When I first started in the children’s services space, I knew we were in the business of teaching kids a valuable skill. I also knew that to succeed, we had to master something even more complex: serving two very different audiences at the same time.
In this industry, parents are the customers, but kids are the end users. Parents make the decision, pay the bill, and evaluate the value. Kids determine whether they are excited to come back. If either one is dissatisfied, you lose the family altogether. That is why every decision, from facility layout and curriculum to staff training and technology, must be made with both perspectives in mind.
Parents want safety, structure, and visible progress. Kids want fun, confidence, and connection. Winning in the children’s services space means delivering both, without compromise.
The Dual-Audience Tightrope
It is tempting for a brand to prioritize one group over the other. Parents control the purchase, so it might seem logical to focus all efforts there. The problem is that loyalty in this space comes from the whole family’s experience. If a child is not engaged and excited, the parent will soon look elsewhere. If the parent does not see progress or value, they will not renew, no matter how much their child enjoys the activity.
The key is recognizing that these two experiences are part of one emotional journey. When you serve both audiences equally well, you create a powerful flywheel. The kids are begging to return, and the parents feel they made a smart, meaningful investment.
Designing for Two Experiences
For any children’s services franchise, whether it is a swim school, daycare center, tutoring program, or family entertainment concept, facility design and brand presentation should strike a balance between kid-friendly and parent-approved.
Visually, spaces should engage children without overwhelming parents. Bright colors and playful touches appeal to kids, but clean lines, organized layouts, and well-maintained equipment reassure parents. Both online and on-site, signage and communication should be warm and approachable for children, yet professional enough to inspire trust for parents.
Outside of the facilities, technology should also serve both audiences effectively. In a swim school, parents benefit from tools that track progress, manage scheduling, and reinforce safety standards. Kids respond well to recognition systems and interactive features that celebrate their achievements. This combination makes the brand feel credible to parents and exciting to kids.
Training for Two Audiences
Frontline staff in children’s franchises play a unique dual role as well. They are role models, coaches, and companions for kids, while also acting as trusted advisors and communicators for parents.
Staff training should prepare employees to adapt their tone, language style, and body language according to the audience they are engaging with. For example, while working with children, the emphasis should be on encouragement, empathy, and making the activity fun. When interacting with parents, the focus should shift to professionalism and clarity, all while building trust.
Scenario-based training, role-playing, and job shadowing help employees practice these transitions in real time. The most successful franchises make this skill set a standard part of onboarding and reinforce it through ongoing coaching.
Embedding a Dual-Audience Mindset in Culture
Serving both parents and children should not just be the responsibility of frontline employees. It needs to be part of the company’s DNA. From marketing teams to corporate leadership, everyone should evaluate decisions through two lenses: how will this build trust with the parent, and how will it create joy for the child? At Big Blue, we think in twos – two audiences, two experiences, but all tied to the same brand standards.
Franchises that embed this thinking into their culture create consistency across all locations, delivering the same brand promise that resonates with both audiences.
Supporting Franchisees to Deliver Both
Franchisors play a critical role in helping owners implement a dual-audience approach. This starts by explaining why the parents’ trust must be the foundation of the business, then providing tools and resources to deliver on that promise while keeping the child engaged.
Support can include communication templates, customer service scripts, facility design guidelines, and programming ideas that highlight progress. At the same time, franchisors should equip owners with kid-focused engagement strategies, from recognition programs and service rituals that make children feel seen and valued.
Franchisors should also implement regular coaching visits and operational check-ins. These visits can help assess how well each location is delivering for both groups, reinforcing the importance of balance between the two.
In the child services industry, it’s important not to treat the parent and child experiences as separate tracks. They are connected, and the success of one depends on the other.
Build trust with the parents, but do not neglect the child’s perspective either, because their excitement fuels loyalty, retention, and word-of-mouth growth. The brands that scale successfully in the children’s services space are those that invest equally in both audiences. They design spaces, train teams, and build systems that speak to two very different sets of needs, all within a single, consistent brand experience.
By doing this well, you create a business that parents recommend, kids love, and communities rally behind.
Author: Chris DeJong, President and Founder of Big Blue Swim School