Parenting Genius flips the script on middle school and helps you unleash the magic inside. 



The Challenge

Culturally, we lean into learning when we're expecting a baby.  Most of us are aware that our infant care experience is inadequate at best, and it's socially safe to admit our status as "rookie".  We are flooded with information from friends, family, and our obstatrician.  We know our new bundle of joy is a clean slate     the brain and body are are developing at a remarkable rate, and we want to make sure all goes well.

Fast forward a few years, and we stop proactively learning.  We become reactionary.  We're still flooded with information from friends, family, social media and maybe our pediatrician.  But now we're focused more on logistics and solving obvious problems. And the information we receive or resources we access are inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. It's hard to sort through. We stop.

But the fact remains: when your child reaches age 10 they enter adolescence.  The changes afoot are almost unimaginable - the only time in life when the brain morphs and changes more is in the first 24 months of life. Early adolescence is marked by enormous brain reorganization, and with that comes massive growth, new needs, and amazing opportunities.  And, easy access to the reliable resources and support you need to make this transition are hard to find.

Because we don't realize that we need to view and approach adolescence the same way we approached birth, we missunderstand what's going on, don't have the parenting skills to respond to our child's changes effectively, and miss the opportunities to help them benefit from all the growth that takes place during these incredible years.

The challenge - parents are well-intentioned, underprepared and undersupported.  

Parenting is a rookie's game - your child is always changing, and their needs are constantly evolving.  We (parents) need to keep learning and up-skilling as we go on this journey with them.

The Solution

As a child looks forward to middle school, we can start prepaing      just as we did before we welcomed the same child into the world.  

First, we need a science-supported, truthful primer on what this transition into middle school and early adolescence is all about.  This provides an important contex for all the learning that follows.

Second, we need to learn the critical new skills and mindset shifts that are required to meet the moment with confidence and grace.

Third, we need easy access to a curated set of resources for reference along the journey.

Last, we need a deducated support crew     a consistent, trusted, supportive network of experts and peers who are available and ready to provide support along the way. 

Middle school is like a white-water rafting trip: there are beautifully smooth portions, some sections with a few rocks to navigate, and, depending on the river your child is in, you might encounter full Grade V rapids with unexpected drops.  Like a river adventure, you can't always predict when conditions will change or where you'll encounter new challenges. This is where your support ecosystem comes in:  ready, knowledgable, skilled, trusted.  They will guide you and your child through the rough patches and on toward smooth water.

The solution:  A simple online platform that provides a foundation program that's designed for busy parents, a trusted resources that helps you personalize your experience, and a crafted ecosystem just for you - a small group with dedicated coaches, experts, and peers     all focused on your stage of the journey.
Hey! It's great to see you here. I'm Sarah and I'm on a mission to help parents and kids have a positive journey through middle school and leverage the hidden opportunities that are there so that your relationship deepens and your child gains the self-knowledge, confidence, and capabilities needed to soar as a young adult and beyond.

I am a leader, coach, entrepreneur, author and speaker.  Perhaps most importantly, I'm a parenting veteran - a mom of two, and a pseudo-mom to many -, a friend, adolescent development expert, and parenting professional (if there is such a thing). I've helped countless friends in their struggles with parenting their adolescent kids.  And, with my team, I've helped even more parents meet their wish to not just survive, but enjoy their kids' adolescent years and harness the magic that's there.

I built Parenting Genius to give parents the preparation, guidance and support I wish I had when my kids were in middle and high school:  Science-supported information and tools, learning experiences that helped me prepare for each stage, and ongoing support with easy access to experts when I needed them.  It baffles me that we prepare for all other important roles in our lives - (new jobs, promotions, driving, a new baby, even new hobbies)- but after our kids enter elementary school, we're only proactive about logisitcs, and move into a reactionary state about everything else, hoping for the best and scrambling when things go off the rails.  It's no wonder parental stress is so high*!  

None of us is born with the knowledge and skills to raise a healthy, prepared human in today's world.  And, with the best of intentions, damage is done because we don't understand what's right in front of us, and respond in ways that are ineffective or harmful, or don't respond at all. 

But, it doesn't have to be that way!  

Here's the exciting part:  Middle School is full of opportunities for you to influence and nurture the incredible growth that's taking place in your kid!!! You just have to understand what's happening - the needs behind behavior, maybe adopt some new skills, cultivate your sense of humor, pull together a support crew, and get some new tools for the exciting ride we call adolescence.

We'll help make it a ride to remember - in the most exciting of ways!!


Philosophy & Approach
I've spent over 15 years deep in the research on child and adolescent development.  And, a lot has happened in this area over the past 25 years or so with advancements in neuroscience.  It turns out that while environments, cultural influences, and temperaments differ, brain development occurs in a predictable sequence.  And, with that brain development, children are 'primed' to learn specific things.  This learning process shows up as needs:  kids are driven to learn certain things during certain stages of development.  And so is true with adolescence.  
Adolescence - in its entirety - is the transition from childhood to adulthood, explaining why there is continual change throughout.  Early adolescence (roughly ages 10-14) is a period of significant change and development, focusing on physical, cognitive, and social shifts, including the beginning of puberty and increased independence.  Key tasks during this stage include establishing an identity, navigating peer relationships, and renegotiating family dynamics.  These represent "driving needs" which influence their behavior.

Parenting Genius promotes a "Needs-Based" parenting approach.  Needs-based parenting focuses on understanding and meeting emotional, social, and physical needs rather than solely focusing on behavior or external expectations. This approach emphasizes empathy, respect, and building a strong parent-child relationship built on trust and understanding. It involves recognizing the child's perspective, validating their feelings, and responding sensitively to their individual needs.   We go beyond simply trying to change a child's behavior because behaviors are driven from needs that are met or unmet.  We teach parents the primary driving needs of adolescent growth so they can understand their tween's perspective and anticipate their need in any particular situation, how to decode behavior to get to the underlying need, where to find  the magical opportunities along the journey, and we surround them with a support system so they can have easy access to subject matter experts who can assist them with the one-off or unexpected challenges that can arise along the way. 
Parenting Genius is build on five foundational tenets:
      1. Needs drive behavior - decoding the behavior is the key to providing the support your tween needs.
      2.  Middle school is brimming with opportunities for growth - for your tween, for your family, and for you.
      3.  Preparation leads to understanding, empathy, effective interactions, and joy in parenting
      4.  The "parent" role changes over time.  A child's entry into adolescence is an invitation for a parent to learn and change.
      5.  Parents need support to navigate the ups, downs, and unexpected swerves that are all part of the journey
Standing on the shoulders of giants, the PG programs, coaching approach, and structure are influenced by luminaries in the fields of adolescent development and learning (e.g. Ellen Galinsky, David Yeager, Chris Balme, Jonathan Haight, Peg Dawson, Frances Jensen. Madeleine Levine, Michelle Borba, Richard Weisbourd, Angela Duckworth, Lawrence Steinberg, The UCLA Center on Adolescent Development, and so many more) and adult learning (e.g. Elena Aguilar, Lev Vygotsky, Yu-Kai Chou, Albert Bandura, and more).
Parent Thoughts 
"The Parenting Genius program helped me better understand the changes my son was going through and gave me a guide to change my parenting approach so I could stay connected to him while he tested boundaries and embraced more independence. Our relationship is deeper than ever, and I definitely wouldn't be here without this program."

- S. Hamilton, Boston
"The Ahead of The Curve program has helped me feel better prepared, and so much more relaxed as my daughter enters her second year of middle school. We worked with Sarah in 1:1 coaching beforehand, and she helped me see and understand how my own insecurities were influencing my parenting, and how that was clashing with my daughter's needs.  Everything has gotten better." 

- E. McCullough, Chicago area