About Holly Klaassen, MSc, BA
As the mom of a spirited* child, I know how hard it is to be the parent you want to be. We are often left using strategies that just aren't effective...simply because we don't know what else to do. My passion is helping parents learn the skills they need to parent their child with respect and patience, and to actually begin enjoying their spirited child, now.
My spirited boy came along in 2006. He came out screaming (of course), and didn't stop for many months. In 2007 I started The Fussy Baby Site, a support site that has served to help millions of parents of fussy, high need babies and toddlers over the years. As my own child grew, I realized that spirited babies often continue being more sensitive, more persistent and more challenging as they get older. And although my son has "come out the other side" of spirited, helping parents of spirited kids continues to remain my passion!
Over the years, I have been honoured to interview or work with many of the leading experts on spirited kids. My Facebook parenting support groups have grown to over 70,000 members, and my parenting advice has been featured in major media outlets such as Parents Magazine, Today's Parent, CBC Radio Canada, Mother.ly, Education.com and many others. I was also a contributing writer for HuffPost Parents until 2018.
Professionally, I have continued to evolve over the years, in order to offer the most up-to-date, research-backed information to parents. In 2019, I graduated with my Master of Science degree in Family & Human Development. I have also taken training in the CPS (Collaborative and Proactive Solutions) model of working with challenging kids.
My methods are based on a combination of Positive Parenting, the RIE approach, and Dr. Ross Greene's CPS model. My ideas have also been influenced by the work of Dr. Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, author of the book, Raising Your Spirited Child. The strategies I teach are those backed by the latest research, and those I find most effective for the parents I work with.
I truly believe that while raising a spirited child can be a challenge, these kids are a true blessing. When we adjust our parenting to suit their temperament, we can not only start enjoying them now, but also set them on the path to becoming truly happy, healthy and confident adults.
*The term "spirited" was coined by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, author of the book Raising Your Spirited Child.
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