There’s nothing wrong with asking a question
Don’t be shy; we don’t bite! We do get asked a lot of questions throughout the day, so hopefully we’ve managed to answer them below for you.
However, if you’re extra special and have thought of something we haven’t addressed, then please do get in touch with us.
We are all highly passionate and driven team with huge aspirations to change the world one child at a time. Our team of certified Kids Life Studio® Coaches come from diverse backgrounds but everybody has previous qualification of some sort that establishes them as capable.
Our team is made up of professionals such as Psychologists, Teachers, Therapists, Social Workers, Doctors and adult Life Coaches who have blended their formal learning and life experiences with our proven Play Based Coaching System®️.
Our global network of certified Kids Life Studio® Coaches that have been handpicked to be part of our organisation. Before enrolling as students our coaches are screened by completing an online application that amongst other things highlights their previous experience with children and qualifications already obtained. They are then involved in a face to face interview where they go through a further process of answering questions to see if they are a good fit for our organisation.
Once accepted, they have to produce a Police Clearance Check from their country of origin to indicate that they have no prior criminal record. They are also required to produce a First Aid Certificate and professional and public liability insurances.
Before they join us, all of our certified Kids Life Studio® Coaches verify that they have an established foundation and have shown us evidence of previous learning that may relate to any or all of the following fields: education, psychology, coaching or personal development.
To become a certified Kids Life Studio® Coach, they undergo rigorous training that involves research that is based on the 6 theories of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Social Psychology, Positive Psychology, Emotional Intelligence and Life Coaching.
They are also given mentorship that supports them through their 200 hours of learning where they need to submit assignments relating to their training. They also produce a final portfolio of evidence of their competence working with children prior to certification by participating in a case study.
All of our Kids Life Studio® coaches have enrolled in our extensive training through our Kids Life Studio® Coach Academy which includes submitting numerous theory assignments and participating in practical application case studies while being closely supervised.
When our coaches undergo their training, they attend twice weekly, supervision sessions online with other members of our global coach network and our verified coaches choose to continue this after their training is complete. These supervision sessions include best practices, case studies shared by experienced practicing coaches and mindset coaching. This personalised relationship driven service keeps our coaches on track to make sure that your child always gets the best!
As the leader in the kids life coaching space since 2003, our global network of play based coaches have a true passion for improving the lives of children. They are children’s change makers who have a particular way of thinking because they may have experienced their own childhood adversities so they understand what your child may be going through. They actively engage in making our world a better place one child at a time because they give what they may have needed when they were a child!
Rest assured, our Kids Life Studio® coaches are unique because they walk the walk and talk the talk! Nothing can beat true authenticity and unwavering commitment to your child. This can’t be taught but it is a gift that resides in their heart and it shows! They truly care!
All of our Kids Life Studio® certified coaches also aim to specialise in a niche area so that they can position themselves as subject matter experts and provide the best possible service and value to your child. This means they are dedicated lifelong learners and whilst they may not be traditional academics, they spend a substantial amount of time remaining informed by continuous professional development within our organisation.
Most importantly…they took their initial kids life coach certification training seriously by enrolling in our rigorous 9 month learning programme. They could have chosen to do a quick fix online course that is not evidence informed (like so many others have…) but they believe in accountability, rigorous learning and mentorship. They chose our organisation to equip them because they are invested in quality training, leading to quality understanding which leads to quality coaching with your child. No short cuts with our Kids Life Studio® coaches so rest assured your child is in good hands. We take great pride in our collective wisdom that we tap into on a daily basis through our global coach support network. Real-world problems are solved collectively and new perspectives are gained through working alongside other professionals and this means we really know our stuff when it comes to your child!
All of our certified Kids Life Studio® Coaches have been screened and interviewed before they join our organisation and because of this we can assure you that their calibre is high. Our team is only made up of highly dedicated professionals who support children unconditionally.
Each coach will be a subject specialist in a particular niche area so if you feel your child would benefit from added support relating to their speciality, then that could be a deciding factor for you.
We believe in the value of relationships and for this reason, we offer a no obligation telephonic consultation where you can see if the Kids Life Coach is a good “fit” for your child. We recommend you ask as many questions as you can so that you can set your mind at ease before making the decision.
Our verified coaches undergo ongoing professional supervision and development whilst our basic listings on our website work independently and do not verify their legalities with us. We can assure you that no matter which coach you choose, you will always be given the same world-class service where your child is at the centre of the relationship.
Did you know that your child’s brain will only be fully developed by the age of 25! This is why our play based coaching programme is suitable for toddlers to teens! We understand developmental psychology and we use developmentally appropriate tools and activities that children are easily able to understand, apply and internalise. Children tend to live very much in the moment and our concrete activities and measurable short-term progress is something that feels more tangible and relevant to them.
Currently there are many certified adult life coaches who choose to work with children by applying techniques that were originally developed for the adult psyche and are not suitable for getting the best out of the younger mind. We train a lot of those adult coaches when they realise that they are passionate about children but their original adult life coach training doesn’t get results with children.
We can proudly say that we have been leading the kids life coaching space since 2003, because our founder, Zelna who developed the programmes has an early career background as a special needs teacher, a Masters Degree in Clinical Child Psychology and is undergoing her Doctorate in Psychiatry at Oxford University. After her own extensive research she realised that there was no life coaching model that was suitable for children. So she took the best parts of well established, researched and respected psychological and scientific theories and created a programme over two decades ago that children can easily understand and apply.
All of our certified Kids Life Studio® coaches have also undergone extensive training and research into the Psychology of Childhood and have a solid foundation of knowledge that relates specifically to how children think, learn, act and behave.
We tell parents that they may choose to have insurance for their vehicles, homes and lives in the event that something may go wrong. Kids life coaching is like having “insurance” for your children. We don’t want anything to go wrong but we know that life is about overcoming inevitable obstacles and facing problems. Enrolling your child in a foundational coaching programme will give you peace of mind that your child will have the skills to become the leader of their own life rather than follow the crowd.
With so many external modern life influences beyond your control, a certified Kids Life Studio® Coach can support your child to build a foundation for making good choices even when you aren’t watching. It has been proven that building resilience, emotional intelligence, positivity, confidence and social skills are the keys to being able to cope with life.
Kids life coaching is about having a neutral adult who is there as a “tour guide” for unconditional support that gives your child the opportunity to “test drive” life and show their true potential even when faced with challenges.
We have two types of Kids Life Studio® coaches listed on our website. The first are our verified coaches who have verified legalities such as child safeguarding policies, first aid, professional liability insurance and police clearance. They also attend ongoing professional supervision sessions to ensure they remain up to date with latest research.
Our second type of listed coach has also undergone rigorous training through our Kids Life Studio® Coach Academy, but they work independently and don’t attend supervision sessions with us and they also take personal responsibility for ensuring all legalities are in place. They will still offer your child value, but we highly recommend you ask them to verify their credentials and take time to read the profiles of our premium coaches to see what their niches are and why they have chosen to coach children as a career. Click here to view profiles.
This is a personal question and will be related to your own unique circumstances and your child’s needs. That’s why our certified Kids Life Studio® Coaches offer an initial family consultation with you and your child to establish what outcomes you are looking for. Before the session, they will ask you to do a lifestyle assessment for your child so that they can make informed recommendations and tailor-make outcomes. In the family consultation session, you will experience some of the interactive techniques we use and also learn more about how your child will benefit. After this, you and your child can make an informed decision on how to move forward.
We understand that all negative side effects in a child’s life is a sign of an unmet need. Our tagline is “Where choices are made easy” and we empower children to become the leaders of their own lives by offering them access to a powerful toolkit which is easy to understand and use. When they feel empowered, children are able to look beyond their problems and make positive choices.
Our specially formulated Kids Life Coaching Programmes offer the essential Ingredients, to help to re-engineer bad habits into good habits through structured daily activities that lay the foundation for lasting change. These activities are based on forming new neural pathways in the brain which will ultimately overrule the old faulty belief systems. This results in better lifestyle choices and positive outcomes.
If you still aren’t convinced, why not request a taster session from one of our certified Kids Life Studio® coaches or look at our events calendar for upcoming workshops to experience our approach.
Our Play Based Coaching System®️ was designed and developed in 2003 and is influenced by ongoing research evidence that is trauma informed. The model is is easily adapted for tailor-made outcomes and it caters for all demographics, religions, cultures and backgrounds so that no child is excluded. This is based on the fundamentals of learning through play and children enjoy their sessions because they are interactive and fun.
Unlike traditional adult life coaching which doesn’t work for children, our play based coaching model is developmentally informed and takes the unique needs of children into consideration. One of the secrets behind our model is to work from the heart and to keep everything practical and tangible. This creates a coaching experience that is based on “out of the box” thinking, which appeals to the child’s inherent playful nature.
Our solutions are proactive rather than reactive and we achieve measurable results because we fully assess every child before we recommend a plan of action. Many life coaches who have not been through our rigorous training don’t understand the need for tracking of progress but our model relies on measurable results.
We have a 10-step coaching process that ensures that your child will show positive results after working with one of our Kids Life Studio® Certified Coaches. Click here to learn more.
Traditionally when parents are faced with emotional, social or behavioural problems in their child, they may choose to opt for therapy as a mainstream intervention. While therapy certainly has a place when working through psychological issues, trauma, or with diagnosed mental health conditions, it isn’t always the best choice for the child who might simply need some support in dealing with an obstacle they are faced with.
The idea behind therapy is to heal past traumas and understand behavioural issues. Kids life coaching is a process that involves clarifying goals and identifying obstacles to success and reducing problematic behaviours.
Our Kids Life Coaches work in collaboration with therapists if the need arises but in some cases we are obliged to refer children if they have:
- An active mental illness (depression, acute anxiety, etc.)
- A substance abuse problem
- Been exposed to abuse of any sort
- Mentioned thoughts of suicide or attempted suicide
Your child’s coach will work alongside your child’s psychologist in a non invasive way because we focus on skills transfer whilst their therapist focuses on processing the underlying issues that have resulted in your child’s behaviour.
We will assess your child’s needs before we commit to coaching them alongside their current therapist. Our online Lifestyle Assessment helps us to classify your child into three categories: Preventative, Behavioural or Psychological. If your child falls into the behavioural or psychological category your child’s coach will endeavour to work collaboratively with your child’s therapist or recommend an alternative. Since play based coaching and traditional psychotherapeutic techniques are completely different there is no chance of overlap but rather therapy and coaching complement each other.
At the Kids Life Studio® we have been working tirelessly to change the perception that kids life coaching is just for children with problems. Kids Life Coaching is suitable for everyday children with everyday challenges. We believe that every child no matter their background or circumstance can benefit from another caring adult who neutral and able to give them unconditional and structured support in a world that can sometimes be tricky to navigate.
Behaviour is made up of four components: acting, thinking, feeling and physiology. No matter if your child appear to be high performing or they are under performing, they will benefit from being coached to understand that they have control over the their lives and this relates to learning how to make good choices based on the fundamentals of goal setting.
Let’s face it, because children lack experience and perspective, they tend to make decisions that are impulsive and focused on immediate reward especially when they have faced previous trauma. Often this can get them into trouble or can cause them to be labelled or result in long-term consequences. Your child can be coached on how to more consciously self-evaluate so that the behaviours they choose have the best chance of helping them achieve what they want in ways that are responsible.
There is ongoing research on the impact of our modern world on children’s mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Being disconnected is the source of almost all human problems such as mental illness, drug addiction, crime, school failure, violence, abuse.
The optimal age to lay a foundation for making good choices is below the age of 12 and the younger the better. Your child’s coach will offer ongoing social support related to real-time life events and they will be given a solid foundation for becoming future well balanced adults able to be positive contributors to society.
Our philosophy is that laying the foundation for positive mental well-being should be proactive and not reactive. Many parents believe that their younger child will be okay navigating life with only parental support but research shows that it takes a “village to raise a child”. Where parents may get it wrong is thinking they can and should support their child on their own. This could potentially lead to problems in the teen years and this leads to lots of effort, time and expense to they try to fix things when they go wrong.
The main benefit of your child having their own kids life coach is that there is no emotional attachment involved. Working from a neutral standpoint, your child’s coach is able to objectively find solutions without falling back into past history. Although parents are natural coaches and able to support their children effectively, there is value in having a well educated bystander who understands the psychology of childhood. They can also be your tour guide to finding new perspectives for overcoming obstacles and give insights based on well researched scientific theories and methodologies that have been proven to work rather than you figuring it out yourself through trial and error.
We ask you to complete our Kids Life Studio® Lifestyle Assessment online at a small fee for a pre and post assessment with graphical results. This may also be presented to you in paper and pencil version if your child’s coach has purchased an honesty licence to do so. This helps a coach to understand your child’s unique situation and the underlying factors that may be impacting on their potential so that goals can be set.
To complete this assessment, you will need to respond to 250 statements using a rating scale of 0 – 3. These statements are divided into 10 categories that focus on:
- Family Dynamics
- Eating Patterns
- Sleeping Patterns
- Physical Well-Being
- Behaviour
- Confidence
- School Environment
- Social skills
- Stress Relating to life
- Toxic environmental influences.
After you have completed this Kids Life Studio® Lifestyle Assessment, you will be provided with a graph that will give you a snapshot of where your child’s life may be out of balance at this moment in time. Once your child has participated in a Kids Life Studio® Coaching programme, you will be asked to do the assessment again so that your child’s coach can compare results, review graphical representations and track improvements.
After we have assessed your child through our online lifestyle assessment, we will recommend a tailor-made plan of action based on your child’s needs which could include individual or group coaching.
If we recommend our foundation coaching programme, this is held over a 7 month time frame and consists of 4 x 45 minute weekly foundation sessions, 4 x 30 minute fortnightly maintenance sessions and 4 x 30 minute monthly maintenance sessions. If you enrol in a group coaching programme, this usually takes place over 4 x 2 hour sessions (but can vary).
We believe that motivation is a lifelong process so we also have building blocks programmes that focus on various life skills related topics and your child can enrol in any of these once they have participated in the foundation coaching programme along with additional holiday programmes and workshops so that you can maintain your child’s success.
Unlike traditional adult life coaching or therapy that charges per hour, we have put together a package that consists of everything that you and your child needs to make sure that they achieve measurable and successful outcomes.
Our global network of coaches all charge independent rates in their own local currency according to their experience. We offer high returns for your investment because we have the most comprehensive quality package that is guaranteed to show results. Since this is an investment in your child, you should assess the results you will be getting over the long-term and how sustainable it is for your child. Your financial investment towards your child’s play based coaching foundation package will include:
Assessment
- Initial telephonic/E-mail conversation
- Pre Coaching online lifestyle assessment analysis
- Pre Coaching family consultation
- Post Coaching online lifestyle assessment feedback
- Post Coaching family feedback consultation
Session breakdown
- 4 x 45 minute foundation sessions
- 4 x 30 minute fortnightly maintenance sessions
- 4 x 30 minute monthly maintenance sessions
Programme:
- Individual programme designed to suit individual needs
- Ongoing monitoring and support for goal setting and achievement
- Regular feedback and support to parents/caregivers and teachers
- Home based programme for transfer of skills and to maintain momentum
- A motivational kit bag filled with tangible tools
We have plenty of success stories of our Kids Life Studio® certified coaches and the results they achieve. You can visit our Find a Coach page to see the testimonials of the coach you are interested in or you can visit our Success Stories page on this website.
The emphasis at The Kids Life Studio® is on FUN! The language of childhood is play and we share the skills for flourishing through constructive play, role play, arts & crafts, toys, experiments and games. Our coaching sessions are very interactive and we spend only a small portion of time talking which means your child will be engaged and stimulated.
Children learn through doing so we get them busy throughout their coaching sessions so that they involve all of their senses which ensures maximum transfer of skills learnt. We also give your child a tangible toolkit bag to take home that reinforces concepts learnt in the sessions. This home based “adventure” ensures follow up and follow through of the skills learnt and assist in long-term results.
We never use worksheets because children have enough pressure at school and don’t need extra homework. Children love their coaching sessions because they get to do what they do best and that is play…but at the same time they understand the value because of the high intensity learning that takes place.
Just like a computer, your child’s brain will have the opportunity to “upload” good habits and routines that our worlds greatest leaders already implement thus giving them a head start in life. You will have peace of mind that your child can easily make good choices relating to their eating, sleeping, physical activity, leisure time, education and friendships. All of this will be linked to their ability to understand how their own brain thinks and behaves. This leads to sustained mental wellbeing which reduces their risk factor for becoming part of the global statistics relating to self harm, suicide, promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse, peer pressure, gangs to name a few.
There is ample research that shows that it is the quality and value of good adult role models that impact the most on children’s future wellbeing. When you enrol your child into one of our play based coaching programmes, they don’t just become our clients for a short moment in time. They become part of our Kids Life Studio® family and your child’s coach will build a solid relationship of support and show an ongoing interest in your child’s future success.
With the 3 pillars of happiness, motivation and inspiration underpinning their newly acquired leadership mindset, children often request parents to enrol them in future programmes or coaching maintenance sessions because they have learnt the value of ongoing personal development from a young age. This is how the impact of their initial coaching programme is maintained for long-term effect
Just like regular exercise builds up healthy bodies our unique kids life coaching programme helps to not only build a solid foundation for future wellbeing, but it strengthens body, heart, mind and spirit by following an easy personal development process.
Our approach is effective because our coaches are well trained through our Kids Life Studio® Coach Academy where they learn the fundamentals of developmental psychology, neuroscience, social support theories and bio psychosocial models.
Extensive groundwork backed up by neuroscience is done in our foundation play based coaching programmes and your child will be educated about how their brain works and why it works that way and how they can protect and maintain their brain health. The outcome of our foundation programme is for your child to understand the effects of their thinking on their feelings, behaviour and consequences and how this relates to their day to day communication and relationships. They learn to make better choices based on making lifestyle decisions that impact positively on their long-term mental, physical and emotional wellbeing outcomes.
When a child participates in sport, they understand the concept of having a sports coach to support them in mastering their techniques and learning the rules of the game. When they understand the rules and they practice, they become better at it and the game becomes more enjoyable.
A kids life coach supports children to understand the written and unwritten rules of life so that they can make good choices and become leaders of their own life. We recommend that you speak to them about great global role models or leaders in your own community and use these as examples of what your child can achieve if they have a coach to support them in building their own leadership mindset.
Staying connected with your child is probably the best thing you can do during your child’s coaching programme. You can support your child by eating meals around the table together, reducing screen time, engaging in positive active leisure time together, helping them building a healthy bedtime and wake up routine and feeding them nutritious meals with plenty of water.
You can also use the skills that your child is learning in your own life by being a role model for them. We recommend that you empower your child to take personal responsibility and that you avoid nagging if you feel they aren’t implementing their coaching skills. If you find that your child is lacking in motivation, we urge you to let their coach know so that they can support you in a non invasive way through additional maintenance sessions.
We also recommend setting up time for a “family meeting” once a week where you address any issues and strategise together as well as celebrate wins and successes together.
We don’t believe in adding extra pressure on your child when they may already have an be overloaded with school homework! What we do well, is inspire your child to engage in daily “adventure based activities” that take around 10 minutes a day and build a leadership mindset. They will get a take-home kit bag filled with motivational tools to help them with their activities and to transfer skills that they learnt in their coaching sessions. We recommend that you support them by doing daily check ins to see how their day has gone and what they have experienced through using their tools. A great time to do this is when you share a meal together at the table.
Since our online world seems to be overwhelming many children, we believe that now, more than ever they need to be around real people! Our highest value at Kids Life Studio® is building relationships and because we play with a purpose, meeting in person improves your child’s experience. Our welcoming venues also give your child a chance to relax and destress while they engage in interactive play based coaching. Some coaches do offer online coaching and house visits on request but they only do this after a full needs analysis so speak to them if you have transport issues or cannot fit the travel time into your calendar.
Our coaching sessions are usually hosted in pop up venues or full time spaces where children can relax and enjoy being inspired without judgement or stigma. Most of our life coaches work in fun, vibrantly coloured Kids Life Studio®’s. Kids love this because they are a welcome break from the formal school environment. Some coaches may also work online occasionally as part of your coaching package, but we recommend that your child attends in person as they will get better results.
Before your child’s first coaching session, you will have a family consultation where a coach will help to prepare your child for their coaching programme. Your child will learn what the programme consists of, they will see their take home kit and they will be orientated as to what can be expected in each session. After this, you can prepare them for their first coaching session by reinforcing what was discussed in this session and to answer any further questions your child may have. You can also go through the information and letter that your child’s coach sends you and perhaps spend time speaking about the outcomes that your child would like to achieve.
Many of our coaches offer group taster sessions for parents and their children. Check out our events calendar to experience our play based coaching techniques with a kids life coach located in your area.
Alongside this, you will be invited to a no obligation family consultation before a child commits to coaching so that you can see if their potential coach is a good fit for them. There will be a cost for this consultation session where your whole family can attend to work on a tailor-made plan for your child. To attend this session, you will need to do an online lifestyle assessment so that they can get to know your family before meeting in person.
Every child is a unique individual and so results will differ depending on needs. Ultimately, enrolling your child on their life coaching journey is about equipping them to make good choices by being the leader of their own life. The results you can expect include but are not limited to:
- Implementing daily routines
- Ability to handle stress and reduce anxiety
- Easier social interaction and communication
- Improved academic results
- Better listening skills
- Reduction in negative self defeating behaviours
- Relationships improve amongst siblings
- Better co-operation and ability to follow instructions
- More confidence and feeling self assured
- Less arguing at bedtime
- Choosing healthier, nutrition to feed their body, heart and mind
- Taking responsibility for their actions
- More responsible technology use which leads to improved creativity
- Being calmer and more focused
- Increased motivation with a willingness to try new things
- Increased levels of happiness and joy
- More peaceful home environment with fewer conflicts
- A positive attitude even when faced with challenges
- Leadership skills for making good choices
- Increased empathy and compassion
- Greater respect for themselves, their friends, their family and their planet
We coach toddlers to teens with a strong focus on children between age 5 and 12. Many life coaches who aren’t trained in our play based coaching methods, focus only on teens because that is where the problems usually surface. Our recommended age to lay a good foundation for play based coaching is between age 5 – 12. Our underlying ethos is underpinned by the value of preventative skills and implementing goal setting techniques related to making good choices before the ‘problematic’ teen years rather than wait until things go wrong.
Coaching is for everyday children with everyday challenges. We believe in preventative coaching but most of the children our coaches support are facing some sort of behavioural or emotional or social challenge. In some circumstances, a coach will also support your child who have been labelled with a disability or disorder. A suitable plan for your child will be discussed once you have completed an online lifestyle assessment.
Although our play based coaches are all trauma informed, there may be times where a coach may refer your family to a medical specialist such as a psychiatrist or psychologist for enhanced insights if they suspect there may be deeper intervention required from a doctor. In cases like these our coaches collaborate and work alongside the medical professional.
Our coaches specialise in family coaching with a strong focus on your child. They are on hand to offer ongoing support when things may get a little rocky or they could recommend you seek additional support with a parenting specialist in their network.
The home based activities that your child will complete, will also help your whole family learn new skills and we encourage you to get stuck in as it is a transformational process!
We also have an online parent programme accompanied by a downloadable journal that was designed with the aim of supporting parents to get back into sync with their own lives in only 28 days. Or you can order a printed copy available on Amazon.
We believe that for our play based coaching programmes to have maximum benefit, children need to willingly volunteer to attend. That’s why your whole family is invited for an initial family consultation where your child can ask questions about what coaching entails and they can experience the fun play based approach that we use.
In the family consultation session, we empower them by allowing them the opportunity to choose if they would like to attend the coaching programme. We are confident that if you get your child to this initial consultation, they will easily see the benefit of attending because it is non invasive, fun and proactive.
We recommend explaining to your child that they will only need to attend the family consultation and then after that they can make their own choice as to if they would like to continue. In our experience, children always opt in because our coaches have a natural rapport building ability that children love!
Every child and every family has individual needs and so we tailor-make the play based coaching programme according to what will benefit your children. The factors that will determine if siblings can be coached together include age, challenges and individual goals you would like them to achieve.
We will do an individual assessment on each child in the family and if they are able to attend coaching sessions together, we highly recommend this. Not only will it allow your children to support each other, but it will also lay a foundation for a leadership mindset that can be nurtured as a family.
We do also offer family resilience building coaching programmes where your whole family can transform their lifestyle and form a positive mindset.
We recommend bringing your partner along to our initial family consultation before you commit to sending your child for coaching. By including them in this no obligation session, they can see first hand how the play based coaching programme works and also ask any questions they need to.
You can also show them the results of our online Kids Life Studio® Lifestyle Assessment so that they can get a snapshot in graphical format of where your child’s life may benefit from support.
Our best recommendation though is to send them to this website to read the frequently asked questions!
Dependent on the choice of play based coaching programme, you will start noticing changes in your child within a few weeks. This is because we provide take-home activities that reinforce the skills learnt in the coaching sessions. These activities based on neuroscience, require your child to use tangible tools that help to rewire their brain with new beliefs, positive thought processes and habits that contribute to their overall improved mental well-being.
Our individual and group play based coaching sessions are generally anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours in length depending on the type of programme your child is enrolled in. Speak to your child’s coach about booking your sessions in advance so that you can always manage to work around busy schedules.
Once a child has built a foundation for their leadership mindset, we recommend enrolling them into additional enrichment programmes. We see these opportunities as lifestyle extra-mural programmes that facilitate self-development and the sustainable transfer of life skills. They include:
Nurturing Creativity through the arts,
Fitness classes for the body, heart & mind
Environmental Respect & Awareness
Responsible technology use
Allergen free cooking
Enhancing World Knowledge
Tutoring & Study Skills
Play groups
Holiday Clubs and Camps
Life Skills Workshops
Our results are measurable and because all families participate in a pre and post coaching online lifestyle assessment, we will easily be able to track progress. The programme is structured in such a way that we guarantee results if 100% commitment is made by you and your child. However, we want to remind you that every child is different, and sometimes “slow and steady” also wins the race so don’t worry if things may take a little longer than expected. Life happens and our coaches are on hand to help your child navigate the journey!
We have also found that with ongoing parent support and commitment to the process, your child will feel more encouraged to make better lifestyle choices. In our experience, your child will flourish if they participate in their home-based activities or use the suggested tools in-between their coaching sessions. It’s a team effort and your child’s play based coach will keep them motivated and inspired to keep on trying no matter what curve balls are thrown their way!
Our programmes include:
Play Based Individual Coaching programme: This is a 12 Session programme held over a time frame of 7 months either in person or online dependent on your child’s age and needs. There is a pre and post assessment done online to ensure the programme is tailor made and that the results your child achieves are measurable.
Play Based Family Resilience Coaching Programme: This is a 4-Week family programme that is aimed at parents and children attending alongside each other either as an individual family or alongside other families. The aim is to build communication, enhance relationships and consolidate family values.
Play Based Holiday Programmes: These programmes hosted during the school holidays are based on playful but structured activities that involve a complete technology detox for your child. They will learn cooking skills, do arts & crafts, get fit, build their eco awareness in nature and lay the foundation for being a positive contributor to our world.
Play Based Building Blocks Workshops: These workshops vary in length and cover a variety of topics relating to a variety of social and emotional skills. eg. Dealing with anger, sibling rivalry, overcoming divorce, making friends, dealing with bullies, communication skills, relaxation skills, overcoming anxiety, emotional intelligence, enhancing creativity, concentration & study skills.
The fact that your child will already have developed a relationship with their coach means that they will be there for ongoing support and we recommend that your child also attends a 30 minute maintenance coaching session every quarter to make sure they are on track and also to help them to strategise and set goals relating to their current circumstances. Motivation is a lifelong process and your child’s coach will offer the ongoing accountability that will them on track.
Once your child has completed our foundation play based coaching programme, we recommend they participate in a Building Blocks programme or holiday programmes or building blocks workshops so that they can reinforce the skills they have learnt. Check out our calendar for any upcoming events in your area or contact a coach nearest to you.
Kids Life Coaching remains an largely unregulated profession, and with no internationally agreed regulatory body in place in this comparatively new discipline, The Kids Life Studio® has taken the lead in establishing an ethical framework within which the profession can develop. All of our Kids Life Studio® certified coaches belong to an independent regulatory body that is relevant to their profession and country.
If you have a complaint, we recommend that you first address it directly with your child’s Kids Life Coach. If the matter cannot be resolved, you can lodge a formal complaint in writing to support@kidslifestudio.com. We do hope that this will not be necessary as since 2003, we have never had a formal complaint lodged and we take great pride in supporting children with quality service that always has their best interests at heart.
Our founder, Zelna Lauwrens started her early career as a special needs teacher. She also has a Masters Degree in Clinical Child Psychology and is undergoing completion of her Doctorate Degree in Psychiatry at Oxford University. She has spent over two decades, involved in validating her approach and our play based coaching programme is based on well researched evidence of what works for children. This includes neuroscience and developmental theories that build a growth mindset in your child.
We have a global network of alumni who have undergone rigorous training through our Kids Life Studio® Coach Academy. Every coach sets their own fees dependent on their previous experience, background and education. You will pay your coach in their local currency and they set their own fees. These fees will vary dependent on if your child is coached individually or in a group. All of our coaches offer excellent value for money but if their fees feel unaffordable to you, please request a payment plan.
Adult life coaching is not suitable for children since it doesn’t accommodate their unique development needs. However our play based coaching is geared to your child’s need for interactive engagement. It is goal orientated and we focus towards planning for a healthy lifestyle and making good choices that lead to good achievements in future. Although our coaching is trauma-informed, sometimes your child may need therapy which looks at their complex needs through a clinical lens and allows them to process what may have happened to them mostly through talk therapy rather than play. In some cases, a play therapist may be needed for younger children who are unable to find the right words to express their needs. We highly recommend trying our Play Based Coaching System® first since we offer goal-directed trauma informed outcomes that focus on current day challenges that may have arisen because of past experiences. Coaching in no way replaces therapy and we always recommend consulting a medical professional should you feel the need.