Welcome to My Parenting Journey: Blending Expertise with Real-Life Care

Hi! I’m Melanie, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mom to my 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Rose. My husband, Rose, and I live here in Jersey City, New Jersey.

I started this space because I truly believe in the power of nurturing our families and ourselves. I’m a firm believer that we can build a strong community right here in the city—one where we can share stories, support one another, and learn together. My blog is my way of sharing my journey and the things I learn along the way. I'd love for you to join me!

From the Classroom to the Living Room

I have a Master's in Early Childhood Education with a focus on leadership and advocacy, and I'm a NYS Certified Teacher for Birth through 2nd grade. Interestingly, my mom is a retired elementary educator, and you could say following in her footsteps was the last thing I ever wanted to do! But I’ve found myself working with children at different seasons of my life. From helping my mom at school and volunteering with youth at our church to being a caregiver for a family with two young children, working with kids always felt natural. Upon reflection, I found that I really enjoy early childhood education; nurturing children from the start can help build a strong foundation for their later years.

My formal teaching career began as an Assistant Teacher, and I later became a Lead Teacher for 3-to-5-year-olds. After that, I continued my education and became an Assistant Director for a small early ed center in Chicago. My last official role was as an Instructional Coach in NYC, where I coached and mentored educators across different age groups. I served as a leader for curriculum guidance and helped with best classroom practices.

My education philosophies are grounded in play-based and emergent learning, where play is the primary vehicle for learning. Teachers observe what children are interested in and weave those interests into learning opportunities with a focus on social-emotional development alongside cognitive skills. The teacher’s role is to be a keen observer who works learning goals into a child’s play.

When I was an instructional coach, I always emphasized that my ideas were just suggestions. I encouraged other teachers to reflect on their own practices, see what worked for them, make adjustments, and challenge themselves to try something new. It didn’t have to be my ideas they put into practice; they could take pieces of what they did, what I suggested, and build something unique to them. And if it didn't work, that’s okay too! You're all learning together—the kids in your classroom and you as an educator. You can always go back to old methods or continue to reflect and grow alongside the kids in your classroom as they grow and develop.

I’ve found that the same is true for parenting, and that’s what I’d like to share with you all. This is just my method, and it works most days, but each day is different as a parent. I can only reflect and grow as I support my child's development.

Parenting on the Go

I'm a parent to my 2-and-a-half-year-old, Rose, and we're hoping to grow our family over the next few years. My pregnancy began in NYC, but a relocation took my family to London when I was 30 weeks pregnant. Rose was born there on Christmas in 2022. The job quickly shifted for my husband, and we relocated back to the U.S. just a year later, this time to Jersey City. Here I was, having just started to build connections in NYC, only to shift to London, and with my daughter only nine months old, I was looking to find yet another community for us.

I gave up my job as an Instructional Coach prior to our move to London, and have waffled on the idea of going back to work. I’ve most enjoyed my time as a coach and mentor to other educators, and I found myself missing the opportunities to connect with others and help them discover and grow as educators. I’m here to continue to nurture others by sharing my personal experiences of caregiving through the blended lens of an educator. I take a lot of what I've learned as an educator over my ten-year journey and have infused elements of it into my role as a parent—in how I organize her room, how I structure our days, how I find and build enrichment opportunities in our community, and how I share and connect with other parents and caregivers we meet.

My Mission

In essence, my mission is to nurture—to provide the care, support, and environment needed for something to thrive and reach its full potential. My blog, New York Nurturers, is about providing exactly this kind of support for children and their families in a specific, metropolitan context. This isn’t a how-to blog, but a space for us to build community and learn from one another, as we both nurture ourselves and our children in the process.

This blog is a place where I'm hoping to show the importance of blending my professional expertise with my personal experience. Both roles are complementary and provide valuable lessons that help guide me as a parent, and the journey of an educator can truly enhance your parenting approaches. I'd like to build a supportive network with other parents and caregivers, where the emphasis is on connecting with others for shared experiences. I hope to remind everyone that learning is a continuous process and that adaptation and reflection can strengthen our roles as caregivers.

Conclusion

At its core, my life has been a journey from the classroom to the living room, a continuous lesson in how the principles of an educator can enrich the experience of a parent. As I've shared my story, I hope it encourages you to reflect on your own unique journey as a caregiver. What professional skills or personal experiences have you carried with you into your parenting? What have you learned from your children that has helped you grow? This space is for us to share these insights and learn from one another. We are all on a path of continuous learning and growth, both for ourselves and for our families.

Welcome. Let's nurture our little ones, together.