I’ve always felt called to teach and I’ve always felt drawn to helping children feel seen and understood. I have been working with children since I was 8, volunteering to help in the toddler room at my school. I started nannying in the summers when I was 10. After moving to Alaska for college, I started teaching preschool and from my previous experience, I had developed a deep understanding of the unique needs and developmental stages of young children. Through my commitment to creating developmentally appropriate curriculum and fostering a nurturing environment, I was able to make a positive impact on young children and their families. I became known as the “last chance teacher” as I was often assigned children who had behavioral challenges. Using my curiosity and experience, I helped my students feel safe and cared for so they could thrive. This translated well to transforming existing after-school youth programs and the development of additional ones. By redesigning structure and developing curriculum specific to each developmental stage, while promoting understanding and skill progression, I helped to sky-rocket attendance and create a reputation for excellence in the programs I worked with. Through my own experiences as a parent, working through generational programming, trauma and PPD, I found that I was severely unequipped to handle my ever-growing frustration with my own children. I found the Jai Institute for Parenting Parent Coach Certification and as a coach in training, was required to go through the 12 week course as a client. I felt this process bridged the knowing into doing. It was transformative and allowed me to take the steps toward embodying the parent I wanted to be. Because of this experience, I have created Unpolished Parenting as a way to offer parents and caregivers the same experience. My hope is that with Unpolished Parenting, people will feel comfortable and confident showing up as who they are, and where they are in their parenting journey, without shame. And that I can guide them through their darker moments in parenting and help them enjoy the journey.