Interview with an Expert: Sari Goodman
Meet Sari, a seasoned school administrator turned parenting consultant, who launched The Parental Edge to support families in navigating the complexities of raising children today. From personalized consultations to collaboration with schools and caregivers, Sari provides actionable strategies to help parents feel confident and connected in their parenting journey.
Sari Beth Goodman is a Certified Parent Educator and Coach dedicated to empowering parents with practical, effective strategies to create a calm and supportive home environment. With a background in special education and experience as an elementary school principal, Sari’s focus has evolved to address the unique challenges parents face today. She holds a BA in psychology from UCLA, a Master’s in Education, three teaching credentials, and a specialized certificate in Parent Education and Coaching. Sari is passionate about guiding parents toward greater confidence and clarity, believing strongly that they deserve robust support at every stage of their journey.
Briefly tell us your story - what do you do now and what led you to your current work?
Over the years as a school administrator for TK-8th grade, I noticed a growing trend: parents increasingly sought me out for advice on navigating the challenges of parenting. I found myself having more and more of these conversations, offering strategies to support families in fostering positive relationships with their kids. Then one day, a parent shared that a friend—whose child attended a different school—was in need of guidance. From that referral, The Parental Edge was born, allowing me to expand my reach and empower even more parents to tackle their parenting hurdles with confidence.
More specifically, what services do you provide and to whom?
I provide personalized support for parents of neurotypical and neurodiverse children aged 2-14 through virtual consultations, with optional in-home visits. Optional services also include coordination with other caregivers—such as grandparents and nannies—and collaboration with schools for a unified approach.
What sparks your passion for your work?
My passion comes from a deep understanding of how challenging and isolating parenting can feel at times. There's nothing more fulfilling than helping parents feel seen, supported, and truly capable—it’s making a real difference in their lives that drives me every day.
What are some pressing issues or trends you see facing families in terms of parenting AND education right now?
One pressing issue families face today is recalibrating expectations around both parenting and education in the aftermath of two years of pandemic-driven isolation. I often hear questions like, “Shouldn’t my child/student be doing X by now?” These questions reflect a broader misunderstanding of the long-term developmental impacts of that period.
Curricular standards remain unchanged from before 2020, but there’s been little consideration for how the disruptions affected children’s academic, social, and emotional progress. Many kids missed critical milestones in skill development, which has thrown them off the usual sequences of learning and growth.
At home, similar challenges arise as societal norms continue to assume that skills like independence, self-regulation, and executive functioning align with pre-2020 age expectations. Without the organic opportunities to develop these abilities naturally, they now require intentional teaching and guidance.
Can you discuss the ways schools and parents can collaborate to best support kids?
Families and educators alike need to adjust to this new reality by offering patience, understanding, and targeted support to help children from where they are, not from where a scale or system says they are supposed to be.
How might we…? is the phrase to use as a starting discussion point for teachers and parents to establish a collaboration.
This might look like, “How might we build onto a child’s academic, emotional, and social skills from where they are at this moment in time?”
And “How might we look upon this plan from a strengths perspective, rather than a deficit perspective?”1
Anything else you’d like to share?
I believe that parents, as a group, are an underserved community when it comes to opportunities for personalized parenting support. That’s why my motto is:
"Asking for parenting help isn’t a sign of failure—it’s a sign of strength."
How do families get in touch with you?
My contact information is:
https://www.instagram.com/theparentaledge/
I have a monthly newsletter that offers parenting strategies and tools and with commentary on trends and issues in the news.
You can get more tips from my Instagram reels and posts.