3 Attributes To Look For In A Parenting Coach

When I tell people that I’m a parenting coach who specializes in anti-bullying education, people ask “what does an anti-bullying coach do??” and “Oh, that’s a thing now?”

Yes, LOL! It’s a thing. I’ve been doing this work for five years so far and I LOVE IT! 

I decided to help parents in their journey because parenting hasn’t been so easy for me and I know that I’m not alone. Like many parents, I have had moments when I needed to ask questions but I felt that I couldn’t go to a friend or family member for an honest, unbiased answer or criticism of my kids or my husband and I’s parenting skills. 

There’s still a lot of stigma in society about parents reaching out for help. It doesn’t make sense to me because we get help for everything else in life, so, why would parenting be any different? 

There are also lots of advantages to going to a parenting coach. 

Coaches are people who give feedback without judgment, they don’t have personal knowledge of your life that can get in the way of giving unbiased input and they give resources because they have a large network of parenting experts in different areas. 

So, if you know that you need help and you want to reach out to a coach, here are FIVE things to keep in mind when searching for a parenting coach. 

1️⃣  SYNERGY. When you search for someone to be able to give you guidance and to share some of your private thoughts or experiences related to parenting, you want to make sure that you really connect with your coach. You should be at ease when speaking with them and safe when addressing tough topics. So, make sure that your conversations feel effortless and comfortable even with uncomfortable topics. Also, know that coaches look for a good connection too.

2️⃣  EXPERIENCE. It’s up to you to decide how and what type of experience you want your coach to have. For example, some people want their coach to have an academic education in a certain area (i.e. psychology), while others want someone who has lived experience as a parent. Then, there are those who want someone who has worked in the related field. For example, a coach who is a psychologist, a coach who was a middle school teacher for 15 years, a coach who has experience working with the LGBTQ+ families, or a parent who raised three kids who are now in their 20’s.

3️⃣  ACCOUNTABILITY. When you go to a coach, you should expect them to listen to you, to give you honest, non-judgemental advice, and to offer you action plans that deliver solutions that you feel comfortable with. If your coach does their job well, then you should be able to see progress. 

Lastly, I want you to keep in mind that coaches are NOT magicians.!

They are not the ones who will solve your problems. What they will do is that they will listen, analyze, give you honest feedback, propose ways to solve your challenge, and help you through the action-taking process.

But, YOU are the one who chooses how to solve your challenge.

Paying someone to coach you means nothing if you don’t follow through and really, coaches don’t want to work with people who are not going to commit to themselves.

So,  I hope that these tips help you look for the coach you’re looking for and if you have any questions about getting coaching, submit them in the comments below. 

Now, if you want to work with me, CLICK THIS LINK TO SCHEDULE A CALL.