Caroline Maguire - Why Will No One Play with Me?: The Play Better Plan to Help Children of All Ages Make Friends and Thrive

My son and I often fought about the fact that he was rude to other people. He only wanted to play video games and wasnt interested in hanging out with others. Keith would not even engage in a discussion about his social skills. That is when we found the Play Better Plan. I learned to coach my son rather than telling him what to do. After a few weeks, he became willing to act polite even when he felt bored or frustrated. Our communication about his social struggles improved. Why Will No One Play with Me helps me with continuous follow-through on what weve learned. It is a process that, given time, patience, and effort, will be worth it both for your childs social skills and for your parent-child relationship.

Jennifer, Mother

I was angry and frustrated before I went to see Caroline. I was getting calls from my sons school about him upsetting other kids. I thought I was doing something wrongthat I was a bad parent and that my sons behavioral problems reflected poorly on me. I did not know what to do. Then I learned how his brain worked and that there were ways I could help him. Now, because of the coaching program, I have made real progress with Andy. We no longer fight, and he is doing better with other kids at school, and I am happy to say he hasnt had any incidents in the last month. We are still using the program, and I have so much more confidence as a parent.

Iris M., Mother

The biggest gift the coaching program gave all of us was in helping us recognize Gracies strengths and uniqueness and accept that her ways of moving through the world are different than ours. She still gets herself into trouble from time to time, and she has to work to bring her best self to school each day. But she now has the tools to do that, and we are better able to support that effort. She has been working very hard, and she feels proud of her progress. She gets asked for playdates and activities, and is able to reciprocate invitations. What a difference! I wish there was more of Caroline to go around to all of the other moms, kids, and families who struggle with this same stuff.

Gretchen L., Mother, Play Better Coaching Graduate

When we started Caroline Maguires coaching program, we saw a huge improvement right away. The program helped me communicate better with Jenny. I was able to help her look at those minor problems more objectively. Very quickly, Jenny learned to pause and problem-solve instead of overreacting. She learned strategies to cope with her emotions, and she learned to calm herself. Now, many years later, she is a successful college student with a strong group of friends. The coaching model helped Jenny develop life skills to manage emotions and get along with other people.

Pam K., Mother

I was leery of the Play Better Plan. I felt overwhelmed, sure there would be no way I could do this, much less get my kid to agree to it. At first he was resistant, but we learned how to have fun with it and laugh when we stumbled. Using coaching to talk about hard things with my son made the conversations less antagonisticand it worked.

Patrick M., Father

This coaching program changed our lives. Our child, Laura, was moody and unwilling to engage in most activities. In fact, she had her own policies about joining groups. Caroline encouraged us to see Lauras gifts, and we used those gifts to encourage Laura to change. The coaching program really shifted our whole communication pattern and helped Laura see how her inflexibility was affecting others. Laura became a joiner, working a part-time job and participating in study groups. Now she is studying abroad and is an active member of her college community. As a family we are much happier.

Jane B., Mother

Caroline coached my son, Jason, and the coaching helped him to witness his own behaviors and see that some of them were inappropriate. The coaching also helped me to work with Jason between sessions and, when the coaching ended, to continue to expand his self-awareness and skills. Now he knows how to Read the Room and puts away his phone away in favor of talking to a friend. He adjusts to a situation or lets people know he is sensitive to sounds. He has more authentic friends, sense of humor, tolerance, and patience. He is much more aware of himself, others, and social situations and he wants to create a good impression.

Cydney H., Mother

For years, I was told that my son was fine and that this behavior was typical for boys. After my first meeting with Caroline, I was relieved that a professional really understood the diverse social challenges that children face. Sometimes these challenges dont go away as your child grows. My son worked with Caroline for over a year and in that time, he made incredible progress. Caroline was extremely approachable and helped to pull apart challenging social situations so he could begin to look at them from a different perspective with time, my son learned how to pause, observe, and reflect. He even got into a top private high schoolbefore his interviews were a disaster, but after he worked on his social skills, my son was able to have more choices and he got into every school he applied to. Caroline Maguire is a hero in our family. Why Will No One Play with Me will empower many families with the tools they need to make positive change.

M.W., Mother

I will never forget the first time a child asked me the question. I was living the dream in my blossoming career as an academic and social skills coach for children. I had a full schedule and a wait list, and I was working with clients at a world-renowned ADHD center alongside some of the most respected leaders in the field. I gave parenting talks and professional workshops on how to help children pay attention and develop more effective study skills and self-regulation. It was thrilling to know that through this work, I was making a dramatic difference in the lives of hundreds of children and their families. Kids who had been overwhelmed by their struggle with schoolwork and behavior issues were making remarkable progress.