My Professional Background
I grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA and attended college at the University of Pittsburgh where I studied psychology. After college I moved to NYC to earn my master’s degree at Columbia University’s School of Social Work. I began my career in a hospital supporting children and families through treatment for cancer and blood disorders. While working, I attended a postgraduate training program at the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research and earned a certificate in child and adolescent psychotherapy. Several years later I began working for a non-profit doing clinical work and program development.
After getting married, we moved to Scottsdale, Arizona to try a different lifestyle. I worked for a child development organization while also maintaining a consulting position for an NYC non-profit. Three years later I gave birth to my first baby. I was fortunate to be able to stay home with him while continuing to do some part time work from home.
My experience working as a clinical social worker and program developer has influenced my writing and my parenting. Most of my training and experience has been in child development, parent child attachment, infant and child mental health, medical social work, and grief.
My Parenting Journey
In 2012, we became pregnant with our first baby but experienced a heartbreaking miscarriage. When you read that only 10 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, a pregnancy loss can feel very isolating. Connecting with others who have been through it was helpful. Being open about my miscarriage enabled me to find validation of my feelings around a difficult loss, and the support I needed to maintain hope for future pregnancies.
We welcomed our first born baby boy in 2014. Because of him I quickly learned to adjust my expectations as a mother, and that adjustment helped me while parenting all of my children. He was the first person to confirm that I would adore being a mother and that my love and instincts could guide me.
In 2016 we welcomed our second baby boy. From day one I was more comfortable trusting my instincts. I was already aware of my parenting style and skills, and I had previous experience to rely on. Although we added another baby to our family and had to find our new routine, it was less of an adjustment in many ways. I loved growing our family and watching the precious sibling interactions.
In 2018, we welcomed our third baby, our sweet little girl. She surprised us when my water broke during my 33rd week of pregnancy. She was born 6 weeks early at 5 pounds and spent 11 days in the NICU. We were very fortunate because she did not have any health issues. It was both a beautiful and stressful time, but we know how lucky we were to leave the NICU when we did. Bringing her home filled my heart beyond words. Watching her brothers give her so much love created memories I will hold onto forever.
My Parenting Style
I relate with attachment parenting because it matches my parenting instincts and my natural parenting style. I also strive to follow gentle and respectful parenting. Overall, I take what I like from a variety of parenting experts and child development researchers. I believe in trusting my instincts and recognizing my children’s unique qualities when deciding what information will guide me.
My Writing
I love to reflect on parenting and beautiful moments with my children. I also love to rhyme and enjoy making up lullabies and songs for my children. My parenting experiences inspired me to write, while my professional experience and training as a social worker motivated me to think of articles and books to help parents and their children with communication and transitions.
