Many parenting coaches struggle to describe exactly what they do when asked which can leave you feeling unsure. Let us simplify that for you: A parenting coach is a professional who provides guidance and support to parents in their role as caregivers. They help parents develop effective parenting skills and strategies to deal with common challenges such as boundaries, communication, and cooperation within the parent-child relationship and in the home. Parent coaches study child development, neuroscience, non-violent communication as well as somatic tools to help parents regulate their own nervous systems.

Parenting coaches may use a variety of techniques, including mentoring, counseling, and education, to help parents understand their children's needs and how best to meet those needs while respecting their own family values. The goal of a parenting coach is to empower parents to build strong and positive relationships with their children and to create a supportive and nurturing environment for the whole family.

Why should people hire YOU as a parenting coach?

From our 10+ years of experience certifying parenting coaches, we have been witness to the profound transformation in the lives of parents and families all over the world.

Here are a few of the most significant benefits your clients can expect from hiring you as their parenting coach:

1. Improved Parenting Skills

Parenting coaches help parents develop effective strategies for supporting their children's behavior, communication, and development. This leads to improved relationships with children and more successful outcomes for the family.

2. Personalized Guidance

Parenting coaches provide one-on-one support and tailored guidance to help parents address the specific challenges they are facing. This personalized approach can be particularly beneficial for parents who are struggling with specific challenges, such as supporting difficult behavior, setting boundaries, or navigating through the ups and downs of developmental stages.

3. Increased Confidence

Similar to a fitness or life coach, parenting coaches give parents the support they need to feel confident in their parenting. When parents work with a parenting coach, they feel empowered to support and guide their children with less self doubt and shame.

4. Objectivity

Parenting coaches offer a fresh perspective and an outside voice, which is especially helpful for parents who are feeling overwhelmed or stuck. They provide an objective viewpoint and help parents identify patterns and behaviors that contribute to disconnection in the family dynamic.

5. Support

Parenting can be a lonely and isolating experience, for new and seasoned parents. Hiring a parenting coach provides a supportive resource who offers encouragement and understanding as parents navigate this role in their lives.

When your clients should hire a parenting coach vs a therapist (or mental health professional)

Coaching and therapy can appear very similar on the surface, but there are some key differences to be aware of. Therapy is a healing profession, focused on the past and meant to support mental health challenges, while coaching looks to the future, supporting people to create intention and vision, and then follow through with action and commitment. 

Although parent coaching can delve into the past to gather context for current parental struggles, there is less of a focus on resolving the past and more of a focus on building effective habits and skillsets for the future. 

Additionally, a key difference between coaching and therapy is that there isn’t a focus on a diagnosis in coaching, and instead there is an emphasis on met or unmet needs in the client, and in this case, the parent. If there is a possible mental health diagnosis that impacts one’s parenting, seeking the support from a mental health professional is always recommended.

At Jai, we are a coaching organization and our role is only to coach, not provide assistance that only a licensed therapist can. When there is unresolved childhood trauma, or mental health needs in the clients we serve, we will often recommend our clients work with a licensed mental health professional either prior to or in conjunction with their work with a parent coach.. 

For more on this topic, our Founder Kiva Schuler talks about the difference between coaching and therapy in parent coaching here. 

What if YOU were the parenting coach?

I imagine you might be reading this because you want to be the very best parent you can be.

If you've ever considered taking the leap and becoming a Jai Certified Parenting Coach you may have also encountered the thought patterns that could keep you from taking the next steps. These could be thoughts like:

• "Would anyone actually hire ME to be their parenting coach?!?!"
• "Won't people think it's presumptuous of me to tell them how to raise their kids?!?!" (NOT what we do, FYI!!)
• "I yelled at my kid yesterday! Who am I to help other parents?!?!"

The truth is, so many parents are desperate for support. Traditional mental health providers play a role, but coaching is DIFFERENT. It's educational, forward-focused, and allows parents to practice their intentions for their family with accountability, empathy and guidance.

And with the training, guidance and education we provide through our certified parent coach training program, YOU can provide this professional support to other parents. You can help them reach their parenting goals, create more peace and connection in their homes, and assist them to become the parent they’ve always dreamed of being for their kids. 

We know this because we have trained over a thousand parent coaches who started exactly where you are right now. (Curious? Read our client reviews here). 

If you are passionate about parenting, someone who cares about others, and are willing to go through training to best support parents and children, these are all signs that you’re a perfect candidate for becoming a Jai Certified Parenting Coach.

It’s no secret that there are so many parents desiring more ease and peace in their parenting, and yearning for someone to help them get there.

What are the benefits of becoming a parenting coach?

Becoming a parenting coach sparks deep transformation

We can’t take someone down a path we haven’t been ourselves. When we’re learning the in’s and out’s of peaceful parenting and how to best support parents, we begin to apply the information in our own lives, and in our own parenting. If you ask a parenting coach about their experience, they will often begin with the transformation that they have experienced within themselves and their family when they began their journey to becoming a parenting coach.

You get to help support parents on their parenting journeys

Everyone has their unique parenting journey, and when you become a parenting coach, you get to see parents and the relationships they have with their kids transform before your eyes. 

We always say that parent coaching is the only career where your work makes your parenting better, and your parenting makes your work better. Our children are our greatest teachers, but your second best teacher can be your work as a parent coach. 

You get to choose your own schedule, decide how many clients you want to take on, and set your own rates. 

One of the best things about being a parenting coach is that you get the freedom to choose how much you take on. Parent coaching gives you the flexibility to be more present with your kids, yet it also can grow with you overtime if your children get older and you wish to turn your parent coaching business into a full-time career. Where you wish to take your parent coaching practice is completely up to you.

Overall, a parenting coach is an invaluable resource for parents who are seeking support and guidance in their role as caregivers. By becoming a parenting coach, you can help parents develop the skills and strategies they need to create a positive, peaceful, and connected family environment, starting with your own home.

If you want to begin shifting your home and family dynamic to a more peaceful one as well as help others do the same, start today by accessing our FREE eBook How to Become a Peaceful Parenting Coach here.