Parent Coaching

Annie Keeling, MFA, MFA, BS, CMT, RMT, the founder of Start Small Parenting, meets with parents one-on-one to assist with pitfalls and traps that drive parents when trying to get their child to change behaviors.

In private sessions, parents learn strategies to use with those frustrating, worrisome, and super annoying off-track behaviors. Instead of the punitive model of parenting – threats, coercion, yelling, shaming, isolation – these coaching sessions provide a chance for parents to learn another way.

From the sessions, take away a succesful blueprint to make parenting easier and family connections stronger. These connections build calm instead of chaos, increase cooperation, and help your child learn with creativity, surprises, and a sense that you – the parent – have got this!

Reasons Why Parents Work With Annie

  • Learn to be Less Reactive when you are Triggered: Tools to interrupt unconscious, reactive behaviors on your part and be more of the parent you know you can be.
  • Address Misbehaviors (off-track behaviors): Not Listening, Tantrums, Hitting, Refusal, Sleep, Sharing …And More. Learn how to respectfully help a child with the toughest behaviors.
  • More Connection: Learn 4 Pillars of Success that all families can begin using to create immediate change and increase deeper connections.
  • Explore Natural Authority: Define parents’ natural responsibility and how it fits into family-centered homes.
  • Stop doing the Happy Dance. Learn how to help your child with resilience, big emotions, and self-control.
  • Cooperation Tools: Learn 6 cooperation strategies to help your child shift gears or make a change in behavior – either learning a new skill or stopping an unsafe or off-track behavior.
  • Increase Emotional Intelligence: Work with your anger-snap, use centering pattern interrupts to break the cycle, create stronger connections with your child, and teach them to identify and manage their emotions.
  • Create more Calm: Learn simplification techniques to help center the family.
  • Work with Parenting Partners: How to work with the other partner and get the support and self-care you need.
  • Positive Parenting: Replace threats, coercion, yelling, and punishment with positive corrective experiences that take you and your child’s needs into consideration.
  • Understand Developmental Needs: What behaviors to expect and how best to help the child learn.
  • More Connection: Learn 4 Pillars of Success that all families can begin using to create immediate change.
  • Guerrilla Lovefare: Help your child learn with creativity, surprises, and a sense that you – the parent – have got this!

Parent Testimonials

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“The perspective that Annie gave us was really pivotal to not only understanding my children better, but understanding how to parent them in the best way for them to thrive as individuals. I feel like I’m on a better and clearer path of parenthood AND more on the same page with my husband.” – Jessy O’Brien

Damota_crop.jpg“It’s such a better feeling to know that our child is learning rather than feeling ashamed of his behavior. Our son is so sentsitive, this is a really important improvement for us. This information goes deeper than parenting. It’s a blueprint for being a more respectful person. It’s truly lifechanging.” – Katie DaMota

m d and j.jpg“Super helpful,informational, and confidence boosting. Love the gentle and realistic approach to parenting.” – Daisy, Meshawn, and Jude

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“Annie is a brave and hilarious coach and teacher. I have no doubt that the next few years of my life I will use something I learned from Annie every single day, and the value of that is incalculable.” – Dan Walmsley

Hunts Crop.jpg“When our youngest was three years old, my husband and I came to a point where we did not know how to gracefully proceed in parenting. We met with Annie and even after being parents for over 6 years with three children she taught us invaluable skills that we had never thought of before. It was like she gave us a tool box to work better as a couple, with each child and as a family. She helped us become an even better team. I would highly recommend Annie in whatever she offers, for it is her nature to be excellent and to embody love and insight for those of us raising children.” – Dr Heather Hunt DC

IMG_20180930_104552893.jpg“I still have times when I’m feeling big emotions I can’t identify and just need to let them out. I realized that my daughter needs to do the same. Our session together helped Amanda and I to understand this so much more, and by understanding, helped us not to be afraid and to better support her. So I wanted to say thank you.” – Jeremy Mineau

Annie Keeling

Annie Keeling, MFA, MFA, BS, CMT, RMT is an Early Childhood Parenting Specialist. She is the founder of⁠⁠ Start Small Parenting⁠⁠ As the Parenting Specialist for the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools she conducted 8-week Nurturing Parenting Seminars and coached parents one-on-one. Her column, Parenting Points, appeared regularly in The Union newspaper of Nevada County.

She has a B.S. in Dance Therapy & Education from UW-Madison with an emphasis on early childhood education, an MFA in Dance from UCLA, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. Annie is a certified Nurturing Parenting Facilitator, a certified RMT Strategic Intervention coach, and has completed a 9-month Psychosynthesis Training. She is certified in Brain Gym I and II and holds a certification from The Center for Music & Young Children of Princeton, NJ. She also worked with her father, Gailen Keeling, a family therapist of over 45 years, teaching with him, editing his books, and developing parent training coursework together.

In addition to parenting classes, she has taught early childhood music and movement classes for over 20 years. This includes ⁠⁠⁠Music Together⁠⁠⁠ for families of young children (birth to 4 years) and ⁠DanceAlong and JamAlong creative movement and music classes for 4-8 year olds.

Sign up for an Ideas and Insights Consultation with Annie

If you are new to Annie’s parenting info and would like to find more about how she works with families, then please call or email to set up a time for a no-cost 15-minute phone session. This call explores the triumphs and challenges you experience with your parenting and looks at some ways we can go about creating a plan for increased success.

Private Sessions

  • Phone or Zoom
  • Please contact us for more information

Contact

Annie Keeling
annie@startsmallparenting.com
530-210-1100