We Were Doing Parent Communication ALL Wrong

Picture this...

I'm sitting in a cafe, tears welling up, completely devastated after losing a client I'd poured my heart and soul into.

I'd driven her home from competitions, given free solo lessons, stayed late - and she still chose another studio.

That was my breaking point.

But it wasn't about her leaving. It was about how I was approaching relationships with dance families.

We just recorded a podcast episode that's basically our therapy session about handling parent complaints - and trust us, we've both been through the WRINGER.

We used to be the studio owners who would obsess over every single complaint. We'd replay conversations in our heads at 2am, imagine a million scenarios, and torture ourselves emotionally. Sound familiar?



Until we had that 'lightbulb' moment: Parents aren't the enemy. They're clients who are deeply invested in their child's dance journey.

Take a more recent experience. A frustrated mum emailed about her six-year-old's routine placement. Old Bec would've sent a defensive email. New Bec? I picked up the phone right away.

By listening - really listening - I realised this mum wasn't actually upset about stage positioning. She wanted to help her daughter improve, understand technique, feel confident.

The result? One of my junior teachers now provides extra technique lessons. A potential conflict transformed into support.

Our biggest lesson? Communication isn't about being right. It's about understanding.

We've developed strategies that transformed how we handle studio relationships:

• Reframing our language around parents and referring to them as "clients" to create healthy emotional distance
• Giving without expecting anything in return
• Picking up the phone instead of hiding behind emails

We are so passionate about this topic - and about saving your sleep and sanity - that we've created a FREE AI tool specifically for Dance Studio Owners called "Delilah".

Delilah is going to be your new bestie when it comes to planning tough conversations. Comment "difficult" on this podcast post to get immediate access!