You may be wondering if a particular parenting coach training program is right for you.

New training options seem to be popping up all the time, and they’re all so different! How do you know which one is the right fit for you?

There is no one-size-fits-all, for sure. However, you can ask some smart questions and learn more about what’s out there before you commit to a program. After all, this is your life, and you want the time and resources you invest in this life to be worthwhile!

What makes a good parenting coach program?

Everyone’s definition of “good” is going to be different, depending on a number of factors. As a starting point, it helps to ask these questions:

• What do I hope to get out of my parenting coach training program? Personal growth and/or professional credentials? Something else?
• How much time do I realistically have to invest? Do the homework and class times work with my schedule and pre-existing time commitments?
• To what extent is cost a factor?
• Do I care if the program is recognized and respected by others?
• Does this program offer a true parenting coach training certification or simply a status of completion? Do I have a strong preference for one or the other?
• How much experience do the trainers have?
• Who, if anyone, do I hope to coach when I’m done? Is the program I’m investigating in service of that?

Your answers to these questions can help you clarify what you’re seeking. Regardless of your answers, however, there’s still more to explore about any parenting coach training program you consider. For example:

• Is the curriculum rooted in evidence-based practices or is it based on someone’s personal philosophy?
• Do the resources in the program reflect the type of parenting I want my potential clients to learn and embrace with their families?
• Is the core teaching in line with my personal values?
• Does it matter to me if the program is secular or faith-based? Can the trainers speak to the differences, if there are any, at least in general terms?
• Will I be able to use this training with a diverse group of clients?
• If I’m interested in using my conscious parenting coach training as a way to provide income for myself or my family, does the program offer business training that helps me be profitable?
  

More than anything else, you need to know if the training program speaks to your heart

Even if you’ve answered all the questions above in ways that are satisfactory to your logic and planning, any mindful parenting coach training you choose also has to speak to your heart.

After all, parent coach training is going to take time, energy and most of all, passion. If you don’t deeply care about doing the work or the approach you’re taking, it won’t work for you long-term.

This doesn't mean you’ll feel passion for everything about the program itself from day one, of course – it takes time to make sure it’s the right fit for you. What matters is that it aligns with your values. For example, you might be passionate about treating children with respect. If you are, does your program align with that? 

There’s one final concept to consider, as well. It can be a tough one for some people:

Am I willing to be pushed out of my comfort zone to re-examine my beliefs and attitudes about parenting? Or am I just looking for a program that will tell me what I already believe to be true? Am I prepared for personal growth?

Herein lies the key to finding a good parent coach training program. If we’re unable or unwilling to expand our own heart and knowledge base, we can’t possibly expect to lead others on any conscious parenting journey. We have to be willing to be vulnerable, ourselves. We need to be able to confirm firsthand that the work we’re doing matters deeply—even if we already have a solid foundation before we begin.

“...To be the person who we long to be—we must again be vulnerable. We must take off the armor, put down the weapons, show up, and let ourselves be seen.” – Brené Brown

We can only expect to create waves in the world of parenting if we’re open to feeling the ripples move through us, as well. We influence others best by having experienced profound and personal transformation. Parent coaching is often at the core of this very transformation.

This, of course, is intimidating to some – and that’s perfectly understandable. When choosing a parenting coach training program, we need to go into it with trust that the organization understands our vulnerability and has people ready to support us who genuinely care about our well-being. 

From this place of openness and trust, we can feel incredible shifts—and kindle the passion that makes us sincerely want to move forward. 

To influence others. 

To be a changemaker. 

To live a life so full of passion that none of it ends up feeling like “work”—instead, it feels as if we’re living the life we were simply meant to live. 

The best news is, to really succeed in a parenting coach certification program, we don’t have to fulfill a prerequisite of already being a “perfect” parent. All we have to do is be willing to learn from a place of humility, and trust that our “parenting mistakes” are lessons which will also help others.

Alternatively, if we happen to have already experienced the personal transformation that conscious parenting provides, we still learn best when we approach new training and practice with an open mind. From here, we can grow deeper in that which we already know to be true. 

In the very best programs, everyone is welcome regardless of their history, experience, or knowledge base. We all have something to learn, and to offer. 

Other Considerations in Choosing Your Parent Coaching Training Program

There’s no shortage of parenting experts these days, some of whom offer their own training programs. Many of them are truly valuable and worthwhile, especially if you can tell these experts are committed to ongoing learning for themselves. 

No “expert” stays an expert by only listening to themselves, of course. We want to steer clear of those who’ve become convinced that their way is the One and Only Golden Ticket to Good Parenting. 

It simply can’t be true. It would be like saying that the only food we need to eat is blueberries because they’re full of vitamins and antioxidants. As great as they may be for the body, they would never be enough to sustain us on their own. 

To be sure, every expert featured in a certification program or curriculum should be widely considered as an excellent resource. Even better, however, is to compare and contrast how different expert approaches and knowledge complement each other. 

That said, if a particular expert resonates with you, by all means – learn from them. Study them and take their courses if they speak to your heart. In-depth training and “deep dives” from an expert in a particular field can be truly valuable!

At the same time, studying a parent coaching curriculum that highlights different experts and various perspectives can give us a much more enlightened view of conscious parenting than training that’s singularly focused. 

This is how we get a wide variety of tools we can use in our coaching. We know that just like a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for us personally, it also won’t work for every client we support. We need to expose ourselves to different teachings within the framework of conscious parenting. From here, we can support our clients more thoroughly. 

Are Coaching Certificates Worth It?

If your objective is to gain credibility as a parent coach, then yes, a certificate is definitely worth it. As we know all too well, the world—not to mention the Internet—is full of “experts” who are all too willing to share advice based on very little credible evidence. People have grown leery of trusting parent coaches who haven’t invested in their education from a reputable source. The easiest way to earn people’s trust is to have the backing of a trustworthy program.

Which Coaching Certification is Best?

As you’ve seen, there are many different criteria to consider, so no single program is “best” for everyone.

That said, if you’re ready for transformative work that draws on the work from experts all over the world—and is delivered by trainers who genuinely care about your outcomes—then you’re ready for discovering the Jai Institute for Parenting. Apply now to begin your parent coaching journey!

Meet Your Author, Sarah R. Moore

Sarah R. Moore is the founder of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting and a Master Trainer for the Jai Institute. Sarah offers a popular series of mini-courses (including her FREE video, Three Keys to Positive Parenting), webinars, and expert interviews. Additionally, she's the Editor for Pregnancy Magazine. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.

She's a certified gentle parenting coach and has studied directly with some of the world's most respected psychologists, neuroscientists, researchers, and advocates for children. She’s also a regular contributor to international parenting magazines and is releasing her first parenting book next year.