Meet our parents!
Our parents are members of our Parenting Now Team. They are parents who have "been there", who have experienced the joys and challenges of parenting and they are ready to chat about your parenting experiences. Their online schedules vary but you can connect with anyone via email, at any time.
Leave us a message. Click on the 'Leave A Message' button for any parent and they will respond to your email as soon as possible. Or email us at hello@parentingnow.ca
Hi, my name is Maryanne. I came into parenting with a few issues from childhood, so had some very specific plans for how I was going to raise my kids. However, nothing changes our plans faster than our children! I wanted a daughter–what better way to resolve issues with my own mom by having a daughter to love. This is not how my parenting story unfolded, though. My first beautiful son came into the world with Asperger’s. I missed all the signs and was very surprised when his Kindergarten teacher asked to speak with me at the end of his first day of school. My reaction was “wait, you mean not all kids are like this?” My second child came into the world identified as a girl and transitioned to male at the age of 16. Both of my boys are now young adults and living the lives they are meant to have. I am so proud of them and I love being their mum.
I know that children are our best teachers and mine have taught me a very valuable lesson: love the child I have, not the child I expected them to be when I was planning my life. When the challenges were going on in our home, I did not have anyone who could share and understand my experiences. Sometimes, you just need to be able to talk with someone who has been there!
Hi, I’m Teresa. I am the parent of 4 adults, two of whom (our 20 and 21 year old sons) are still at home. My daughter and son-in-law have 3 beautiful little ones, being a grandparent is amazing! Our two teenaged sons make life busy and interesting, I really enjoy seeing them discovering what they want to do with their lives and becoming independent despite one of our son’s challenges. Parenting is hard work especially with the added stresses of supporting our son who has special needs. I sometimes feel divided between my adult kids, grandchildren, kids still at home and aging parents. It’s about celebrating the joys and successes and facing the challenges of reality. Talking, laughing, and sometimes crying with other parents who have been there is so helpful.
I live in Kitchener with my husband and three sons, ages 8, 6, and 3. Life is busy, but life is very good! I’ve been a stay at home mom since our oldest child was born. The years I’ve spent at home have been full of wonderful memories and adventures with the boys. I have my Early Childhood Education diploma, so before becoming a Mom I worked at a daycare center. I’ve put that to use by providing home childcare for many families and children. Parenting (and parenting boys specifically) has come with some challenges, lots of joys and many, many opportunities for learning! Each of my children offers something unique to our family and I appreciate each and every one of them. I’ve been a parent for over years now and within that time I’ve learning a lot about parenting and a lot about myself. We have many years to go and lots to learn – I’m ready for the journey!
Hello, my name is Christen. I am the mom of two cute, sweet, kind angels–angels who also keep me on my toes! My 6-year-old girl is a thinker, with a very creative personality and my 4-year-old son has a very playful personality and is becoming a sports guy. These two different personalities and interests lead to many conflicts and arguments, I can tell you! My hubby and I agreed we would raise our kids in a modern, open minded style. Our values and faith matter to us and also influence our parenting. We are trying our best and hope it all works. As new Canadians, we were struggling with cultural differences and being so far from our families’ support and comfort. But now, we have made new friends and have become part of our new community. We enjoy and celebrate the Canadian lifestyle. I would love to chat with you about your parenting experiences, either as a newcomer to Canada or as someone who has been here a long time. We can learn from each other.
I also speak Arabic and French so you can connect with me in either of these languages as well as English.
My name is Omkalthoum, and I am a mother to four beautiful, and wildly different children. I first became a mother thirty-three years ago, and while that may seem like a long time, in many ways I feel it went by in a flash. The first time I held my son, I felt many different emotions: fear, self-doubt, and overwhelming happiness, hope and love. Three more children followed: one boy and two lovely girls. Unbeknownst to me, each experience and each child brought something different. Because every child is unique and special. They have taught me so much about myself: how to love, how to learn, how to be patient (although there were many, many occasions where my patience was tested!) and most importantly, what values I want to pass on to them to make this world a better place.
Parenting is difficult. We have had many curve balls thrown at us, including moving to a completely new continent and facing a culture very different from our own. There were so many moments of fatigue and stress,and where I felt everything was going wrong no matter how hard my husband and I tried. While I very quickly learned that parenting is not easy, my experiences have also taught me that if I am willing to work hard with my children, and to listen and respect them, it will always be worth it. Discovering who I want to be as a parent has been a crazy journey, but what my children have taught me is that I will never give up. We have all learned and grown together, and while it certainly has not been easy, the love and support we show one another other makes everything else worth it. It has been thirty-three years since I first became a mother, and I am proud to say that I have raised four children whom I am very proud of. We listen to one another when we disagree, we respect and treat each other as we would want to be treated, and we vow to be there for each other no matter what, trying to make the world a better place together.
I also speak Arabic so you can connect with me in Arabic or English.
Hi. I am Nadia. I am a mom of 3 boys 18, 12 and 11. My oldest one is transitioning into a responsible young adult after going through a few adventurous teen years. My husband and I had to observe, learn and adapt while parenting him. My second child is an artist and an introvert by nature. His needs are quite different than his brothers. We cannot always expect him to enjoy the activities we plan for the rest of the family. The youngest one is aiming to become a basketball player and focuses all his energies around it. He is very sociable and makes friends wherever he goes. Children can be so different even when born in the same family and raised by the same parents!
As new Canadians, we still continue to learn, unlearn and adapt as well as teach our children to thrive in a new environment. I have had opportunities to speak to other parents through Parenting Now community chats. It is always great to share our stories with people who have the same struggles. I look forward to connecting with you and share our journeys.
I also speak Urdu and Panjabi. You can connect with me using Urdu, Panjabi or English.
Hi! I’m Sally. I am a parent of five children who range in age from 28 years old to 7 years, and yes I know that’s a huge age range and gap! I’ve been working on this parenting thing for a long time, and trust me, I still have lots to learn. I started out parenting as a single mom; and I eventually met a great guy and had two babies in a short span. I have also worked full time and attempted to balance young kids and a career.
At some point during my crazy parenting journey I went back to school to train as an Educational Assistant. I’ve spent lots of time working and volunteering with Kids with Special Needs. I have also been a Foster Parent for about 15 years. I usually care for babies and I’ve been fortunate enough to adopt a child.
I’ve parented kids with special needs, learning disabilities and emotional/psychological disorders. There have been doctor’s appointments and countless school meetings and support groups. I am sure I’ve made lots of mistakes but I know I have learned some great tricks and coping skills along the way.
I am looking forward to becoming a grandparent in the very near future and I can’t wait to experience this new aspect of parenting. I know I will have lots to learn from my daughter about not spoiling her child. Can’t wait!
I have lots of parenting experience but I am constantly learning new ways to connect with my kids and ways to enjoy being a parent. I don’t think I have ever met a perfect parent and I know I’ll never be one. 😉 I’d love to chat and together we can find ways to be great parents with happy kids!
Hello! I’m Hayley. I am a devoted wife and mother. My daughters are ages 3 and 6 and keep life very busy and entertaining. A special challenge in our family is our struggle with severe food allergies. All families have struggles but having young kids reminds me to approach every day with laughter, a sense of adventure and a willingness to learn. Chatting with other parents is an amazing way to stay connected and move forward with strength and confidence. I look forward to connecting with you in this way.
Hi, I’m Victoria. I am a single parent of an amazingly beautiful, creative and challenging 10-year old. I adopted her when she was 4 and I thought parenting would be perfect; after all, I am an experienced Early Childhood Educator! When we started to bump into attachment issues, I quickly learned that I needed support. Also, as a parent I am facing health challenges and currently am battling cancer. Through all of this, I have had to navigate the health care system, learn how to accept help from others and connect with appropriate supports for my daughter. I have learned how hard it is to ask for help and that it really does take a village to raise a child.
Hi, I’m Diane. I am the manager of all of our parenting education and support services at KW Counselling Services—and am very proud to be part of the Parenting Now Team. I have worked with, chatted with, cried with and laughed with MANY parents over the course of my career and am forever inspired and humbled by the stories I have heard. I am also a parent–of a truly amazing young woman. We have certainly had our ups and downs and, truth be told, I continue to struggle with how to parent an adult child who lives on the other side of the country! She has taught me a lot about myself and my parenting. Some of it great, some of it not so great. I have learned how to love and value her for herself and to let go of the little things that just don’t matter. Now, my daughter is a parent herself! And, quite an amazing one, I am pleased to say. I would love to talk with you about your parenting journey. What have you learned along the way?
Hi! I’m Kristen. I am the parent of 3 teenagers. My daughter is becoming an amazing young woman and my twin boys make me laugh everyday. I love being a mom but I know what it is to struggle too. Having three teenagers can be incredibly difficult sometimes. There are definitely some days that feel all up uphill. But those days, hours, moments; they always pass. The great moments of laughter and love help us all build resilience for the tougher times. I know that parenting is not only about our successes but about the times we’re not so proud of too. I do know that talking with friends and family and other parents makes a big difference. Even though it looks different for every one, we are in it together.
