About Me

My background in child development began with being a nanny and early education teacher. I later took a six month course on gentle sleep methods, taught music and movement, started a local moms group, and volunteered at a single mothers non-profit. These experiences gave me better insight into what different parents from all walks of life go through.

I was motivated to return to school and finish my degree in Human Development and Family Services from a desire to positively impact not only my own family but also that of others. I have a passion for studying effective parenting strategies to help me be a better advocate for young developing minds.

I believe I grew most in my personal experience with my own children. We endured medical hardships when my son was four months old. He was diagnosed with a rare cancer called LCH and required oncology services. On top of all of this I was also dealing with postpartum PTSD and depression from a horrible birthing experience as a first time mom. This left me feeling isolated and alone and it was not until after having postpartum anxiety with my second that I got help to manage my depression, anxiety and ADHD. This is when my world started becoming more clear and I realized I was not alone. Parenting goes much deeper than potty training, socialization and sleep. It is about working towards breaking cycles and healing from the past and learning who you want to be as a parent. Children learn the most from the examples we set, so our attitudes towards others shape who our children will become. This is particularly significant in marriage and co-parenting situations.

I acknowledge that perfection in parenting is impossible, we all have work to do. This realization lead me to want to learn more about emotional regulation and responsive parenting. As a mother of three little ones, my growth and learning is a constant uphill journey. I’m grateful to not be alone in these battles, by having my dedicated Army husband of thirteen years by my side. We continuously work on our communication skills, strengthening our friendship, and nurturing our love, even with the challenges of parenting. Together we have learned that life is messy (really messy with two boys and a baby girl). So embracing the mess and remembering they are only young once is our driving force to becoming better parents.

- Nikol Doughty