We recently connected with Celia Kibler and have shared our conversation below.

Celia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

One of the most impactful pieces of advice I’ve given to clients centers around understanding that successful parenting is not about quick fixes, but about mastering a system. This system is designed to bring consistent, calm cooperation into their homes while reducing frustration and stress. I explain to my clients that I will guide them through this process, step by step, helping them master essential tools and strategies to improve communication, set effective boundaries, and nurture respectful, cooperative relationships with their children.

By adopting this approach, clients find they no longer need to resort to yelling or other aggressive forms of communication. Instead, they build a positive, supportive environment that encourages calmness and cooperation. The benefits are profound—children become more attentive, responsible, and respectful, and parents feel more confident and less overwhelmed. This transformation leads to a stress-free, harmonious home life where every family member feels heard, valued, and understood.

With one family, they were having multiple tantrums with their kids on a daily basis and they were avoiding activities in fear of their youngest throwing a tantrum. They stopped going to Sunday dinners at their parent’s house, as well as other activities they would avoid, in fear of triggering an outburst. Through my coaching they learned why the kids were having tantrums, what their response had to do with the tantrum cycle continuing and resulting in reducing tantrums to only once or twice a month and doing what they had planned without the fear of aggressive or out of control responses.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For those who may not have heard about me before, I’m an internationally recognized parenting expert and speaker, award-winning author, and coach with over 41 years of real-life parenting experience, including 29 years of raising a blended family. I’ve dedicated my life to helping parents create calm, cooperative, and respectful homes. My journey into this field began from a deep passion for guiding parents to break the cycles of frustration and stress, and it has grown into a mission to support families worldwide in building more harmonious relationships. Over the past four decades, I’ve had the privilege of working with families in various capacities, including as a preschool teacher, kids fitness teacher of all kids including special needs kids & adults, family & relationship coach and therapist, giving me a well-rounded perspective on the challenges parents face.

I offer a range of products and services designed to empower parents to bring peace and cooperation into their homes without feeling overwhelmed. These include independent courses like the Peaceful Path, group coaching through my Tranquility Tribe and Serenity Circle, and personalized, one-on-one private coaching. I also collaborate with schools, universities, daycares, and other organizations to extend my reach and support to parents in different community settings. What sets me apart is my ability to provide practical, peaceful solutions that are easy to understand and implement. I’m proud of my skill in helping parents resolve just about any parenting challenge, as long as they are willing to take advice and put it into consistent action.

My mission is to help 20,000,000 parents stop yelling at their kids, and I am already halfway there, having reached over 10,000,000 parents globally. I also lead the Day of Calm Foundation, whose mission is to address the worldwide epidemic of anger and rage impacting the safety and well-being of children. Through all my efforts, my goal is to create a world where children grow up in loving, calm, and respectful environments, and parents feel confident, capable, and supported in their parenting journey. This work affects the safety of our children and continues by raising generations of adults that do not have to recover from their childhood and are not filled with anger and rage, bringing an end to the violence that is literally killing our kids.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A crucial lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that I was mediocre and the “dumbest” in my family. Growing up, my dad, a brilliant man who achieved incredible things, such as contributing to the development of airplane seatbelts for automobiles, designing the fastest warship still recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records, and working on the Apollo mission, always seemed to struggle with feelings of inadequacy. Despite his significant contributions to mankind, he felt average and was never truly happy with himself. This deep-seated belief was rooted in the physical and mental abuse he endured as a child, which left him feeling unworthy.

Though my dad never physically abused us, he often expressed his frustration through yelling and name-calling, particularly directed at my mom. There was love in our home, but this dynamic had a profound impact on my mindset. I internalized his behavior and began to see myself through a similar lens, believing I wasn’t smart or capable. Over time, I realized that intelligence and wisdom manifest in various forms, and the environment I grew up in had shaped my self-perception in ways that weren’t accurate.

Understanding my dad’s struggles and why he would act out in rage helped me gain empathy, not just for him, but also for myself. It allowed me to see that these feelings of inadequacy weren’t truly mine; they were a product of my environment. This insight empowered me to challenge those beliefs and continues to fuel my mission to help all children feel worthy, respected, and appreciated. By understanding my own experiences, I aim to break the cycle and encourage kids to embrace their unique strengths and know their worth, no matter what challenges they face.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Aside from training and knowledge, I believe that being a parent yourself is one of the most essential elements for succeeding in the field of parenting coaching. You can read all the books, study all the theories, and acquire countless certifications, but nothing truly prepares you for the realities of parenting like firsthand experience. Parenting is an unpredictable, ever-changing journey filled with highs and lows, and it’s only by living through these experiences that you gain the kind of empathy, patience, and understanding that parents need in a coach.

We are all human, and with humanity comes good days and bad. As a parent, you’ve dealt with the sleepless nights, the tantrums in public, the daily juggle of responsibilities, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with raising children. These moments teach resilience, adaptability, and the ability to find calm amidst chaos—skills that you can’t fully grasp from textbooks alone. It’s through these real-life experiences that you develop practical, relatable strategies that work because they’ve been tested and proven in everyday situations.

Being a parent allows you to connect deeply with other parents because you understand what they’re going through on a personal level. This authenticity is what makes your guidance credible and effective. Parents can tell when their coach truly “gets it” because they’ve been there themselves, and that connection is invaluable in helping them trust your advice, apply your strategies, and ultimately find success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://celiakibler.com; https://dayofcalm.org; https://pumpedupparenting.com; https://funfit.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parenting_expert_toddlers/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celia.kibler
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celiakibler/
• Twitter: https://x.com/CeliaKibler
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PumpedUpParenting