Testimonials

When I called Terry, we were at the peak of aggressive, defiant behavior with our nearly four-year-old. We felt we had a “handful” for kiddo as aggression, defiance, picky eating, and “NO!” were the norm. I was uncertain how a parenting coach could help us, but I knew something needed to change. We went through a three-day transformation – truly – with Terry in our home. Terry spent the first day observing our interactions as a family and asking (in an incredibly non-judgemental manner) if we found certain toddler behaviors acceptable. Behaviors we had grown so accustomed to from our child actually DID bother me and I realized that yes, we DID need to change them. Terry coached us through new ways to approach our son and teach him self-regulation, self-soothing, and positive communication. The first day was the most difficult for us to manage with our son. He watched as his dad and I began to grow more confident as his leaders and take back the power dynamic in our home. It was not easy. We had to work at being better parents, better communicators, and a better understanding of our child. Our son had to work at rising to our new expectations. By the third day, the opposition and challenging behaviors were next to non-existent. We are enjoying our time as a family again and not dealing with the stress of wondering when the next explosion would occur. Terry’s non-judgemental, teaching style was exactly what the three of us needed to move forward as a family.

Our time working with Terry as our parent coach was very much needed and she was incredible! We were amazed at how quickly the boys responded to the tactics she taught us and how much smoother our days/nights would go when we would implement her philosophy. There are several things we learned from Terry, the ones that stand out the most are planning our schedule to allow for time to consistently work on the parenting tactics and a step-by-step process during those challenging scenarios. My strong-willed, independent boys needed this change. We now have some key expectations that are set out for them and have gotten them to stop, make eye contact, and listen to our words. Without Terry’s helped we would have continued to spiral and the boys would have learned bad behaviors that would have impacted us in the long run. We would highly recommend Terry because it forces you to stop in your routine and make a needed change that will impact the relationship you have with your kids and your family!

Terry was extremely helpful in helping us manage our 1-year-old’s tantrums and clingy behavior. Before working with her, we could not put him down and he constantly wanted to be held. We were physically and mentally exhausted. Now, he is almost a new baby! I was shocked at how well her techniques worked with such a young child. She has also helped me and my husband be on the same page when it comes to parenting style and strategies. All around, our house is more harmonious thanks to Terry!!

After having 3 kids in 3 and a half years, I spent a long time in survival mode. By the time we arrived to a phase where things should have felt easier, our family had formed a lot of bad habits and parenting was more stressful than ever. Working with Terry was like hitting a giant reset button on our family life. She gave me the skills and confidence to parent like I had always wanted to. Terry’s program is not a quick or easy fix, but if you are willing to put in the work and be consistent, you will see dramatic changes in your children and family dynamic. Terry will be right there with you, supporting you during this transition. What impressed me most about Terry was how she got to intuitively know each of my children so quickly and customized her recommendations based on each individual child. It was not a one size fits all approach. I am so grateful for the peace she has brought to our home and I have already recommended her to others.

I started working with Terry 7 months ago. After our initial sessions, I felt like I had a great foundation and tools to use going forward. The only problem for me was, as my kids get older and we face new challenges would I have the tools to handle things as they came at me? That’s when Terry told me about the membership program. Each week, a group of moms log on to listen to some wisdom from Terry on a specific topic and then we chat about how to implement strategies for our own families. I feel like I have someone in my corner and I’m continually learning and growing as a Mom. It’s so great chatting each week and learning new things!

To put it simply, my family was just stuck in a rut. We have a young daughter and had recently added a new baby to our family. The pandemic compounded our daily struggles and I knew we just couldn’t go on doing what we were doing. We needed help, we were struggling, we were tired and we needed reinforcements. We knew we were the problem but we didn’t know what to do or where to turn to find the tools to do better. Luckily, a family member recommended Terry to me and I called right away. We were able to set up an appointment quickly and easily. Terry has many years of experience and understood what we were going through and knew just what to do to help. Almost immediately, things started to calm down. Terry gave us the tools we needed to parent our daughter better and get the baby on a schedule so peace could be restored to our household. I cannot say enough good things about Terry. I stopped being the yelling and constantly frustrated Mom to being calm and knowing what to do when my daughter is throwing a tantrum, having a meltdown or any other type of problem. I feel a sense of confidence now when parenting instead of winging it. Terry is 100% worth the investment!

This summer started off great but turned tumultuous pretty quickly. We have a four-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl. Both are very strong-willed and love to push each other’s buttons. Our daughter started having what seemed to be completely random outbursts about once a week. After some time she began having them daily and even twice daily. These weren’t just any outbursts, they were loud, scary, and involved hitting, throwing things, and biting. She could not calm down for what seemed like hours (and sometimes, it was actually two hours before she calmed herself). Terry was suggested to us by our school counselor and at first, I was incredibly skeptical. I thought there was not anything Terry could teach us that we weren’t already doing. I assumed Paige’s outbursts were just a typical part of her growth and development. Wrong. I learned pretty quickly that there were things we were doing as parents that needed to change. I am not one to deny my faults, I will admit we were babying our son at the expense of our daughter. Terry showed us exactly what and where our opportunities were, and there were plenty. She stayed with us on several nights, which helped us become more calm, patient, and respectful, and to notice when our emotions were affecting our children. Terry was a calming presence who did not judge but had empathy and compassion for us and our children. She walked us through how to handle even the “smallest issues” (things that before we didn’t even consider issues, but in truth, they were affecting us all more than we realized). Most importantly, Terry was able to walk us through how to handle our daughter’s explosive meltdowns, and since then they have gone from two a day to almost zero. I no longer shake out of dread and fear on my walk to the back door as I come home from work, instead, I am excited to see my kids and be their mom. If it weren’t for Terry I don’t know where we would be right now. We are all thankful for her and her services. We know we aren’t out of the woods yet, as things will likely pop up here and there, but having Terry as a resource when we need her, is invaluable. In a way, she saved our family.

“It was well worth my time and money. Terry gave me lots of things to think about. I need to improve my parenting style. Need to communicate better with my kids and my husband.”

“If you are willing to pay to take your kids to dance, sports etc. and if you are willing to spend money at the spa or movies. Why wouldn’t you spend it on making your life easier to help yourself and your children?”

“Terry comes from a place of compassion, not judgment. This could help with your family and overall happiness of the household!”

“It really helps! Terry gives you hope, calms you down, gives you ideas and stories to prove these ideas are effective. It’s deep and touching with the stories she shares. If your a parent struggling, you’re not alone. Terry gives you parenting tips and teaching tips. I learned I make a big difference.”

“Very helpful in understanding how children “work”. Will help me with staff communication, incentives, praise, etc.”

“Effective! Easy ways to curb behavior especially because children learn differently. Terry gave lots of examples on how to decrease unwanted behaviors.”

“Terry gives you new ideas and helps you understand whether you are parenting correctly. It’s time for us to revisit our parenting style from a professional perspective. Terry helps you understand why and how we parent is important.”

“Eye opening and informative! Helped me handle negative physical behavior. It is better for parents to hear this when their children are younger, I wish I did.”

“I learned I’m not the only one with these common parenting problems. Terry gave me the advice I needed to get my child to sleep in their own bed. Setting routines on a daily basis for your children.”

“I would tell other parents that it really helps to stop and reflect on how you are parenting. Great tips for encouraging parents to take control of their kids and give them positive praise.”

“The information that you learn about and share is good for all age ranges. It is eye opening and very positive! You definitely will not leave feeling like a bad parent, but a more competent parent!”

“Terry is so informative andknowledgeable about early childhood that any question I asked she immediately answered them as well as had statistics and examples.”

“We are first time parents, and have been experiencing some discipline issues with our toddler. Terry offered to come to our home for some child developmental methods that will help positively mold our growing child. She arrived on a Saturday and observed a normal day and took notes. The next day, she returned with goals and instructions on how to improve our parenting skills. What I loved most about working with Terry, was her natural instincts to take charge of a negative action that the child was demonstrating and immediately remedy the misbehavior. She also gave us 10 golden rules that we will live by from here on out that are extremely value in nature. After experiencing her training days, we strongly believe all parents that are having questions or issues on raising their children should call on Terry for help and guidance. Terry knows what to do in every situation and the child knew immediately who was in charge.”

“We asked Terry to help our three year old son because he was having difficulty transitioning from activities and also having trouble separating at bedtime. Even though our son was a very happy child and did not have these problems on a consistent basis, the few times it would happen were troublesome. The worst part was that we were not sure how to best handle it going forward. After a particularly bad week, Terry noticed and asked if we wanted her help. We couldn?t have been happier! After only one observation session and another active session, Terry gave us some suggestions that have helped tremendously for these specific situations as well as a general plan for helping our son on a daily basis. She also presented her ideas in a nonjudgmental, supportive way which helped us better understand our son’s actions. She even followed up with us and was willing to give us more help if we needed it. I would strongly recommend her and will be calling if we need help in the future.”

“We were having a particularly difficult week with our two-year-old son, who was throwing tantrums, refusing to cooperate, and was getting so angry he was making himself sick. Terry offered to help us and we gratefully accepted. Terry came over to our house for two nights in a row to observe our family and to offer insight and run interference. Although I was initially worried about letting someone observe our private family life, Terry was incredibly friendly, non-judgmental, and unobtrusive. At the end of each night, she gave us valuable insight into how our son operates and offered us a host of individualized tools to use that have made our interactions so much smoother and easier. For example, on the second night of her visit, Terry helped us try out a new strategy for preventing my son from making himself sick. It worked immediately, and we have used it consistently since then and always been successful.”

“Terry is a wonderful resource for parents. Her consultation with our family was very informative and she helped us to realize we were not the only parents that have ever been frustrated. Her experience and gentle spirit made our family feel very comfortable and she had some wonderful tips that we could immediately use. We would highly recommend her to any parent. “

“Thank you again for offering the Parent Workshop here at Little Shepherds Preschool, I have heard from the families that attended and they had many positive things to say about it. One said, “She didn’t make me feel guilty, she just stayed positive and helped me see things in a better way.”

“Terry and I have consulted together on various committees and projects. She is very knowledgeable with amazing skills as it relates to coaching parents on how to handle their children with discipline issues. In addition, she is very professional, an excellent speaker with a positive non-threatening approach to counseling parents who are stressed and having difficulty managing/balancing both work/ home and child/children. Highly recommend.”

Terry Manrique teaches parents hands-on techniques in a loving and respectful manner. Her real-world approaches to parenting issues ranging from sleep problems, sibling rivalry to potty training have turned out-of-control households into a loving and happy family. Terry often finds that parents aren’t communicating with each other on discipline techniques or methods. “Parents need to be on the same page,” she says. I have been around her family and it amazed me how well rounded and well behaved her children were. Terry is one of the few people I trust with advice. She continues to help me with different situations involving my teenage son and 8yr. old girl. So if you realize that what you’re doing now just isn’t working. You need help from Terry! Being the caring parent that you are, you are on a mission to nail down the most effective parenting practices. Terry has helped so many families learn the best parenting strategies for handling behavioral problems. Terry Manrique is extensively trained in this area and will carefully explain the concepts involved in these techniques, and then will demonstrate them for you. You will learn how to encourage the sort of behavior that you desire, and how to reinforce those behaviors when they occur. You will also learn how to stop punishing but more effectively, provide consequences consistently, and much more. You’ll find the approach to be caring and gentle, not requiring you to treat your child in any way that you might find inappropriate. During these sessions there’s considerable practice with you and Terry acting out the parts of parent and child—so that you will be completely comfortable using these new methods at home. Terry will do a one-on-one training, she will provide you with all the parenting tools needed to eliminate misbehavior and elicit the positive behaviors you desire. With her expertise and your consistent effort, your child will soon learn how to solve problems without resorting to violence or other disruptive behavior. YES! Terry can absolutely help you establish harmony in your family and home.

“I first met TerryManriquewhen she was the curriculum director at a privatepre-school. She hired me, and it was my very first teaching job out of college. I worked with her for three years there, and she was a great mentor for me, especially that first year. I ended up with quite the rowdy bunch of four yearoldsthat particular year, and my classroom management skills were still a little stiff. Terry worked with me and my co-teacher to help rein in all the big personalities in my classroom so that we could have a successful year. The kids really responded to everything she suggested; I feel she has a special way of connecting with kids of all ages. I noticed that the parents responded well to her as well. They appreciated her non-judgmental and knowledgeable approach.”

We recently moved to Ohio. My daughter and I were having a local treat and I saw Terry’s brochure. I picked it up, read it, and said – Wow! I could really use some parenting advice and was excited to have found a resource. With my husband agreeing, we reached out to Terry. Terry did a great job making us feel comfortable right from the start. We have been struggling with a couple of things from our 6 year old. We could not have ever made these changes without Terry! My husband and I are the classic parents – lots of love and a little slow on staying in control as parents. Some of the best advice we received is how happy and confident children are when they have boundaries and know what they are and most importantly this equals love. Love isn’t always about a feeling; it’s about structure, rules and disciple. As parents we have to keep peace, have balance, and be consistent. If you think you need to make some changes, we highly recommend you contact Terry. Having an expert point of view helps take the anxiety away so you can focus on correcting the situation. We will use Terry again as parenting is a journey!

Terry is amazing! She’s the perfect mix of professional and personal so inviting her into our home to help with our out-of-control son was easy. And in less than 2 weeks, we’re seeing results. We never knew our home could be this calm and happy! The parenting lessons she taught us truly empowered us. With our restored confidence, we’re regaining control which means we’re more relaxed and therefore, the kids are relaxed. The best part is instead of fearing what’s to come from my 3 year old, I now have the skills to turn a potentially stressful situation into a learning opportunity for my son. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Terry!

Our coaching sessions with Terry were extremely helpful because they allowed us to establish a consistent way to approach the behavior issues we were having with our son. We were amazed at how quickly Terry was able to identify and teach us techniques that made a dramatic difference in our son’s behavior. We learned the power of consistency and how to take a different approach to situations that we typically negotiated on to avoid “meltdowns”. Terry was both extremely professional and likable in her approach to us and our son, which allowed us to feel at ease with her and to trust her to show us techniques that were sometimes uncomfortable for us to watch or execute, but were highly effective in producing positive results. We would highly recommend Terry for her expertise and experience in helping parents to develop plans that parents can use to help them make positive changes in their children’s behavior.

Our parent coaching session with Terry Manrique was exactly what we were hoping for. At first we were nervous about someone coming into our home to evaluate us as parents, but with her expertise and professionalism, we were able to be at ease with our normal routine. With just a few tweaks to our discipline style, we were amazed on how quickly our children learned to cooperate. Additionally, Terry was able to work with my son in his school setting and help us to understand his daily routine in Pre-K. We would highly recommend Terry because there is no manual on being a parent, having an outside consultant can only make parenting a bit easier.

As a recently divorced mother of two girls, I reached out to Terry after meeting her at one of her seminars, hoping to get some advice on how to move forward as a single parent. After a few sessions with our family, Terry was able to provide feedback, concrete advice and techniques to help me use boundaries, and be consistent with my girls as they adjusted to a new life and a different schedule. Terry’s help was very valuable and I would recommend her to anyone who is in need of parent coaching. Her approach is both warm and matter of fact when it comes to the ‘ins and outs’ of being a confident and a consistent parent. Thanks again Terry!

Terry came into our home with professionalism, determination, a willingness to listen, and most importantly, a plan! She really took the time to empathize with both my husband and myself, and even though some of our parenting techniques were initially different, she gave us advice that not only helped us to become more consistent with our children as a team, but also relieved some of the stress in our marriage due to our parenting differences. Our children took to her instantly, despite the new changes ahead. Kids yearn for structure, discipline, and love, and they could tell right away that Terry not only offered all of that in her technique, but that she was teaching it to us as well. I cannot thank her enough for helping us with our naptimes, bedtimes, and transitioning between one family activity to another. She is a very valuable and knowledgeable resource, and I’d recommend her to anyone looking to gain confidence as parents, become encouraged, refreshed, and empowered. You can re-balance your relationship with your child in a healthy way and create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for your child!

Terry, We were so happy this past weekend while we worked outside with our son. We love to go outside, andhe does too. In the past it was such a challenge with him running off and not listening that we all ended up miserable. Not now!! We had so much fun. He came back to us whenever we asked him to, and he stayed in the areas we requested. We had such a great time. He got to splash in mud puddles and he helped us trim up some brush and even carry it away. (big helper) Brandon and I were so excited and we kept telling each other how happy we were that you came and helped us. He went on and said that these were the experiences he has been looking forward to since our son was born. It was such a wonderful and special time. Thank you so much for helping us have this.

We were so happy to have Terry come to our home and help assist us in regards to the struggles we were having with our 2 yr old son. She was very professional and she made us feel comfortable with her presence in our home. Our son loved her immediately. She successfully helped us refine our parenting techniques and create boundaries and rules for both ourselves and our son. This was a wonderful experience for us and also proved very educational. Terry not only gave us instruction on how to interact with our son, but she explained why we were doing the things we were doing and what we could expect in the future. We highly recommend Terry to other parents because having balance within your home is very important and Terry can help you achieve that.

Working with Terry helped show us how easy things could be with our son. It was amazing how quickly he responded to the techniques she taught us, and corrected our behavior in the process. She showed us our son was capable of so much more at his young age. After just a couple days we were able to remove all the baby gates and our son listens to us about staying in the room with or without us with him; before he would run around the house. We would recommend Terry to any parent that wants to have a rich relationship with their children.

Terry’s advice has greatly improved our daily routine. Meal times and bed times have become much more calm and take much less time they used to. Terry offered feedback in a very constructive way that helped us develop the tools to deal with tantrums and other situations you encounter with toddlers.

Our time working with Terry as our parent coach was very helpful. My main reason for reaching out to Terry was my lack of confidence as a mom. I felt like I was quick to get aggravated with my children, and from there, I didn’t know the next best thing to do to help them be their best. I would get frustrated when they wouldn’t listen, but more so, I would get very upset with myself for not knowing a better way to communicate. I truly felt, and still feel, like the problem was mine and if I knew how to relax and not overreact to situations, our whole family would communicate better. We were amazed on how quickly Terry was able to see this, too, and she gave me a different way to approach daily life. Terry helped me to stop beating myself up. She helped me to feel emotionally “right-sized.” I was in charge, but I was also happy. I could feel strong, but not feel angry. I could be confident, but not be arrogant. I could be consistent, but compassionate. She made me realize I was taking things very personally. There are several things we learned from Terry, but one that stands out the most was learning to see my children’s intentions and recognize when they were truly not listening versus struggling to figure things out for themselves. Without Terry’s help, I would not be a very happy mama. I’m so grateful that Terry was there to provide positive and professional guidance. We would highly recommended Terry because she is incredibly professional and she provides real tools for real life. I have great kids, and now I have great tools to be a better parent.

Terry, thank you again for everything you brought to this home. We appreciate it more than you know. Most importantly I want to thank you for the confidence you managed to provide in the short time you were here. You did an amazing job helping me start to retrain my thinking patterns (I know they will take time and practice but I’m happy to at least be mindful of them). Jack was given a bit more freedom and independence to hang with people his age and stay out a bit later. He absolutely floored us by consistently checking in and showing up to every mandatory, scheduled family thing ON TIME. We’ve been telling everyone about our experience with you. Once again, thank you.

My 5-yr old was throwing tantrums that might include hysterical crying along with shouting/screaming, slamming doors, throwing belongings, hitting us, etc. Those were the extreme situations, but, unfortunately we couldn’t say they were uncommon over the past 2 years. He would often talk back to and disregard me more so than my husband. I became accustomed to picking my battles, resigned, frustrated, exhausted, and utterly dismayed by parenthood. Through Terry’s coaching, I realized that “picking your battles” is just an excuse for avoiding or ignoring the situation because you don’t know how or what to do to change it. I learned the hard way that ignoring bad behaviors doesn’t make them go away. My 2-yr old was throwing frenzied tantrums and exhibiting aggressive behaviors toward us, his brother as well as the kids and teachers at the daycare/learning center. His constant screaming and shouting at home was literally driving us all crazy. As the months progressed, his behavior seemed to get worse despite our best efforts to find solutions online, talking with other parents and collaborating with the staff at his daycare. My husband and I felt increasingly frustrated, angry, unhappy, out of ideas, and literally, at our wits end. Even our relationship began to suffer. This was not how we envisioned our family – this was the type of family we used to look at in restaurants and stores, at gatherings or on TV and say, “Those kids are terrible! We’ll never let our kids act like that.” And suddenly, to our dismay, we were THOSE parents and these were OUR kids! We needed help, fast. With Terry’s guidance, we addressed the boys’ behaviors with a fresh perspective and a new set of tools. We saw a difference within the 48 hours. Terry’s techniques are effective, and the results are immediate and obvious. The difference now is that when a situation arises we are consistent, in control and confident instead of stressed out and angry. Before Terry arrived at our house, my husband and I felt like our stress level was at a 10! Now, our stress levels range from 1-5 with most days at a 0. The return on investment has been the health and happiness of our family! These days the boys may act out occasionally, but we are confident and in control of every situation. Now we’re on the same page in terms of how we parent as well as what we expect from the kids, and the boys know that their behaviors have consequences, good or bad. The confusion has been replaced by respect and understanding. There’s no more guessing game … “well, maybe this will work” or “just ignore it and maybe he’ll stop.” I’m also happy to say the screaming and shouting has stopped. My husband and I can actually have a conversation while the boys are awake and playing rather than waiting until they are in bed to catch up with each other. And we can actually have conversations with our kids, too. Now we’re actually enjoying spending time as a family! The purpose of any coach is to help you improve your game. That’s exactly what Terry did for us – helped us improve as parents by using techniques that actually work. And now we’re all winning! Not just winning back control and confidence, but also strengthening our familial bond. To us, that’s priceless.

Our time working with Terry as our parent coach was eye opening, we wish we would have contacted her sooner.Our child acted out in ways that were harmful to herself and sometimes violently toward us. As a family we were very stressed day in and day out. Since working with Terry we now have the tools to help our child and work with her in a more positive manner. Each day gets better and better and we are much more relaxed. I would highly recommend Terry to any parent in need of help.

We were dealing with our 4 year old son and 20 month old daughter when it came to the evening after being at work all day.Terry quickly accessed our situation and was able to redirect us in dealing with the children. Within 24 hours the children began to respond to her ideas, suggestions and methods.She assisted me as a mother in understanding that it was ok to take control ofour lives. I would highly recommend Terry for all families that may be having struggles with home life, getting kids to follow directions and have smooth transitions.

Terry recently spoke with our MOPS group and it was so beneficial! Not only was she able to share her faith as part of her talk, she was able to give applicable advice to our moms on the spot! I loved how Terry didn’t just talk to us; she got the ladies to participate and interact with her by sharing some of their current parenting struggles. I personally felt like I learned so much just in that short time window that I was able to take home and implement immediately. Even a few weeks later, I find myself thinking about the things she taught us and how my behavior and reactions affects my child’s behavior and reaction. I highly recommend Terry and feel that she helped me be a better mom!
Coordinator Adrienne Shonkwiler

Our 4 year old daughter is smart, strong-willed, and stubborn. She resisted toilet training for nearly 2 years. We tried everything, and by everything, I mean everything – even our pediatrician was out of ideas! We hit a breaking point where we knew we needed help. We found Terry through a friend who met her at a networking event. After the consultation, Terry was confident that she could help. She stepped right in, addressed the issues head-on, and we saw results within 3 days. She was flexible with her schedule, always available for us, and more importantly, she regularly encouraged us that we were doing the right thing for our daughter and for our family. We also have a 6 year old son & 3 month old baby. She offered advice on the baby’s schedule and tactics that work with our son. It was well worth the investment to resolve the issues and feel in control as other issues arise.

Thank you so much for giving us the right tools to help us be the parents that are able to help our children thrive. Being a transformational coach I know how important it is to build up your child’s self-esteem and how detrimental it is to “break bad habits” in attempts to control their behaviors. I work with so many adults that aren’t thriving in business as a result from trauma’s caused by well-meaning parents. But at the same time I refuse to be a parent that has a child running amuck all over the place without proper boundaries being put in place. I knew something had to be done but not having a background in early education I had no idea what the beautiful happy medium would be. I fell in love with your style and your personality. You came in and gave us the tools to raise happy well-adjusted kids. Isn’t that what every parent wants? We are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Some days my husband and I have amnesia and forget the tools. But having a quick recon and a parental meeting of the minds we can usually wrangle the behaviors in a lot faster. Of course most of it is the stuff we are working on personally that causes our ego and emotions to get involved. But hey we are human too. Thank you again.

I am a stay at home mom with two girls; 3.5 and 1.5 years old. I was at a 10 every day as far as stress level, second-guessing how I was disciplining, feeling lost, etc. My husband and I knew we wanted to raise our children positively, with lots of love and boundaries. I was getting a lot of advice, some solicited, some not, and it was making me more confused. My mom told me about Terry and I thought, well, my kids are good overall I don’t think I need a parent coach, I mean, I’m smart, I’ll figure it out….Well, at the time, I thought a parent coach was just for really out of control kids and parents. I quickly learned that’s not true! Just like in other aspects of life, you hire a coach to help you perform. Well, I needed some help with my performance and confidence as a parent so I wasn’t at a 10! And Terry delivered. She didn’t just tell us what to do, she gave us the tools to implement. My girls have positive, much needed and wanted boundaries with consistency. Some days are easier than others, but as long as I stay calm and remember what Terry helped me understand then all will be well! Terry, thank you so much for helping our family!

It’s been a long time since we last talked and seen each other, however, I’ve been meaning to let you know that Skyler [my great nephew] is the best discipline little 5-year-old now. He is a pleasure to be around. It’s hard to believe that you were here two years ago helping my niece deal withthisout of control baby. She has followed your advice to the letter —he’s smart, well-behaved, well mannered and it’s hard to believe he was a screaming out of control toddler. Thanks so much for working with my niece and her son.

Terry was such a blessing for our relationship and our family. We wish we had called her long before we finally did. Her suggestions and advice helped immensely! Our kids know we aren’t going to give 20 warnings any more and they each look forward to our mom/dad date nights to reward them for being contributing members of our family and helping out without being reminded. (The marble jar suggestion has been fantastic!). Thanks to Terry, we are better, more confident parents and spend a lot more time enjoying our kids, instead of yelling at them all the time. If someone is putting off calling Terry, don’t wait! She is worth every penny and so helpful.Thanks!

Terry came into ourhome in January 2015. At the time, our son was 3yo and our daughter was 1yo. Both children would not go to bed, fall asleep on their own, sleep in their own bed, sleep through the night, etc. Additionally, there was a lot of daytime whining, crying, and screaming. This went on for several months. All four of us were exhausted and stressed. We pursued several different avenues in an attempt to bring some peace to our home. Nothing worked or were only temporary fixes. A friend eventually referred us to Terry. Our three day in-home session with Terry was invaluable. She was right there in the “trenches” with us experiencing every tantrum, every fit, every failed time-out attempt. She was even there for the hours-long bedtime process. She called us every morning during that time to see how the previous night had been and to answer any questions we had. By the third night, Terry had cut our bedtime routine down from 2hrs to 30min. The changes in our children were amazing. Like all children, ours continue to test their boundaries in various ways, but now we are confident in our ability to deal with those moments and to keep them from spiraling out of control. A year later, we can still see the affect Terry has had on our family and we are so thankful for her services.

Thank you, Terry.This has been a fantastic experience and I feel so much more confident about having independent, productive kids. I truly feel like you’ve enabled us to enjoy each other’s company. That is just a huge statement for me. I have always loved my children, but the truth is that I have not always liked to be around them. I faced quite a bit of resistance in getting them to cooperate with simple requests and that made the time we spent together less enjoyable. After working with you, I feel like we have been able to make strides that I didn’t even think were possible. It’s so much easier to see the positive qualities in my kids now and I’m looking forward to spending more and more family time together. I’m feeling more confident in my role as a parent and in their own abilities. That is such a huge blessing for us. Thank you thank you thank you!

Thank you again Terry, it’s been amazing establishing a routine at home. For the last fifteen months I have been struggling to keep my business open because while at work I am consumed with the thought of Alex and the girls having a rough time and then getting home and sleeping on the floor or couch. In the last week I have managed to uplift my team of employees because I can function at work. I’ve been able to get back on track with some major projects and focus on getting the business out of the hole I dug. I’ve shared your information in my Columbus Father’s of twins group and will continue to share your passion and excellence with any parents I know. You are a Rockstar.And the best part is I have my wife back. It’s been a long fifteen months without her!

A little about our journey with our daughter, Julia, who is 8 years old. Julia has been a challenging child from the moment she was born. She showed signs of ADHD and anxiety early on and the symptoms have only intensified with age. In addition to our pediatrician, we have consulted with a handful of psychologists and therapists, a neuropsychologist, and psychiatrist. In the last year, we experienced a dramatic decline in Julia’s behavior and subsequently a strain on our family and all of our relationships. Over the course of the last year, we increased medication, made more frequent visits to our psychiatrist and psychologist, sometimes weekly, and saw no improvement. We were feeling hopeless and feared we were being faced with the hard decision to do something drastic – like placing her in a treatment facility. It was through an art therapist that Julia was seeing that we found Working with Parents and Terry. Through all of our struggles with Julia, we always wished someone could come into our home and witness first-hand our daily life and challenges. Terry was the first person we found who could do this. We were hopeful that she could help us and she was confident she could. Terry spent three days with us in a row and then made a handful of subsequent visits. Those days were tough and exhausting, but we endured because we knew making changes was going to be difficult. We knew we had to break the cycle here. Terry was professional, confident, honest and spot on with her observations and recommendations. It wasn’t easy to hear that we needed to change how we were doing things, but the explanations she offered as to why we needed to change made sense. The changes we have made have paid dividends; however, we still have a lot of work to do. Since we started working with Terry, Julia has gone from being on three different medications (6 pills a day) to one medication (1 pill a day). Our daughter’s moods are more stable and she is happy. Our relationship is on the mend while still strained, but we are heading in a good direction. When Terry first came to us Julia was having a minimum of three violent tantrums a day that involved breaking things, screaming inappropriate things and physical violence mostly directed at me, her mother. These tantrums could last hours. Today we are seeing much less defiance and opposition. We still see a tantrum or two a day but they are short-lived, minutes rather than hours, and almost always end in an unsolicited apology. Our daughter also seems much more receptive to discussing her feelings, explaining her actions, and working to control her behavior. We are very grateful to Terry for her guidance and help. We are in a place right now that we didn’t feel was possible.

My husband and I contacted Terry to help us solve a sleep issue with our daughter that we have been dealing with for a few years. We were so pleased that our work with Terry, using her C.P.R. philosophy has not only solved our sleep issues but given us new strategies to help with other behavioral issues. We are thrilled with the results, which are a much happier, cooperative child and thus, a much happier family.

There were many things that Terry tried to teach us, but only some of which were we able to learn in our time together. However, there were a few things that have been really, really helpful with our children. First, our children love to have timers to get things done. They ask for a timer. If people are dawdling before, for example, we have to leave for school, I will tell them that they have 30 minutes to (1) finish breakfast and (2) get dressed, and then I ask how long they want for breakfast. I set a timer, then I set another timer when they go up to get dressed. I thought it would NEVER WORK. I was wrong. They get things done so much more quickly just by turning the timer on. Second, it is genius to just give children a tiny portion of a new set of foods. #2 child said, “I don’t like baked ziti” when I told him that was what was for dinner. So I tried Terry’s technique and just put down one noodle and one small blob of meat and one small blob of cheese. Child #2 tried it and said “I like it” and then ate a whole plate. I didn’t think that would work either. We also have found putting a child to sit until they are ready to cooperate is very effective. Others are shocked at how well it works when we have to use it in their houses when our children misbehave. I have gotten used to it, so it’s not as amazing as it was initially. But others are so shocked all the time! In general, I have found that we have many fewer power struggles with our children. When they are acting like children, I have techniques that I can use to avoid getting onto the frustration train and reacting to their behavior. While we sometimes come down to a battle over whether they are going to get their shoes on and get into the car, the techniques I learned have made those less common and less stressful when they do happen. If you are thinking about whether the investment is worth it, consider what it costs you in emotional energy to battle with your children on the same things over and over and then beat yourself up about it instead of sleeping. Truly, it is worth setting aside the time, energy, and money.

I first reached out to Terry after yet another day ended with me in tears. I was constantly wondering where my husband and I had gone wrong as parents. When did our family life become chaos, disorder, and drama? I was exhausted and defeats. I battled my kids every day. They were rude and disobedient. They didn’t listen to us or do anything we asked. Somewhere we had lost control; it was as if our boys were the parents, not us. I was unhappy, my husband was unhappy, and my children were happy. What had gone wrong? Why was I such a bad parent? I didn’t like myself, I didn’t like my husband and I was beginning to dislike my kids. My home was miserable and dysfunctional, I felt like waking away. We scheduled our first consultation with Terry. She sat and listened, and observed without judgment, and when she said she could help us, that we could become a happier, more understanding and loving family, I believed her. Her approach made sense. It wasn’t a magic pill or rocket science, it was effective. We hired Terry and she came to our home three consecutive days, and from the minute she arrived positive changes took place. Her approach is simple: we had to start being Compassionate, Patient, and Respect one another. Terry would shadow us, coach us, teach us, and advise us. She gave us methods and words to use so that our children heard us. She explained there were alternative ways to handle difficult situations. We learned how to talk to our children and actually get them to listen without us screaming and yelling at each other. Admitting I needed help was hard, but I’m so thankful I did. I will never regret reaching out to Terry, and will always be grateful to her for helping be the parent I want to be, and know I can be.

We felt that our house was in chaos. We had: read every Facebook article, tried every “behavior chart”, rewards system, timeouts, 1-2-3, being calm, yelling, soap in the mouth…you name it. And yet, our house was still in chaos. A 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl were throwing tantrums, disrespecting us… It got to the point where we didn’t look forward to weekends; Our full-time jobs during the week started to feel like our “break”. We had been referred to Terry and, after meeting with her, we decided immediately that this was a worthwhile investment in our family. We didn’t want to “dip our toe in the water”; we opted for the “deluxe package” (my term, not hers). If we were going to do this, we wanted it to work. She spent most of the day Saturday and Sunday. She said that parents often worry that their kids wouldn’t act out with a guest in the house, but they are kids; they’re going to act like themselves. Within an hour, my daughter proved her right. It was a full-on meltdown about picking up a puzzle. Terry walked us through how to get her to truly calm herself down. She explained in the moment that a child will go through specific “stages” of this calm-down, in a particular order, before becoming truly calm. And, like clockwork, our daughter went through each phase, in the exact order Terry described, until after 90 minutes, she was calm. From that moment on, we were true believers. One huge benefit that I didn’t think about going into this: When a situation arises, both my wife and I know what to do, we’re on the same page, we’re not arguing about how we should deal with the problem, and the kids see a unified front, where the rules aren’t changing every couple days. She continues to work with us and what I like is that, now that we’re out of chaos mode, she still provides a ton of value, helping us to continue progressing as parents. Invest in your family. Invest in having a peaceful home, where you can truly enjoy your time with your kids.