Many parents believe that worrying is evidence of being a caring parent. After 50 professional years of watching my students grow up and over 40 years as a mom, I have proof positive that worrying never keeps a child safe from harm or promotes anyone making good decisions. In my seminars and with my coaching clients I help them navigate the difference between helpful discernment and unhealthy anxiety. I like to tell this story to illustrate my own willingness to grow in this area and how it impacted my relationship with my college aged daughter: In early 2001 Melissa announced that she wanted to spend her last semester abroad. My first reaction was, “How wonderful…Paris? Milan? London?” Nope…She wanted to go to India, Nepal and Tibet. I could feel the surge of cortisol shoot through my body as my brain started to list all the dangers and pitfalls of agreeing to this. As a parent, I told myself I had to ‘protect her from a dangerous journey’ and I talked my husband into taking my side by saying, “NO.” As Melissa continued to protest our decision, I was also aware of my own emotional and spiritual desire to not live in or control my children through fear. I decided to speak with the program coordinator and even though she couldn’t guarantee Melissa’s safety to the degree I wanted, we decided not to stop our daughter from living her dream.
On September 11th of 2001 she was safe in Dharmashala, India, preparing for a meeting with the Dalai Lama and I took a bus to work from our home in a New York suburb to my office in lower Manhattan. As the Executive Director of the Children’s Center for Citigroup, I was preparing to give a parent seminar when the first plane went into the North Tower. Melissa was safe in India and I was soon to evacuate the children and staff in my center! Her world was as peaceful as it gets and mine was going up in flames.
I learned many lessons from that day. I was tuned in to my intuition and listened to my inner voice, both of which guided me to help staff and families get out of the area moments before the first building collapsed. The same emotional and spiritual work that allowed me to trust that Melissa would be OK on her journey guided me to make brave and inspired decisions that kept me and others safe as we each navigated our way home.
Fear and worry do not keep us or the ones we love safe. Staying connected to Higher Energy, working on soothing our anxieties and trusting that each of us comes for our own unique experiences so that we can grow into the best version of ourselves just may be the crowning jewel of parenting advice.

The idea of creating a course for parents was born while I was teaching a child development curriculum to new teachers….”Why aren’t we teaching this stuff to parents? Parents deserve to know the information I am giving to educators!” That initial thought gave birth to Leading Edge Parenting, a movement in the early 2000’s that combines traditional wisdom with up to date research in brain development, learning modalities and regulation of emotions. I created and presented lunchtime parent workshops for employees of Fortune 500 companies in New York City and after moving to southern California, offered similar classes through my local college. Before I knew it, I was invited to speak at schools, parent programs, libraries, live events and podcasts. I received grants and was encouraged to begin my own podcast…..which I did! Leading Edge Parenting, on the Law of Attraction radio network had thousands of listeners around the world and my reputation grew as a leading authority on child development and on helping parents understand why their children behaved the way they did….and even more important, giving moms and dads the empowerment they sought to be the parents they wanted to be and that their children needed.
Beyond my post graduate degrees, I use the experience of being a mom to two totally different children as a base of compassion and understanding of the challenges faced by modern parents. Our son, Matt came into the world with the most easy going temperament and moved through the ‘game’ of school effortlessly. As I proudly watched him graduate from Harvard Law School I was reminded that having a kid like Matt could inflate a parent’s ego and create the illusion that they knew what they were doing! When Melissa was born it seemed as if she came in to hold up a mirror to me, just to remind me that I still had plenty to learn and she came to be my teacher! You see, Melissa came into the world as a highly sensitive, strong willed empath and it took me many years to figure out what that means!
Having two children who walked very different paths has given me insights way beyond what anyone can learn in a college classroom.
My book, ‘Authentic Parenting Power’ was originally published in 2013. During the early writings Melissa was a nanny to a large family and would periodically call me for advise on specific challenges. I offered suggestions based on healthy emotional practices and age appropriate development. It was uncanny to me how deeply and easily she understood the inner world of children. I asked her for feedback on my book and before long she was collaborating with me. She often accompanied me to parent presentations and after every talk the parents wanted to speak with her…We realized that she was the grown up version of ‘their’ challenging child and they wanted to hear more of her wisdom. Before long she became my partner in Leading Edge Parenting and now, all these years later, she is one of the leading researchers and authorities in helping parents understand their highly sensitive children. She is the co-author of “Rico the Race Car”, a picture book written for children, their parents and teachers and is currently working on her next book, “Under the Hood: A Manual to Understand the Inner Workings of Children.”
We offer many programs for parents, from specialized group coaching to one on one concierge support. Our website contains a wealth of free materials and even includes a ‘Parent Cleanse’…..a way to re-set, soothe and begin with a fresh mindset…Upon request, Melissa works with highly sensitive children and the results have been life changing….for the kids as well as their parents! We invite you to check out our website and contact either of us for a free introductory session.

There is no doubt in my mind that I was born to be a teacher. It was never a particular subject that brought me into the profession but rather a passion to understand, connect with and nurture other human beings. I was twenty when I began teaching in East Harlem, New York. As a kindergarten teacher I was able to teach through play, music and literature, all the while delighting in the world of young children. I received training to become a reading specialist and that opened my eyes to understanding the one hundred and twenty tiny skills that were needed in order to completely decode and comprehend a story. Later on, I taught K-8th grade music appreciation and aesthetic education, attending classes for teachers at the Julliard School of Music in New York City. I brought my students into a heightened appreciation of the arts and saw how math and reading can be learned through creativity. As a director of programs and schools I was given insight into the challenges faced by families as they navigated the pressures of raising a family during stressful situations. I appreciated witnessing every aspect of the human condition and being able to support parents and students of many backgrounds, needs, strengths and family pressures.

Both Melissa and I learned that neither one of us was a passionate ‘business builder’…..We are both passionate ‘people builders’….. Having a small business means that we do not have a corporate sized budget for advertisement so it is important to
participate in on line seminars and become guests on podcasts.
Another important element in building our reputation has been our authenticity and integrity. It is incredibly important to be compassionate, non judgmental and truly care about each family with whom we work.
We follow up periodically to see how they are doing and if they cannot afford a program or consult, we will help them with a sliding scale or the ability to download free material…..
Most of all…..our families know we really care about them.