma through connection, play, and allowing healthy emotional expression. Rather than using time-outs or rewards to control behaviour, we look at what's underneath and support children in releasing accumulated stress.

  • Both! I offer online sessions throughout the UK via Zoom, as well as in-person sessions in Forest Row and the surrounding East Sussex area (East Grinstead, Crawley, Tunbridge Wells, etc.).

    Book a free discovery call here.

  • Absolutely. I support families with sleep challenges using attachment-focused, gentle approaches that honor your child's needs and your family's values. No sleep training, no cry-it-out methods. Just compassionate support to understand what's beneath the sleep struggles and practical strategies that feel right for your family.

  • Yes! I specialise in supporting parents of neurodivergent children, including those with ADHD, autism, or who are highly sensitive. I help you understand your child's unique needs, navigate challenging behaviours with compassion, and find approaches that work for your family without punishment or coercion.

  • In our sessions, you'll share what's challenging for you right now. I listen deeply, help you understand what might be underneath your child's behavior, and offer practical strategies rooted in Aware Parenting principles. We'll explore attachment play, emotional release, and how to meet your child's needs while also taking care of yourself. Sessions are compassionate, non-judgmental spaces where all your feelings are welcome.

  • I offer several options to meet different needs:

    • Free 20-minute Discovery Call

    • 1:1 Consultation (1 hour)

    • Weekly Hop On (30 min monthly subscription)

    • Annual packages with savings

    [Book a free discovery call] to discuss which option would work best for you.

  • Every family is different, but many parents notice shifts in their own understanding and responses right away. Changes in children's behavior often follow once they feel the shift in our approach and have space to release stored stress. Some families see improvements within weeks; for deeper patterns or trauma, healing unfolds over time. The key is consistency and compassion with the process.

  • Absolutely. In fact, that's exactly where many parents start. Feeling overwhelmed is completely normal, and it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. In our first call, we'll gently explore what's hardest right now and find a starting point that feels manageable. You don't need to have it all figured out—that's what I'm here for.

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