Parenting vs Managing: Why Your Leadership Skills Don’t Always Work at Home!

Stop right there! Did you ever wonder why the slick management strategies that win over your work team seem to crumble when faced with a teary toddler or a frustrated teen? Trust me, I’ve tried—and today, I’m sharing the eye-opening reality of parenting versus managing, straight from my daily Runpreneur journey, now proudly smashing past day 1,854 on my mission to run 40,075 km barefoot and raise £1,000,000 for children’s causes.

Keywords: Parenting vs Managing, Leadership, Feedback Framework, Runpreneur Challenge, Children’s Causes, Barefoot Ultramarathon, Family Life, Emotional Intelligence, Constructive Feedback

Why Being a Good Manager Isn't Enough at Home

Let’s be honest—whether you’re steering a team at work or guiding your children, giving feedback is never easy. For years, I’ve lived by a framework I picked up from the book The Effective Manager. It’s brilliantly simple, and I use it every day in my professional life:

1. Ask Permission – “Can I give you some feedback?”

2. Explain What Happened – Outline the trigger.

3. Share the Outcome – What was the result of their action?

4. Suggest Improvements – What could be done better next time?

It works wonders in the business world. You respect boundaries, offer logic-based advice, and build positive relationships with your team. But what happens when you try this with your kids? Spoiler: It’s chaos.

The Parenting Paradox: Logic Meets Emotions

Here’s the reality—children are not mini-adults. With my teenagers, I can just about get away with offering “constructive” feedback, and sometimes they take it on board. But my younger ones? Logic and rationale go out the window. Instead of engaging calmly, they’re all about raw emotion, instant reaction, and showing you in no uncertain terms how “not-happy” they are!

I’ve found that with younger children, timing is everything. Try to give feedback too soon (especially when emotions are running high), and you’ll get fireworks instead of learning. Unlike adults, kids may say “yes” to feedback—even when they don’t mean it. As a parent, it’s my job to judge whether they’re genuinely ready to receive input, or if what they really need is space.

My Ultimate Mission: Beyond the Runpreneur Challenge

Every day, I lace up—well, go barefoot—and hit the road, not just to break records, but to save lives. My aim is clear: to go beyond day 4,292 of the Runpreneur Challenge, run the distance of a lap of the world (40,075 km!), and raise a monumental £1,000,000 for children’s causes. The wisdom I share here isn’t just about family, feedback or running—it’s about learning, adapting, and supporting kids in every way possible.

Join the Conversation—Share Your Parenting Wins & Fails

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no expert. There are days I get it completely wrong, at home and at work. But by sharing these raw, real-life lessons, I hope you’ll do the same. How do you handle feedback with your kids? What’s worked (or spectacularly failed) for you? Let’s swap stories—your insights could help me, and others, navigate this tricky world of parenting vs. managing.

Are you ready to make every step count?
Subscribe, share, and comment below to join me in raising life-changing funds for children—because every like could help save a life.

Stay positive, stay happy. See you tomorrow on the Runpreneur journey!

Help spread the word: Supporting my challenge means supporting children in need. Let’s smash the £1,000,000 goal together!