How to prepare for a parent coaching or child therapy session: what to note between sessions

Sessions are weekly, every other week, or monthly, and the week in between blurs. You sit down, get asked "how was it?", and all that's left is "hard," or just last night. That is not because you do not care. Details fade when the days are full.

To prepare for a parent coaching (parent guidance) session, bring two or three real moments from the past week: when and where it happened, what came right before, what your child did and what you did, and how it ended. Add what you tried and what helped, any changes in routine (sleep, illness, daycare or school), and one question you want answered. For a first session, bring relevant school or daycare notes too.

Below is a four-line template you can fill in two minutes the same evening, a short what-to-bring list, and how to open the session with one moment, not a list.

Kidsit is an AI app for the hard moment. It is not therapy, not human parent coaching, and it does not replace a professional. It can help you remember what happened, and that's it.

Why the week is gone by session day (and it's not you)

The Child Mind Institute notes that a therapist sees a child for one session a week, and that parents see the rest. What happens at home is most of the story, and it is easy to lose the details by the time you sit down.

Israel's Ministry of Health, on its page about how therapy with children works, makes a similar point: the child is with the therapist for about an hour a week and the rest of the time at home with parents, and parent work is an essential part of a child's therapy.

This page is not a guide to which kind of help fits you. It is for a parent who is already in a regular process and wants to arrive prepared.

What to note between sessions

You do not need a clinical file. A few lines, the same evening, about one or two moments, is enough.

A 4-line behavior log (two minutes, same evening)

For each hard moment, four lines. A phone note or a notebook is enough. The shape follows the behaviour diary from Action for Children (situation, behaviour, what happened next, and a short reflection), and the Child Mind Institute's suggestion to keep notes on how often, how intense, and how long a behavior lasts — in plain language, not a spreadsheet.

Describe what you saw and heard, not labels. "Lay on the floor and screamed" tells more than "was manipulative."

Note what worked, too

A quiet evening, a line that helped, a transition that went well. Action for Children says to record the positives too. Otherwise you arrive with only the hard moments, and the week sounds as if it was all like that.

Session "homework"

One line: tried / didn't try / tried and X happened. "Didn't get to it" is information, not failure. Your professional needs to know what actually happened at home, including when you did not get to what you agreed to try.

What you don't need to log

Not every moment. No labels. No identifying details about other children. Two or three moments a week usually give you something to talk about — that is an editorial suggestion, not a clinical rule.

This isn't ABA data

If your child's BCBA or therapist gave you a specific sheet, use theirs. This log is for everyday hard moments, not clinical data collection.

What to bring

• Two or three moments from the log, and the one that matters most to you.
• What you tried and what helped (Child Mind Institute).
• Changes: sleep, illness, daycare or school, a new sibling, a move.
• What daycare or school is seeing.
• One or two questions and one goal for this session.
• Documents only when relevant, mostly for a first session.

Before a child therapist or psychologist appointment

Describe what brought you, when it started, where it happens and where it doesn't, and what you have already tried. You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis. If you are still asking whether this is coaching or therapy, see which kind of help fits you.

When both parents come (or one)

Five minutes beforehand: which moment are we bringing today? That way the start of the session is not spent aligning, and a parent who comes alone can still choose in advance what matters most.

Monthly sessions

If sessions are farther apart, last week alone does not tell the month. Kidsit's daily or weekly summary covers only today or the current week and is replaced when a new week starts; earlier summaries aren't saved. So:

1. Once a week (say, the last evening of the week), open the weekly summary, if it is turned on, and jot two or three lines: which situations kept coming up, what helped, and one moment "for the session." A phone note or a notebook is enough.
2. Or, before the session, scroll through History (the list of that child's moments) and pick two or three.
3. Bring the four weekly notes, not the whole month.

There is no monthly summary, and no archive of earlier summaries or a way to browse by date.

Ask your professional what to track

On HealthyChildren.org, a page of parent tips for children's health appointments (last updated August 26, 2025), the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests bringing a list of questions, and asking whether there is information you should track before the next appointment. The same habit helps before a coaching or therapy session: if your professional wants a particular format, use theirs.

How to use it in the session

1. Open with one moment, not a list: "I want to talk about Tuesday morning."
2. Read the four lines.
3. Say what helped and what didn't.
4. Ask: "What should I try next time this happens?"
5. Before leaving, write one line: what we're trying this week.

The Child Mind Institute notes that stories help, because a child may present differently in the office than at home. A short story from home gives your professional something to work with.

Your professional leads. If they want a different format, use theirs. This is only a way to arrive with what happened, not a way to run the session.

Where Kidsit can help you remember (and where it can't)

When a hard moment happens, tell Kidsit by voice or typing; the moment is saved on your phone under that child. In Settings, turn on the daily or weekly summary and choose daily or weekly. It is built on the phone from saved moments: for each kind of situation it shows how many times things helped, didn't help or weren't rated, plus up to three fixed sentences about patterns that stand out. The details of each moment are in History (the list of that child's moments).

Use it to remember before the session, and if you want, open the summary on your phone and show it to your coach or therapist.

Good to know: the summary covers only today or the current week and is replaced when a new week starts; there are no earlier summaries. It can't be sent, exported or printed, only opened on your phone. The summary is included in the app.

It is not a clinical report, an analysis, a diagnosis, or a "report for your therapist." Kidsit doesn't know your family like your professional does and doesn't replace the session. What you show is your call.

More about what the tool is, and where the line is: Kidsit vs ChatGPT.

When not to wait for the next session

If there is a safety concern, a sharp change, or a parent in distress, do not wait for the next session. Contact your treating professional or your child's pediatrician; in an emergency, local emergency services. See "When not to rely on any of these alone" on the page about which kind of help fits you. This page does not list phone numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How do I prepare for a parent coaching session?

Bring two or three real moments from the past week: when and where it happened, what came right before, what your child did and what you did, and how it ended. Add what you tried and what helped, any changes in routine (sleep, illness, daycare or school), and one question you want answered. For a first session, bring relevant school or daycare notes too.

What should I tell my child's therapist?

Describe what you've seen, not a diagnosis: when it started, where it happens and where it doesn't, what you've already tried and what worked. The Child Mind Institute suggests keeping notes on how often, how intense and how long behaviors last, and telling specific stories, because a child can look different in the office than at home.

What is a behavior log for parents?

A short record of hard moments, and some good ones, so you can spot patterns and tell your professional what happened. For each moment, write four things: when and where, what came right before, what your child did and what you did, and how it ended. Describe it like a camera ("lay on the floor and screamed"), not with labels ("was manipulative").

What should I track between therapy or coaching sessions?

Two or three moments a week in the four-line format, one thing that worked, and one line on what you agreed to try last session: tried, didn't try, or tried and what happened. "Didn't get to it" is useful information too. If your professional asked for a specific format, use theirs.

How do I use my notes in the session?

Open with one moment, not the whole list: "I want to talk about Tuesday morning." Read the four lines, say what helped, and ask what to try next time. Before you leave, write one line: what you're trying this week. That keeps the session about what actually happened at home.

Can an app help me remember what happened? Does Kidsit replace a parent coach?

Kidsit does not replace a parent coach, a therapist or therapy. It's an AI app for the hard moment: you say what happened, and the moment is saved on your phone. In Settings you can turn on a daily or weekly summary that shows, for each kind of situation, how many times things helped, didn't help or weren't rated, plus up to three sentences about patterns. Use it to remember before the session, and if you want, open the summary on your phone and show it to your coach or therapist. It isn't a clinical report or a diagnosis.

Should I tell my child I'm keeping notes?

Decide that with your professional. Israel's Ministry of Health emphasizes trust and transparency in children's therapy. The log is a parent's tool, not something against your child, so keep it to facts rather than judgments.

My sessions are monthly. How do I not forget?

Once a week, look back and jot two or three lines: what kept coming up, what helped, and one moment for the session. If you use Kidsit, open the weekly summary at the end of each week and note the main points, because the summary is replaced when a new week starts. You can also scroll through History, the list of your child's moments, before the session. Then bring your four weekly notes.

Can I send the Kidsit summary to my coach or therapist?

No. The summary can't be sent, exported or printed. You can open it on your phone and show it if you want, or copy the main points into your own note.

Start now

Next time there's a hard moment, tell Kidsit what happened. Your first child is free, and saving moments doesn't need a subscription. Turn on the daily or weekly summary in Settings, and open it before your session to remember. Kidsit in English.

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Kidsit is not therapy, medical or psychological advice, and not a human parent-coaching service. It does not replace a professional. If you're worried about safety or ongoing distress, contact a pediatrician or qualified professional.