A Parent's Guide to Improving Sleep for Energetic & Spirited Babies

"It's okay, you're not alone. There's no judgment. I just want to help and comfort and coach and give that knowledge, you know?"

-Michelle Mintz

Empowering Parents with Early Development Expert Michelle Mintz

Hello everyone! I recently had the pleasure of hosting an incredible lady on my podcast, Michelle Mintz, the founder and owner of Baby Blooming Moments. Michelle is an early development expert with a rich background as a speech language pathologist, specializing in working with children from birth to five years old. She's also the author of a children's book called "All Done Binky," which supports families with babies and toddlers weaning off pacifiers.

The Inspiration Behind "All Done Binky"

Michelle's book was inspired by the importance of weaning off pacifiers early to prevent speech and language delays. She wanted to provide a resource for children around nine to ten months old, so she wrote her own book with simple words and colorful pictures. Michelle emphasizes the significance of language and growth in early development and the impact it can have on a child's overall development.

Michelle's Credentials and Passion

Michelle's credentials are impressive, including her master's degree in speech language pathology and her certificate of clinical competence. While her background is in speech therapy and communication, her passion lies in Baby Blooming Moments. Here, she aims to reach more than just children with delays. She wants to empower parents, grandparents, nannies, and anyone involved in raising children to be proactive and prevent delays through enriching interactions and strategies during the early years.

The Journey into Speech Therapy

Michelle's journey into becoming a speech therapist was quite intriguing. She initially stumbled upon speech therapy during her undergraduate studies in Santa Barbara. The phonetic letters and engaging nature of the field intrigued her, leading her to specialize in working with children from birth to five years old, as well as the geriatric population aged 70 and above.

Involving Parents in the Therapy Process

Unlike traditional speech therapists who have parents wait in the waiting room, Michelle believes in having them in the room during sessions. She demonstrates and explains her techniques to parents, empowering them to become the speech therapists for their children at home. This approach has proven to yield faster progress for the children she works with.

The Importance of Consistency in Parenting

Michelle shares her personal experience as a single mother and co-parenting with her mother. She emphasizes the importance of consistency in parenting and how it played a significant role in her son's upbringing. Despite the challenges of dealing with a controlling and manipulative ex-husband, Michelle remained focused on providing a consistent and stable environment for her son.

The Strategy of Watching, Pausing, and Listening

Michelle discusses the strategy of watching, pausing, and listening to children in order to abandon our own agendas and better understand their needs and interests. She gives an example of wanting a baby to play with a car, but the baby is more interested in shoving bubbles into her hand. Michelle emphasizes that the key to engagement, language development, and enrichment lies in focusing on what the child wants, rather than what we want for them.

Baby Blooming Moments: A Unique Program

Through Baby Blooming Moments, Michelle offers a unique program where she coaches parents in real-time, providing strategies and guidance for engaging with their babies or toddlers. The program is weekly, and parents can sign up for as many weeks as they find helpful. Michelle emphasizes that her services are unique and can also make great gift certificates.

Connect with Michelle

Michelle can be found on various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, all under the handle "Baby Blooming Moments." She also has a LinkedIn profile under her name, Michelle Mintz. Additionally, Michelle offers free 30-minute consultations through Zoom or phone calls, where she can address specific concerns and tailor her advice to each family's needs.

Final Thoughts

Michelle emphasizes the importance of learning how to communicate with babies and toddlers and also with each other as new parents. She believes that it is crucial to understand and meet a child's needs, and reassures listeners that it's never too late to make changes and improve their interactions with their children. She encourages self-reflection and learning, and I couldn't agree more.

I hope you found this blog post as insightful as I found my conversation with Michelle. Remember, it's never too late to make changes and improve your interactions with your children. Happy parenting!

Watch this weeks full episode!