Kim Muench Website

Kim Muench

Certified Parent Coach

Kim Muench is a Certified Parent Coach based in Flower Mound, Texas. Certified through the Jai Institute for Parenting, she is the founder of Real Life Parent Guide, where she specializes in supporting parents of emerging adults (ages 18–30). Kim helps families improve communication, strengthen healthy boundaries, and build more respectful, collaborative relationships. A mom of five now-adult children, Kim believes a parent’s greatest influence comes from looking inward, growing, and modeling the emotional maturity they hope to see in their children. She is the author of the 2021 Amazon #1 new release “Becoming Me While Raising You: A Mother’s Journey to Her Self” and the forthcoming “Lost in Place: How to Motivate, Support, and Launch an Adult Child”. Kim has been featured on Fox News Radio, TV news segments, and podcasts worldwide. Her mission is simple: to help parents learn to parent with (not over) their adult children.

Education

  • B.A. Psychology (emphasis on substance abuse treatment), Argosy University

Professional Achievements

  • Nearly four decades of parenting five children and years of coaching families through “stuck” seasons
  • Author of "Becoming Me While Raising You: A Mother’s Journey to Her Self" and the upcoming "Lost in Place: How to Support, Motivate, and Launch an Adult Child" (late 2026)
  • A regular parenting contributor on WFAA News in Dallas

Certifications & Organizations

  • Jai Institute for Parenting Certified Coach, 2016

Favorite Piece of Advice

Stop trying to do your son or daughter's work for them. Remember, you only control three things: How you are showing up in the relationship, what you are willing to provide—physically, financially, and emotionally, now that they are over age 18—, and how you respond to their words and actions. Do your own work.

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Forum Comments (1)

What are essential things to know when starting your life as an adult?
What’s helpful to understand is that early adulthood, your 20’s, is a time of discovering who you are, whether that’s through travel, social activities, jobs, etc. Dr. Meg Jay wrote a book called The Defining Decade, all about the 20’s because it is an important decade. A good thing to keep in mind is that young people today are on different timelines than previous generations, so maybe don’t worry as much if you aren’t married, in a career, with a house as early as you’ve seen for your parents and others.

Q&A Comments (2)

Co-authored Articles (13)

15+ Signs Your Adult Child Is Toxic + When to Walk Away

Certified parent coach Kim Muench explains how to tell if you have a toxic relationship with your daughterDoes your adult daughter still throw temper tantrums, make snarky remarks, or give you the silent treatment? If so...

14 House Rules for Teenagers & Young Adults Living at Home

Parenting coach Kim Muench explains how to set boundaries when your adult child lives at home For 18-year-olds, living at home is a sensible way to weather a tough economy and build up to a more independent life. But liv...

11 Important Rules for Adult Children Living at Home

''Use these rules to create a contract that works for everyone in your home''Once your child leaves the nest, you don’t expect them to fly back home to roost. This change in plans isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fa...

How to Handle a Toxic Relationship with Your Adult Child

Parenting coach Kim Muench explains how to handle a toxic relationship with your adult childNot getting along with your child can ruin your day, whether they’re 6 or a full-grown adult. But sometimes conflicts with adu...

How to Deal with Selfish Adult Children

Parenting coach Kim Muench shares tips for dealing with disrespectful adult children Watching your child grow into an adult can be fulfilling, but also challenging when you see their negative behaviors affect their lives...

Does Your Child Resent You? 7 Signs to Look For

''How to recognize resentment and find a path forward''It feels like it was just yesterday when your child wanted to spend every waking moment with you and share every thought they had. But now it feels like they can bar...

How to Ask Your Child to Move Out (Without Ruining Your Relationship)

Parenting coach Kim Muench shares guidance on motivating an adult kid to move outYoung adults these days are not moving out on their own after graduating high school or college the way that they used to. In fact, it’s ...

What to Do When Your Grown Children Are Distant From You

Understanding and reconnecting with children who've drifted away Children grow up and move away, and that’s natural. But when that physical distance is accompanied by emotional distance, it may leave you feeling desert...

Child Estrangement: How to Let Go & Move On as a Parent

Learn to love and let go after your child has cut ties Saying goodbye to an estranged child can be painful, but it’s a necessary step for you both to move on. Even if you don’t fully understand their decision, respec...

How to Maintain Your Independence While Living at Home

Make living with your parents a better experience for everyone If you're a young adult who's recently moved back in with your parents, you're not alone. Studies show that around half of all 18- to 29-year-old Americans a...

13 Tips on Living & Getting Along with Your Parents as an Adult

Certified parent coach Kim Muench shares her top tips for moving back in with your parents Staying with your parents—whether you’re under their roof for several weeks or years at a time—can sometimes be tricky as a...

How to

Deal With an Alcoholic Parent

Certified parent coach Kim Muench shares expert advice for dealing with an alcoholic parentHaving a parent who drinks can be very painful and confusing. Your parent may have promised to stop drinking time and time again,...

How to

Deal With Your Teenager (for Parents)

As your kids go into their teen years, many things will begin to change. To get along and help your teen develop in a positive direction, you'll need to change your expectations and develop empathy, all the while establi...