Connect. Transform. Discover.
Since I was trained and certified as a Montessori teacher way before having children of my own, I always strived to “follow the child as his leader” and model grace and courtesy as much as possible.
As a young mom, my goal was to maintain a close relationship with my children while fostering their true essence.
My reality during those early years was balancing all the demands of being a teacher, mom, wife and just holding it down while my husband worked long hours in grad school & building his business.
I quickly realized how difficult it became to navigate all of life’s challenges while raising my tiny humans. It was during these lonely parenting moments, I found myself becoming more reactive with my own children and repeating unwanted patterns from my own childhood.
I wanted everything around me to change so that I could do better. I really didn’t know what I was missing until I realized that I had to be the one to change to be a better mom.
So, if it seems like you have a lot of things working against you or if it seems way too hard, I just want to share through my experience that you get to have a huge impact when you take ownership, responsibility and decide to do something different. Things will just start to shift for you towards an even bigger and long lasting impact.
Now as a certified parent coach, seasoned mom of 3 boys, I DEEPLY understand the challenges of parenting children of different developmental stages in this modern world.
We face new challenges, our parents did not face. I love having the opportunity to support parents to make long lasting connections with their children.
I am an imperfect parent- I make mistakes, get annoyed, overwhelmed and frustrated with my kids.
But what I learned to be MY truth is that:
- Effective communication was not modeled for me
- I need time to process challenges
- My needs are equally important
- I am the model for navigating through big emotions
- I now know where my triggers stem from
- I have compassion for myself
- I have a plan for new obstacles & for when I mess up
I continue to do the work each day and I am grateful that our family connection continues to flourish and we have developed better communication tools.
My boys know that we are all growth partners, we love unconditionally and my husband and I are their safe space.
Honestly though, the best gift you can give your children is doing the work of re-parenting YOURSELF.
I’d love to guide you to discover a more peaceful path in your parenting. We can walk into your past, so that you can intentionally show up for your children and for yourself each day!
Your children deserve the best version of YOU and so do you.
Let me help you thrive, not just survive!
Teaching Experience
Dr. Maria Montessori believed in multi-age grouping by Planes of Development and the security of being with the same teacher for 3 years.
Ages 3-6
Twin Parks Montessori School New York, NY
Ages 6-9
Montessori Preparatory School Tampa, FL
The Montessori House Day School Tampa, FL
Countryside Montessori Charter School Land O’ Lakes, FL
Ages 9-12
The Montessori House Day School Tampa, FL
Education
- B.A. in Spanish, University of Central Florida
- Montessori Early Childhood (3-6), NCME
- Montessori Elementary I (6-9), AMS
- K-6 State Certified, ESOL & ESE endorsed, FLDOE
- Certified Parent Coach, The Jai Institute for Parenting
Over the decades teaching children of various Planes of Development, I spent countless hours supporting parents with different parenting challenges.
By providing strategies and different perspectives, I was able to help parents bridge home and school environments by helping them gain a wider understanding of the whole child.
The challenge though was always time! The time to really dive deeper and provide parents the continued support they really needed was not available to me as a classroom teacher.
This became apparent to me that with my expertise I could create a space to help parents discover their true potential in parenting.
This was a natural transition for me to carry my understanding of child development into educating and coaching adults on how to improve communication and interactions with their children. As a certified parent coach, I continue to touch the lives of many children through their parents.
You should also know these random but necessary facts about me...
- Both grandmothers were friends in 🇨🇴 & shared a birthday 12/12 (parent's 💒 anniversary)
- I grew up in Florida 🌴
- I spent my last summer in college studying abroad 🇪🇸
- My husband and I met ⛷️skiing
- I am a mama to three AMAZING boys 💙
- I love wearing flip flops 👣
- The beach is my happy place 🌅
- I’d prefer it to be 80 degrees all the time ☀️
- I love adventuring with my family and friends 📸
I help parents learn a fresh perspective of empowerment for emotional intelligence and non-violent communication for all members of the family. I help parents build a deeper, long-lasting connection with their children while unleashing residuals from their own childhood.
As a mom of 3 boys, I understand the daily challenges of parenting children of different developmental stages. Every child comes into this world with beautiful, unique gifts to offer and sometimes, they surprise us with their even bigger personalities!
As a young mom, I always dreamed of having a close connection with my children while fostering their true essence. Since I was trained and certified as a Montessori teacher way before having children of my own, I always strived to “follow the child” and model respect, love and empathy as much as possible.
When I became a mom, I quickly realized how difficult it became to navigate all of life’s challenges while raising tiny humans. I’m not going to lie, I have had my share of moments, where I would find myself more reactive than reflective with my own children. It usually would happen when I had an unmet need. I would find myself repeating patterns from my own childhood.
So what did I do? I did some work on myself. I discovered how some childhood experiences were actually showing up in my parenting. Once I recognized these unconscious triggers, I was able to consciously choose what I wanted to serve me best. With a lot of practice, I learned how to control my reactivity more consistently in order to foster a deeper connection with my children regardless of any stressful situation.
I can honestly say that my relationship with my two teens and 8 year old is thriving more than ever. It continues to be a work in progress and when I mess up, because I do, I am sure to own it and apologize. Ultimately, I am grateful they know they are loved unconditionally and are at liberty to come to me for literally anything–good or bad!
Over my 22 years of teaching at Montessori schools ages 2-12 in New York City and the Tampa Bay area, I would find myself spending a lot of our parent-teacher conferences discussing parenting issues. I would provide suggestions and strategies to help support families that were struggling and desperate to find peace in their homes. There just wasn’t enough time and too many restrictions to dive deeper and provide them with the support they actually needed. It became apparent to me that there was a need to help parents discover their true potential in parenting. I found my calling!
Along with my teaching & ESE certification, I am also certified as a parent coach through the Jai Institute for Parenting and am the proud owner of Practical Life Parenting-The Parent Life Coach. By understanding the latest research in the nervous system and brain science as well as conscious and intentional practices, I can help you make a transformation in your parenting.
Through my parent centric program, I will be your guide as you discover a new path to parenting rooted in empathy, connection, and communication. My program consists of a 12 week online parenting course with me as your coach. I offer a safe space where I help parents figure out why specific situations with their children are so triggering. I walk with you into the “weight” of your past, so that you can intentionally show up for your children and for yourself each day! Your children deserve the best version of YOU and so do you. Let me help you thrive, not just survive!
“After taking the twelve week course at Jai Institute in combination with weekly sessions with Michelle, my parenting style has been completely transformed. I have a new level of understanding of the inner workings of the childhood brain and my own emotions. My children are cooperative and listen to me when I speak to them.
I don’t yell anymore and I am honestly a much happier person. I am grateful for Michelle’s expertise in parenting because it has opened a new path for our family.”
Crystal Korotkov
Client
