Parent.prosper

Parent.prosper Louise Hurley | I help busy parents to build stronger family bonds without compromising boundaries |

I’ve done some pretty un-coachy things in my parenting coaching business.I’ve talked parents out of having more sessions...
27/09/2026

I’ve done some pretty un-coachy things in my parenting coaching business.
I’ve talked parents out of having more sessions with me.
I’ve asked questions instead of giving answers.
I’ve spent entire sessions talking about the parent when they came to me worried about their child.
I’ve told parents that the goal isn’t to stop every meltdown, argument or rupture.
And I’m actively working towards the point where they don’t need me anymore.
Because I don’t want a parent leaving a session thinking:
“Thank God Lou knows what to do.”
I want them leaving thinking: “I know what to do.”
Or sometimes… “I still don’t know exactly what to do. But I understand what’s happening, I can stay with it, and I trust myself to figure it out.”
That’s the work. Not perfect scripts. Not perfectly regulated parents. Not perfectly behaved children.
More awareness. More capacity. More repair. More confidence.
And eventually, a parent who can hear their own voice louder than mine.
These messages mean more to me than any polished testimonial ever could, because they show me the work is actually making its way into real family life.
If this is the kind of parenting support you’ve been looking for, DM me “COACHING” and I’ll send you the details.

One of the hardest parts of setting boundaries isn’t knowing what to say.It’s tolerating what happens after you say it.T...
26/09/2026

One of the hardest parts of setting boundaries isn’t knowing what to say.

It’s tolerating what happens after you say it.

The crying.
The anger.
The negotiating.
The “BUT WHYYYY?”
The asking again 47 seconds later as though the previous conversation never happened.

Because when our child keeps pushing, it’s very easy to think:

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough.
Maybe I need to explain it better.
Maybe they don’t understand.
Maybe I’m being too harsh.

So we add more words.

And more words.

And sometimes, without realising it, we move from setting a boundary to trying to get our child to agree with it.

But understanding a boundary and liking a boundary are two very different things.

Your child can understand perfectly well that it’s time to leave the park and still be furious about leaving.

They can understand that you’re not buying the toy and ask another six times.

They can understand that hitting isn’t something you’ll allow and still struggle to stop themselves when they’re dysregulated.

The goal isn’t to find the magical sentence that makes your child say:

“Fair enough, Mum. I completely respect your decision.”

The work is learning to hold the limit without needing their reaction to reassure you that you got it right.

Less convincing. More clarity.

And space for your child to have whatever feelings come next.

**Extreme and contradictory thoughts I’ve had about my coaching business this week:****I’m finally getting somewhere.** ...
25/09/2026

**Extreme and contradictory thoughts I’ve had about my coaching business this week:**

**I’m finally getting somewhere.**
I have absolutely no idea where I’m going.

**Schools are starting to see the value in what I do.**
Why am I having to work so fu***ng hard to convince people this work has value?

**I need to raise my prices.**
Who the f%€ is going to pay me that?

**I have too many ideas and not enough time to execute them.**
What if I run out of things to talk about?

**My children are allowed to struggle, dysregulate, push boundaries and have difficult days.**
FFS. What if their teacher knows I’m a parenting coach?

**I want more clients.**
Please, nobody else book this week. I have absolutely no capacity.

**I want schools to bring me in to talk about behaviour, rewards and motivation.**
Maybe I should keep my mouth shut about ClassDojo.

**Having difficult moments with my own children doesn’t make me any less credible as a parenting coach.**
Please, for the love of God, do NOT have a meltdown while someone who follows me is watching.

**I think I’ve cracked it.**
45 minutes later: Burn the whole fu***ng thing down.

**I want to say things that challenge how we think about children.**
I also want everyone who reads them to like me.

Turns out building a business you deeply care about involves holding a ridiculous number of contradictory truths at the same time.

24/09/2026

One of the biggest shifts I see parents making is realizing that a successful boundary isn’t when their child happily accepts.
We’ve somehow absorbed the idea that if we explain it well enough, validate enough, stay calm enough, or use exactly the right words, our child will eventually say- OK Mum I understand😂

Sometimes they will.
Sometimes they’ll be absolutely furious.

Your job isn’t to make the boundary feel good to your child. It’s to make sure it’s reasonable, respectful, and something you’re actually prepared to hold.

Their job is to have feelings about it. And this is where boundaries get hard because holding a limit while your child is disappointed or angry or protesting so much in it.

And that’s also why we start over explaining giving another chance negotiation moving the Goal posts or getting angry.

And that happens because we are still learning the connection doesn’t require agreement. Your child can feel really irritated and annoyed with your decision and still feel safe loved and connected to you.

Save this one for the next time your child’s reaction makes you question perfectly un reasonable

One of the biggest shifts I see parents making is realizing that a successful boundary isn’t when their child happily ac...
24/09/2026

One of the biggest shifts I see parents making is realizing that a successful boundary isn’t when their child happily accepts.
We’ve somehow absorbed the idea that if we explain it well enough, validate enough, stay calm enough, or use exactly the right words, our child will eventually say- OK Mum I understand😂

Sometimes they will.
Sometimes they’ll be absolutely furious.

Your job isn’t to make the boundary feel good to your child. It’s to make sure it’s reasonable, respectful, and something you’re actually prepared to hold.

Their job is to have feelings about it. And this is where boundaries get hard because holding a limit while your child is disappointed or angry or protesting so much in it.

And that’s also why we start over explaining giving another chance negotiation moving the Goal posts or getting angry.

And that happens because we are still learning the connection doesn’t require agreement. Your child can feel really irritated and annoyed with your decision and still feel safe loved and connected to you.

Save this one for the next time your child’s reaction makes you question perfectly un reasonable

23/09/2026

If I could go back and start my coaching business all over again, there are a LOT of things I’d do differently .

if you’re building your business what’s one thing you’d wish you’d learned earlier, because I’m fairly certain I have a few more lessons coming my way 😂

I nearly scrolled past this event.Interesting? Definitely..Relevant to my work? Absolutely.Could I also just stay home a...
22/09/2026

I nearly scrolled past this event.

Interesting? Definitely..
Relevant to my work? Absolutely.

Could I also just stay home and get on with my never-ending to-do list? 😅 also yes.

When I first started my Parent Coaching business, I genuinely believed that if I worked hard, shared, valuable content, and was good at what I did, that would be enough.

What I underestimated was the value of people.
Some of the most interesting opportunities I’ve had over the last couple of years have started with a conversation, and introduction, a coffee, or simply being in the right room.

Networking still doesn’t come naturally to me. I am an introvert, I like my comfort zone.

But I’m getting much better at recognizing when staying comfortable might also mean staying small.
So tomorrow, I’m going.

And actually, I’m really looking forward to it.

Here’s to getting in the room. 🩷

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