Hey there, I’m Shelly! I’ve worked with kids since I was a teen, when I started babysitting in my free time not because I needed the money, but because I truly loved it. In 2019, I started working full-time in childcare as an Assistant Preschool Teacher, before transitioning into my current role as a Behavior Therapist working 1:1 with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

As a child, I was extremely emotional and often felt misunderstood. I didn’t know how to cope with the big feelings I was having, and it caused me to feel different than my sister and my classmates. I developed unhealthy coping mechanisms, and low self-worth from a very young age. As an adult, I’ve felt as if I’m playing catch-up, trying to re-learn how to love myself and manage my emotions. Wouldn’t it be nice if we were able to learn these things as kids?

I created this class because it is what I wish I had when I was a child. We have school and play dates and summer camps, but we don’t really have a space for children to learn life skills like managing emotions and building self-confidence. So I decided to create one!