Kylie Morgan knows firsthand that parenting rarely follows the script. From raising four children through the Christchurch earthquakes to supporting two teenagers living with Type 1 Diabetes, her own experiences have shaped a deep understanding of the challenges many families face. Inspired to help parents move beyond simply surviving, Kylie returned to university to study child and family psychology before launching parent & thrive, an online parent coaching service. Today, she empowers parents across New Zealand and Australia to build stronger relationships, parent with confidence and create family lives that flourish. Here, she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the passion behind her work, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
My desire to help parents thrive comes from my own journey as a mother of four and the challenges our family has faced. I had my fourth child in another country, raised young children during the Christchurch earthquakes and later supported two teenagers diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Through all of this, I noticed there was limited support for parents like us – those who were not in crisis but still struggling. So I went back to university to do Masters of Science (child and family psychology) to be trained to help other families.
It was through my studies that I experienced firsthand how having a deeper awareness and understanding of myself, my children, how families work and the impact of our surrounding environment on the family shifts how you parent. By stepping back, noticing and reflecting before acting, I grew in my confidence, capacity and connection as a parent – shifting from reactive to proactive. It was a game-changer.
Because of these experiences, I am now passionate about helping other parents thrive, whatever their situation. I believe parent coaching is a powerful way to support parents who feel overwhelmed, struggling or just want to grow as parents.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I’m still in the early stages, but after finishing my coaching training, I started ‘parent & thrive‘ – an online coaching service.
I chose the word thrive because I believe it captures a beautiful picture of growth through hard and good times, leading to a person flourishing in all areas of life and giving back to others.
I also chose to do my coaching online to reduce the barriers many parents face, such as living in a remote region, limited transport or being unable to access babysitting. It frees everyday parents to be able to access personalised support when they need it. I now work with parents not just in Christchurch, New Zealand, but also around Australia.
I’ve reached out to schools and others to share what I do and how I can support parents, which has been well received, and I’m preparing to speak at a few local schools. I also offered a free coaching package at first, which helped me improve my skills and tailor my approach to parents’ needs.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough for me came from my studies, personal growth and working with parents: that being a parent is, first and foremost, about relationships, not a task we need to perfect. And as parents, we have to start with managing ourselves, not our children.
Connected to this is realising how important the role our values play in the way we parent. They are our compass, foundation and mirror. When we live in alignment with our values, we thrive, which means the family thrives.
Therefore, what makes ‘parent & thrive‘ unique is that our focus is not solely on the child and changing their behaviour. Instead, the focus is on supporting parents to grow so they have the confidence, capacity and connections to thrive as parents, which allows the child to thrive.
What I love about parent coaching is that it brings together research, tools and personal growth to help parents parent in ways that align with their unique situations, beliefs, values and personalities, no matter the situation.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Every week brings new challenges, and I often need to pause, review and reset because there is so much to juggle as a sole trader. It can be easy to feel lost or overwhelmed.
My husband is my biggest supporter. His belief in me and what I do has kept me going, especially during times when I felt like giving up. His support gives me the freedom to make mistakes and try new things.
My children have also been amazing supporters and keep me grounded. They remind me every day that the changes I made in my parenting, even when they were hard, have been truly worthwhile.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
I had to overcome my own beliefs about myself and my place in the parenting world. There are so many people speaking in this space, and for many parents, these voices add to their burden and fears. Also, some of the information is so polarising.
My desire is not to weigh parents down by adding to this space, but to help them grow so they have the confidence, capacity and connections to thrive as parents, whatever the season of life they are in and whatever their past was.
The other challenge is that parent coaching is not well known, so I have had to pivot and spend more time raising awareness of the role it can play in helping families thrive.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
One of the biggest pros of being a parent coach has been my own personal growth as a person and as a parent. The way I interact with my children now is so different to five years ago. I used to feel numb and react without thinking, but now I am more self-aware and proactive.
Furthermore, I shifted from living in constant worry and fear for my two children, who have T1D (which can be life-threatening), to accepting my limitations and focusing on building our relationship, not just managing their diabetes.
I also love that I get to do what I enjoy most: serving families. It’s a privilege to walk alongside parents as they grow and see them move from surviving to truly thriving.
On the flip side, running my own coaching business comes with constant challenges. I am still learning to live in the uncertainty of owning a business and the constant need to grow in many different areas and skills. Still, I love that I am always learning, even if it’s not always enjoyable in the moment.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I plan to keep growing my one-on-one coaching. It’s a privilege to support parents as they reflect, learn and build new skills that help them let go of parent guilt and find more joy in their children and themselves.
I also hope to build an online space for parents to invite their friends to join a small online group where, together, they can explore research on parenting, have time to reflect, learn new skills and support each other on their parenting journey. Parenting should never be done alone.
I have also launched a new coaching package focused on parenting in this digital world to help parents feel empowered to navigate this space for themselves and their children. It provides space for parents to step back and, based on their family values, understanding of child development and research, work out a framework for their family for navigating this fast-paced, changing world.
Visit the parent & thrive website to find out more, and connect with Kylie on Facebook and LinkedIn.
