Parenting is Hard—Even for Professionals: Why I Decided to Hire a Parent Coach

As a parent coach, I’ve supported countless families through emotional ups and downs, tricky transitions, and behavior challenges. I have plenty of strategies and insights, but recently, I found myself in a position I hadn’t quite anticipated—I decided it was time to hire my own parent coach.

Let’s face it: Life is beautifully messy right now. My spouse is in the final stages of a demanding nursing program, and we’re already starting to imagine how life will shift once graduation hits. Meanwhile, I’m still navigating the long-term effects of a brain injury, and our toddler is preparing to transition into the “big kid classroom.” It’s a lot. And it’s clearly weighing on our little one, too.

Our son’s friends have already moved up, and he’s genuinely missing them. To add another layer, we’re talking about adding a new furry family member, which brings up tender feelings about losing our beloved pet last year. With all these swirling changes, it’s no surprise that our toddler is experiencing some big feelings.

Here’s what we’re noticing: He’s not telling his teachers when he needs to use the bathroom—particularly when he’s awake but resting on his cot. He’s also entered a delightful phase of selective listening (parents everywhere know exactly what I mean!), which is developmentally normal, but lately seems more tied to emotion dysregulation. Plus, he’s having more sad moments. They’re brief and manageable, sure, but as a professional, I can spot that something is shifting, and I want to tackle it sooner rather than later.

Now, I could try to manage all this on my own—I mean, this is literally my job, right? But here’s the catch: Being a professional doesn’t mean I can always clearly see my own parenting. It’s kind of like trying to give yourself a haircut—it might technically be possible, but it usually ends up uneven and a bit messy.

Deciding to hire a parent coach brought up some pretty vulnerable feelings, mainly about what others might think. Would people doubt my abilities as a professional if I sought support? But then I reminded myself of something I tell other parents every day: Needing help doesn’t mean you’re a “bad” parent. It just means you’re human. And that’s okay.

Truthfully, part of me also felt relieved and excited. Because I have so much knowledge already, I’m hopeful the process will move quickly and help our family get back on track sooner.

My goals for working with a coach are straightforward: Create spaces at home where my son feels safe expressing his feelings, and figure out ways to support his self-advocacy at school—even when those struggles aren’t showing up at home. It’s tricky, and that’s exactly why an outside perspective is so valuable. 

So here I am—a parent coach hiring a parent coach. Because we’re all navigating this parenting thing together, and sometimes the bravest, smartest thing we can do is ask for help.