https://www.missamanda.co/

Location

Houston, TX and Winter Park, CO

Languages

English

Coaching SpecialtieS INCLUDE:

About This coach

I’ve been supporting families for over two decades - first as a nanny and now as a certified conscious parenting coach. I’ve been practicing and teaching parents positive discipline for over a decade. Like many, I first disciplined with the skills I had experienced and been taught by my parents - lots of time-outs sprinkled with a heavy dose of “because I said so”. That continued until I encountered an exceptionally strong willed child that made me question everything I knew about discipline. We were both having a real DAY - you know the one. He said something. I needed a moment. So, I put him in time-out. The moment I closed the door, he began to cry and through his little tears he kept repeating over and over, “don’t leave me alone! Please, don’t leave me alone”. I sat outside the door and cried too. What was I achieving? Nothing. My whole body was telling me this wasn’t right, wasn’t the way, and there had to be another way. That moment changed my life. That’s when I decided I would never do another time-out - and I haven’t since. Later that week I started reading Positive Discipline by Jane Nelson, Ed.D. and I haven’t stopped reading.

I recently had dinner with that now 15-year-old as he recalled a regulation strategy I first taught him when he was 3-years-old. Conscious parenting changes lives. It not only left a lasting impression on how he was able to navigate the world, it changed how his mom parented and is parenting into the teen years. Initially she thought I was a little crazy for some discipline techniques I introduced but as she watched, learned, and experienced the shift, her approach to parenting changed as well. She became my first accidental client. Her transformation didn’t happen overnight and it certainly wasn’t without a few bumps along the way. Learning is never linear, and sometimes even feels like you’re rolling backwards, but if you have a desire to learn and change, then transformation always follows.

In addition to coaching parents, I write children’s books and create digital download activity idea kits for families to connect. My first book, Edwin the Elephant’s First Night Alone is about gently transitioning from bed-sharing to independent sleep in a way that feels good for both parents and kiddos. I believe connection is the key to unlocking a child’s inner world and I love sharing the knowledge I’ve acquired over the last two decades.In my free moments you can find me on a walk no matter the weather, hanging out by my window hoping to see a moose, and experimenting with gluten-free baking which usually doesn’t go as planned. 

I am the coach for you, if you take yourself seriously but not too seriously, enjoy a little sarcasm, and want someone to guide you through the overwhelm of taking the first step! I have a gift for educating people in a way that makes sense to them. All of my sessions are 100% customized to your unique goals and needs. I can also help you create plans for sleep, potty training, transitions (and more!) that gets the results you want while still feeling good for everyone!

What Makes THEM Special?

My clients tell me that working with me not only helped them understand themselves and their triggers better but also helped them truly understand their kids’ needs and thoughts on their developmentally appropriate level. When we start, I do most of the translating but by the end of our time together, they know how their kids’ think & feel. They’re able to meet their own needs while still fully showing up for their kids.

I am a neurodiverse and chronically disabled person, so I have a special ability for working with parents of kiddos with neurodiversity, special needs, or medical complexities. I’ve personally experienced what it’s like to navigate the system and helped others along the way. Parents find it comforting working with someone that gets their experience without them having to even verbalize it. I also have a passion for working with grandparents that are doing repair work with their adult children and desire to have a different kind of relationship with their grandkids. I am a big believer in intergenerational healing when it is possible. The reality is, it’s not always possible because both parties have to be willing to do the work. In those cases, we work on coping and setting boundaries.

I have experience in the following areas: ADD/ADHD, adoption, alcoholism, ASD, BiPOC families, blended families, co-parenting, complex medical cases, death of a parent, divorce, down syndrome, gender affirming care, grief, immigration, LGBTQIA+ families, multicultural families, premies, refugees, seizure disorders, single parenting, verbal and physical abuse, working parents.

Reach out if you feel like we might be a good fit. I'd love to hear from you!

Ready to start parenting with peace and connection?