Kids Life Coaching: From Niche to Necessity

When I first embarked on my journey towards coaching children back in 2003, it was still a niche field. Initially, I was working solo with nobody to guide me nor to inform me of best practices. I had to figure things out for myself and I did a LOT of research, learning and growing for at least the first few years. At the time globally, there were only adult life coaches trying and desperately failing to coach children using adult techniques. This is why I developed my tried and tested Play Based Coaching System® that can be adapted to any niche within the niche of Kids Life Coaching.  Fast forward to today, and it's clear that Kids Life Coaching has evolved from just a niche to also being a necessity.

Back in 2000, I was approached by multiple people in South Africa asking me to offer them training after I was positioned as the expert in the space of coaching children. In 2014,this expanded globally and the Kids Life Coach Academy was born with a mission to offer easily accessible online training in the art and science of Kids Life Coaching. My unique tried and tested approach, which incorporates my proprietary Play Based Coaching System®, has been instrumental in helping professionals to coach children to navigate the complexities of life around the world.

Yet it is no longer only my organisation Kids Life Studio® that is offering this service. Which led me to ponder the question as to why Kids Life Coaching has become so important? The answer lies in the ever-increasing challenges faced by children today. From academic pressures to social media influences, children are dealing with issues that were unheard of a generation ago. This has created a pressing need for specialised support to help children navigate these challenges and develop essential life skills.  

As the field has grown, so too has the need for specialisation. It's no longer enough to be a general Kids Life Coach. To truly make a difference and stand out in an over crowded field, coaches need to niche down and specialise in areas that align with their expertise and passion. This allows the opportunity to provide targetted support and make a bigger impact.

I am excited that Kids Life Coaching has evolved from a niche to a necessity but how do you position yourself as not just another kids life coach who is a generalist? As coaches, it's our responsibility to adapt and specialise, so we can continue to provide the support children need. Remember, our goal isn't just to coach; it's to empower and by niching down and specialising, we can do just that.

So what can you do to position yourself as an expert Kids Life Coach? 

1. Never stop learning - do courses in your niche area, read books, listen to podcasts, consume academic research papers. Being a lifelong learner is important to stay ahead of the trends. 

2. Use your lived experience - don't under estimate the power of your own personal experience when choosing your niche. Parents are looking for you! They want and need somebody who truly understands their situation and this is you. 

3. Healer heal thyself - Make sure you have professional supervision or a life coach of your own. Turn to the experts who know and understand coaching and learn from them. To coach children you need to be coachable and you need to deal with your own trauma or any day to day issues which may stop you from showing up as your best self. 

At Kids Life Studio®, we believe strongly in the power of specialisation. Our Play Based Coaching System® is a testament to this. By using play as a tool for learning, we're able to engage children in a way that resonates with them no matter how sticky or tricky the topic is that we are addressing. We have moved from Kids Life Coaching only being a niche to it being a necessity to allow us to deliver sustainable results and make a real difference in children's lives.