I’m dedicated to helping you become the parent you want to be!
I am the proud mom of three grown children and the grandmom of two littles. Through my parenting journey, I have been a single mom while also co-parenting with their dad. My three children, regardless of growing up in the same household, required very different parenting styles. Some of our challenges included neurodiversity and anxiety, as well as the more common challenges that come with school, social interactions and homelife. I have also been an elementary school teacher for over 30 years. This experience has given me an awareness and understanding of many challenges faced by children and their parents.
I have a Master’s degree in education and also in Mindfulness Studies and Social and Emotional Wellness. This has guided me in my understanding of the cognitive, social and emotional development of children, which in turn has allowed me to better meet the needs of my students while helping parents with the challenges they might be facing at home.
What I have learned…
It is through these life experiences that I have learned that the key to parenting is creating connections. We must first have a connection with ourselves and what our thoughts and beliefs are in regards to parenting. Also, what are our values and our goals and how does all of this affect our actions as a parent? Becoming aware of these aspects of ourselves can better direct us to be the parent we want to be.
The next and most obvious connection we must create, is the connection with our children. I believe this connection is created when we meet our children where they are developmentally, model the behaviors we want to see in them and approach parenting as a partnership with our children, not a dictatorship.
The last connection we must create is with “our village” or community. This includes our spouse, our extended family, our schools, coaches, church community, etc. One of the beautiful things I learned as a parent is that other people can give my kids things that I could not give them. They gave my kids new experiences and taught them things that I was not able to. It is also a wonderful thing to have support during this journey, helping you to create a balance in life.
My goal, when working with parents is to create non-judgmental space where they can be heard, understood and guided to be the parent they long to be.