Parent OnBoard – About Me
Welcome to Parent OnBoard! I am very excited that you are joining me on this crazy adventure called parenthood. Except unlike a lot of other adventures, parenthood comes with no instructions and just a bunch of information thrown at us, with no help to make sense of it all.
Why Parent OnBoard?
Have you ever joined a new gym and got a session with a personal trainer who showed you around? They usually show you all the equipment, talk to you about your goals and current status, show you some exercises. You leave feeling like you’ve got the hang of this thing.
Did anything of the sort happen for you when you had your child?
I’m pretty sure it didn’t. It didn’t happen for me either. I was lucky to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family, who helped me navigate and answer questions. But they weren’t able to answer all of them. I had to learn a lot on my own. And much of the learning happened through making mistakes and spending countless hours reading books and parenting articles.
So that’s why I created Parent OnBoard – to help new parents navigate the parenthood maze and help with all the twists, turns and dead ends that you inevitably encounter.
How is Parent OnBoard different?
Let me start by introducing myself.
I am Maria, a mom of 2 adorable Tasmanian devils and three fur babies. I hold a Master’s Degree in Psychology and spent many years working with special needs children. I recently became a certified 1,2,3, Magic Instructor and have implemented different positive parenting strategies to a create a more peaceful household environment. And in our house, it’s not easy. We are a household filled with Highly Sensitive People, so emotions run high and tolerance runs low.
I know what the experts recommend and what the “right” way is to go about dealing with postpartum issues and child development. But I also know what it’s like being a parent and that following some of the recommendations is only possible in a perfect world. And we don’t live in one.
I’m here to give you real world advice that is mom tested and mom approved, and help you make expert recommendations work for you and your children.
I’m here to help you better understand your children and their needs. When you understand the motivations and limitations of your children, it is much easier to parent with empathy and set the right expectations for them. Meaning less tears from everyone and a lot more time spent enjoying each other’s company.
But parenting is not all about the children. If mama and papa are emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted, no good parenting is happening in the household. That’s why it’s important to concentrate on the mental and emotional health of parents. I’m here to offer you tips and tricks that will help you cope with the challenges of parenting and will allow you to thrive in your new role as a parent.
A little more about me
If you ask my friends what is the first thing that comes to mind to describe me, they’ll say “Animal Lover”. And it’s true, I have been fortunate to be a part of five animals’ lives (three cats and two dogs) over the years and love them with all my heart. Living in North Carolina has made accommodating all my animals and my sons a lot easier. They get to enjoy lots of space, beautiful nature and pretty good weather most of the year. My husband and I are quite liking it here too. We both enjoy being out in nature, hiking and observing all the beautiful wild life.
When we only had 1 child, my husband and I took dance lessons. We danced Argentine Tango for years and even started learning Bachata. But then the surprise and physical overwhelm of my second pregnancy put a stop to our dance lessons (I’m still hoping to one day return to them). We’ve traded in the gym for online yoga classes and lots of chasing around of our 2 boys. I dedicate my spare time to blogging, reading countless parenting books, and continuing to expand my knowledge in everything family related.
So that’s me in a nutshell.
I hope you enjoy reading the blog and learn new things that will help you be a better and happier parent.
