You’ve had the glowing school report. “A joy to teach,” they say. “Kind, attentive, always helpful.” And you might even believe it – until 3:45pm hits.

Because the moment that school gate swings open, a different child emerges. One who snaps, stomps, slams, melts down, or seems permanently coiled like a spring. And you wonder, not for the first time, who’s right: the teacher or you?

When School Sees an Angel – and You See a Storm

Parents often tell me, “It’s like they wear a mask.” And you know what? Sometimes they do. In neurodivergent children especially, masking is common. They hold it together under the structure, social pressure, and rules of school. Then they get home – their safe space – and unravel. The control evaporates, and the emotions flood in.

Other times, it’s not masking. It’s the contrast in boundaries. School is often a tightly run ship. Home, by necessity or exhaustion, might be more flexible. Children quickly learn what they can get away with in each place. And while that doesn’t make you a “bad” parent, it does mean that inconsistency could be part of the problem.

A coaching franchise like NLP4Kids exists to tackle exactly this grey area – when it’s unclear whether you’re facing a behaviour problem, an emotional regulation issue, or something deeper entirely.

“My little cousin said it feels like beetles in his tummy – biting, biting, biting.”

Children don’t always have the language for how they feel. What comes out instead is anger, withdrawal, rudeness, or anxiety. Sometimes they use metaphors that sound bizarre, but when you learn to listen differently, they start to make sense. The beetles? That was a stomach bug my cousin couldn’t describe. He was sick five minutes later.

Children need better tools than just “I feel sad” or “I’m angry.” NLP techniques don’t just give them emotional vocabulary – they provide a whole sensory toolkit. A way to describe, process, and transform how they experience the world. Through story, metaphor, body language, and curiosity, NLP can uncover what’s going on beneath the behaviour.

You can’t fix what you don’t understand – and that’s where NLP4Kids practitioners come in.
We know the questions to ask. We know how to listen.

Where Does the Solution Start?

Whether it’s masking or boundary-testing, the first step is not to wait for the problem to grow teeth. Begin at home by tightening rules, setting clearer rewards and consequences, and creating dedicated space for emotional expression. But don’t stop there. If your child struggles to verbalise or understand their own emotions, you need help unravelling what’s going on internally.

That’s where we step in. NLP4Kids practitioners are trained to read between the lines, to dig beneath the surface of outbursts and avoidance, and to help children articulate what they haven’t yet learned to say.

And if you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to be the one helping children like this,” then maybe it’s time to explore whether our coaching franchise is the next right move for you too. With demand for child-focused mental health support growing year on year, there’s never been a more important time to step into this work.

You Don’t Have to Guess Anymore

If you’re tired of the Jekyll and Hyde routine, tired of school reports that don’t match home life, tired of second-guessing your parenting – reach out. Whether you need support for your child or are ready to be part of the solution by joining our coaching franchise, we’re here to help.

by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai)

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