Hi! I'm Mel
I’m a mom of three grown kids (and a grandma of three now!)—two sons and a daughter—and I’ve walked through just about every season of parenting: the laughter, the late nights, the beautiful moments, and the downright hard ones. Each of my kids is wonderfully different, and raising them has stretched and shaped me in ways I never expected.
Alongside my own parenting journey, I’ve spent more than 30 years working with families and children. I started out as a public high school teacher and have also taught middle school and college. I hold a Master’s Degree in Education and have specialized training in Trauma-Informed Education.
While I truly loved being in the classroom, over time I felt a deeper pull toward walking with families as a whole—not just the kids. That calling led me to create Gen1 Parenting, a space where I could bring together everything I’ve learned and offer real support to parents in the thick of it. I’m a Certified Parent Educator and Coach, and I’m passionate about helping families feel equipped, encouraged, and never alone on their parenting journey.
Most recently, I had the joy of contributing a chapter to The Perfectly Imperfect Family, an international #1 bestselling anthology full of honest, hope-filled stories about real family life. You can check it out [here].
Why We Do What We Do
At Gen 1 Parenting, we recognize that many of us approach parenting based on how we were raised—or we resolve to do the opposite. But often, that's the extent of our "training" for the job. This cycle repeats from one generation to the next. There's a better way!
We believe parenting should be treated like any other important role—one that deserves the right education, resources, skill-building, and support to help you do your best. We don’t subscribe to a one-size-fits-all approach, because we’ve seen too many parents try quick fixes, scripts, or generic advice, only to end up feeling more frustrated when those solutions don’t work.
Instead, we focus on helping you build a deeply connected, authentic relationship with your kids, laying a solid foundation for your parenting journey. With the right mindset, knowledge, and tools, we believe you can confidently guide your family toward more peace and joy—while raising emotionally healthy, resilient kids.
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What we believe:
The gardener does not make a plant grow. The job of a gardener is to create optimal conditions for growth to occur.
A mutually respectful relationship that provides stable & sturdy parenting leadership creates those optimal growing conditions for our kids!
Our workshops, courses, and coaching (along with our own parenting journey!) draw from a variety of influential schools of thought, combined with years of practical experience as both educators and parents. We are particularly inspired by the work of Barbara Coloroso, Jane Nelson, and Haim Ginott—pioneers in the field of parenting who have shaped our approach. Their research-based, practical insights have had a profound impact on how we guide families, and we believe their methods offer some of the most valuable strategies out there.
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