Confidently Mommin', a parenting coach from Rocklin

Rocklin resident Melissa Schulz is the parent coach behind Confidently Mommin': A lifestyle program for parents in Placer County. She started working with children with behavioral issues when she was 18. She worked in shelters and group homes for children who were addicted to substances. She eventually went on to get her masters and become a board-certified behavior analyst, which Schulz described as someone who studies human behavior and wants to learn how we can all behave more effectively. She worked for an in-home behavioral health service for 11 years in the Bay Area. During her time there, she realized the biggest impact for her was the work she did when dealing with the parents. "We were working with the kids and it was a beautiful service but really the biggest impact was when you're training and equipping the parents because that is who the kid has all the time," she shared. Schulz felt constrained by the system. She felt she couldn't give families what they needed during the time; this is how she got into the business of parent coaching. Her goal is to help parents of neurodiverse children navigate parenthood. She decided to start Confidently Mommin'. Alongside her 20 years of experience, Schulz is a mother to three children. Two of her children are neurodiverse. "I understand it professionally but also personally," Schulz said. She knows about the challenging parts of parenting: sadness, guilt and anger. She wants to help parents challenge themselves and truly enjoy parenting. "I love helping parents and kids enjoy the time they have because it does go by really fast and it doesn't have to be so hard and challenging because of the personality or diagnosis."