Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a behaviour profile seen in some children, characterised by an extreme avoidance of everyday demands and expectations. This condition, first identified by child psychologist Elizabeth Newson in the 1980s, is now recognised as part of the autism spectrum by many professionals, though it is not yet officially classified as such in diagnostic manuals. 

So when a child diagnosed with PDA became one of my clients, I learnt first hand how my play based coaching methods proved to be very effective for this "label". As a general rule, one of the first things I teach my Kids Life Coach Certification students is that as coaches we never ever subscribe to labels but we do subscribe to the potential and opportunity for improvement in every child. 

For the purposes of this blog let us assume that the child I was coaching did have PDA. He exhibited a range of behaviours, including resisting and avoiding the ordinary demands of life, like me asking him to sit ...

As life coaches, we know that working with children often requires a unique, engaging approach. Children, especially those who tend to be excessively negative, benefit greatly from learning through play. Play is an incredibly powerful tool that can help children shift their mindset, regulate their emotions, and reframe negative thinking in a fun and natural way. Here are some top tips for coaching children to overcome excessive negativity, using some fun Play Based Coaching® tactics that promote positivity and resilience.

1. Create a Safe Play Space for Emotions
Before diving into the techniques, it’s important to establish a space where children can feel free to express themselves. Through play, children often feel more comfortable opening up about their emotions. You can use role-playing games to act out different scenarios where children express frustration or sadness. This not only allows children to process their emotions but also provides a healthy outlet for them to release nega...

Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity for teaching love, relationships, and healthy boundaries. The 14th of February is often thought of as a time to celebrate romantic love, friendship, and connection but as a Kids Life Coach, this can be a powerful moment to guide children through conversations about love, respect, relationships, and boundaries. Doing this in a way that's age-appropriate and meaningful can be a powerful opportunity because it's a chance to introduce the concepts of sex education and relationship dynamics in a loving, safe, and inclusive environment.

So how can you use Valentine's Day as a springboard for discussing these topics as a Kids Life Coach? Incorporating the themes of love, compassion, and healthy relationships into your coaching sessions in the month of love. Use these concepts to plan your age appropriate conversations around these concepts:  

Love and Kindness: More Than Just a Feeling

Valentine’s Day offers a beautiful opportunity to talk about l...

As a Play Based Coach, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative play can be for children. It’s more than just fun—it’s a powerful tool for growth, learning, and emotional development. But here's the thing: while play is a crucial part of a child’s development, it’s not always enough on its own. To truly support a child, it’s essential to collaborate with professionals from other disciplines.

Why? Because no one person has all the answers, and each professional brings a unique perspective that can enrich the support a child receives.

Holistic Support for the Whole Child

When a child is struggling, whether emotionally, socially, or academically, it’s rarely about just one area of their life. A child’s struggles often intersect with family dynamics, mental health, learning difficulties, or even physical well-being. As a Play Based Coach, I can guide them through powerful moments of self-discovery and resilience in a playful environment, but sometimes, they need more—perhaps a therapist f...

As a Kids Life Coach, one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of your work is helping children navigate the complex emotions that come with grief. Grief is a universal experience, but for children, it can be particularly bewildering and overwhelming. Having recently lost a friend to brain cancer and seeing her eight beautiful grandchildren left behind, I really felt prompted to give you some guidance on how we, as Kids Life Coaches, can support children through this difficult journey.

Understanding Children's Grief

Children's understanding and experience of grief can vary greatly depending on their age, developmental stage, and personal circumstances. It's important to remember that there's no 'right' way for a child to grieve. Their reactions can range from sadness and anger to confusion or even apparent indifference. As Kids Life Coaches, our role is to provide a safe and supportive space not only for the child we are coaching but for their siblings and parents, to expres...

As a life coach for children, I often emphasise the importance of honesty in my family coaching sessions—but how do we help families truly internalise this value? I often use the example of the childhood game "Truth and Dare" to shed light on why it can sometimes be difficult to show up with authenticity and to stay grounded in integrity. 

At first glance, *Truth and Dare* may seem like just a lighthearted game, full of giggles and challenges, but if we look deeper, we can see how it mirrors the challenges and rewards of telling the truth in real life. The “truth” part of the game is particularly significant because it forces players to confront the uncomfortable, the awkward, or the unknown about themselves and others. In a world where kids are constantly navigating new social pressures, "Truth and Dare" provides a safe space to practice vulnerability, build courage, and understand the value of transparency. However if not properly guided and supported, children can also sometimes le...

Since establishing the Kids Life Studio® Coach Academy in 2014, it has always been important to equip our students to be able to transfer and apply the theory we teach online, into real-life situations. 

In my experience knowledge is something that anybody can acquire, especially in this age of digital access with answers at our fingertips. But to truly be effective as a Kids Life Coach, it is about how you apply what you have learnt. Most importantly, to apply what you have learnt is about knowing who you are learning from and making sure they know their stuff! Owning the process of acquiring you knowledge and maintaining your lifelong learning is about discerning the white noise from what actually matters when it comes to coaching children! 

"Theory without practice is just as incomplete as practice without theory!  If you leave your personal and professional growth as a Kids Life Coach to randomness, you’ll forever be chained to mediocrity."

The reason why so many heart centred p...

I recently came across someone online calling themselves a "kids life coach," and I have to say, I was pretty taken aback by the content they were posting. It was misleading, inaccurate and quite frankly shocking advice for parents...(sorry I don't know how to sugar coat this!) They seemed more concerned about creating their lifestyle of coaching online and making money....and preying on desperate parents to do it!

If I was a parent, who was desperate and didn't know any better (ie. the science of developmental psychology)...my vulnerability and desperation may have made me susceptible to their words. I may have trusted them with my children. I may even have seen results for a short bit. But in truth...I probably would have found out the hard way in the long term that the bad advice this Kids Life Coach was giving me as a parent, was a ticking time bomb. 

It made me realise just how scary it is out there at the moment! Since the pandemic, anybody and everybody is jumping onto the dig...

One of my Christmas presents last year was the book: “The Psychology of Stupidity”. It was a unique book (perhaps a little “stupid" and I am not even sure I would recommend it....) and I finished it as my last read for 2024. 

It was a quirky, strongly opinionated, science backed yet eye-opening take on how we all have our “Wait, what was I thinking?” moments!  Some of us more than others though…The book was comprised of essays by prominent scientists and professors around the world giving their opinions of "stupidity".

These opinions found in the book really made me reflect on some of my own “stupid” moments from last year! We all have them right? It also led me to ask the question "Is there such a thing as being stupid as a Kids Life Coach?"

It turns out the answer I found is a resounding YES!

In my time training Kids Life Coaches since 2009, I have had many exemplary students but I have also see many students that flounder and fail...what is the difference between the two types? ...

As a Kids Life Coach, your mission is to guide and support children and their families through various challenges. The upcoming year, 2025, presents an exciting opportunity for you to fill your diary with your ideal clients who need your unique expertise. Just like we have 7 key ingredients for life, here is a 7 step guide on how to achieve a financially successful and emotionally rewarding year in your coaching practice:

1.Understand Your Target Audience: Your primary audience consists of parents and guardians who are interested in improving their children's lives. Understand their needs, concerns, and aspirations. This will help you tailor your services to meet their specific requirements.Get clear on your niche since the more you refine this, the easier it will be to get your ideal client. 

2. Create Valuable Content: Share your knowledge and insights about Kids Life Coaching through various forms of content. This could be blog posts, social media updates, newsletters, or digital ...