PR at home

I am a communicator of messages by profession, but I have never felt as challenged in sending a message as I am with my kids.  Are my objectives measurable, realistic, and specific? Do I have my key messages right? Am I using the right medium?  Are they listening?  Because if they are, after all, then they sure are doing a very good job of looking as though nothing I say can help.

Five top reasons communications is not quite an area of specialty at home:

• As a parent I don't have as much allowance to create and draw up my "plan" as I have after meeting a client for the first time.  Many times I'm forced to do strategy changes, extemporaneous speeches and Q&A's, and no amount of briefing and preparing for anticipated questions can really equip me for what can come out of day-to-day situations.
• I lose sight of my goals when I am thrown off-balance by their unique ways of responding.
• Branding strategies don't always work. They question e-v-e-r-y-thing.
• If media relations work is daunting sometimes, it pales in comparison to offspring relations.
• Issues management has a whole new meaning.  Their issues will not take any management.

Those are as far as keeping their rooms organized, coming to the table for meals on time, getting off the computer/phone/TV, taking their dishes to the sink, taking their vitamins, doing their homework, keeping their voices down.  Daily stuff.

Today, I pondered over and over again how to give an important message to my son who is feeling very discouraged and losing hope in his current situation.  He's just about ready to throw in the towel.  The first time I held him in my arms, he looked up to me with the most open, trusting, and loving eyes.  I promised him I will make "everything" alright for him, and protect him from that moment on.  That promise I made is now looking at me squarely in the eye.  Challenge.

In my work as a communicator, I never see dead ends.  There is always hope and a way to reach the audience.  I'm not going to let everyday situations stop me, even at home. Especially now.  
Time for some Crisis PR.