Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Zwyghuizen.
Hi Melanie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started Gen 1 Parenting after 30 years as a high school educator. The last few years of my career I felt a pull to support not just students, but families as a whole – focusing on parents. Parenting is the only job I know of that we do without any training/education! My husband Ed (owner of Gen 1 Architecture) and I definitely felt that lack of training and were feeling pretty lost when our three kids were young —until we stumbled into the idea of leading our family with a clear vision in mind! We chose 3 words that meant a lot to us –loving, encouraging, blessing — and used that as our decision making guide as we raised our family. It was amazing how starting with our purpose brought other aspects of our parenting into alignment. Ultimately it is what helped us lean into our young daughter’s passion for helping others that didn’t have clean water and start the annual Walk for Water (https://20liters.org/our-world/) in our community. We hope our story inspires other families to not only live as a family team but also make a difference in our larger community and even world.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting my own business has had its challenges for sure! It’s been slow going as most of the challenge is just getting the message out there that there is someone local that can provide parenting support! I know a lot of parents get ideas from social media, yet having someone local to meet with can really help solidify a comprehensive parenting plan vs. the piecemeal approach.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Gen 1 Parenting is focused on supporting all parents with education and coaching—whether they have littles or teens. I help parents find their purpose (their why/vision), to help in guiding their family. Many parents are stuck in the loop of reacting to whatever the next challenge is that they face with their kids and so often, we just focus on the how of parenting – how do I get my kid to (fill in the blank!). I believe that only leads to temporary fixes at best and long term confusion and struggle at worst. I approach parenting education more holistically, equipping parents with BOTH foundational understandings (based on child development & brain research) as well as practical tools they can use to strengthen connection & cooperation. I coach parents along their way as they become the confident and steady leaders of their families through either 1:1 sessions, small group coaching or mini-courses. Additionally, I partner with local organizations like Love, INC of Allegan as well as local churches to provide parent education seminars, workshops and multi-week classes.
I’m most proud of Gen 1 Parenting’s ability to support parents with kids of all ages through our diverse offerings created from both professional and personal experience.
Parents and organizations alike can learn more at our website www.gen1parenting.com
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
It’s a privilege to walk alongside parents doing the hard work of raising kids. Success doesn’t mean perfection in parenting. Success for me is when parents feel more confident, more equipped and capable to do the work of parenting. When they feel more grounded in their vision for their family and educated about aspects like connection and discipline, they feel less pulled in so many directions by everyone else’s opinions about parenting as they are able to make informed decisions that work for their unique family. I consider that a win for everyone!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gen1parenting.com
