Being a parent is ROUGH. I’m getting my first experience as a full time “mom” this summer as my bonus daughter is staying with us during her summer break from school for a few months. From figuring out child-care since both my husband and I work full-time to balancing discipline and preparing her for kindergarten, it’s a daily struggle and I commend all parents out there doing the best they know how.
Here at Fish, we work with Brain Balance Achievement Centers, the leading drug-free program to help kids and young adults improve focus, behavior, social skills and academics. Part of our work with Brain Balance is to secure top-tier national media coverage for the brand. I recently identified a super time-sensitive media opportunity through HARO with Business Insider on tips on how to be a better parent. Working closely with the Vice-President of Outcomes and Programs, Dr. Rebecca Jackson, we were able to submit several tips to the reporter for consideration within the tight deadline and they were included in the final article – read here. Dr. Jackson’s tips for being a better parent include:
- Practice listening – “Not only are there positive neurological benefits to making eye contact and physical contact, but it is also positive role modeling to teach your children how to be active an engaged listener.”
- Be mindful during meltdowns – “When a child (or adult) becomes extremely upset or agitated, our body shifts into fight or flight mode. In these moments our brain is focused on the present moment and does not have the ability to reason or regulate. Allow them to get through the moment, then discuss the behavior, incidence or issue that triggered the meltdown.”
I mentioned HARO earlier as the source of this particular media opportunity. HARO’s aka Help a Reporter Out, is a source for journalists to find sources to their stories quickly. Often times, HARO’s are a hit or miss. In my own experience, it’s best to pitch a short blurb on how your source is a fit for the journalist and offer 2-3 sentences of insight on their inquiry and offer to connect them directly to your source. Many times, they are working on such a tight deadline they will just use your insight without responding to you directly. Having an existing tips doc from your clients is an easy way to quickly pitch them a source next time an imminent media opportunity pops up.
Cheers to all my PR parents this summer!
