Feedback

Liz family photo

This class was incredibly useful for me – both practical but also affirming (and therefore calming!). I enrolled in it because I felt I was in a rut with my near four-year-old, and I didn’t love the behavior I was modeling for him or his younger sister. Each week we discussed issues that felt incredibly relevant/fresh for me, and we had the chance to examine real-life situations, developing scripts to use in hard moments, in anticipation of hard moments, or after the hard moments had passed. Mary Lynn is kind, gentle, knowledgeable, and she does a great job at making the class interactive. Several months following the conclusion of the class, I find myself drawing on the lessons learned daily!”

- Liz

Je recommande sans hésiter les cours de Mary-Lynn aux parents qui se sentent démunis dans leur relation avec leur(s) enfants et sont prêts à accepter que les ajustements peuvent venir d’eux-mêmes (et non pas uniquement de leurs enfants!).

Le besoin d’aide s’est fait sentir quand ma relation avec mon fils de 6 ans s’est dégradée, après la naissance de sa petite sœur. Beaucoup de colère chez lui, et beaucoup d’impatience chez moi.

J’ai suivi une session de huit cours avec Mary-Lynn via Zoom et je refermais chaque fois mon ordinateur le moral remonté.

La forme des cours, qui incluent des jeux de rôle, est très utile. J’y ai compris combien il est important de se mettre à la place de nos jeunes enfants, de toujours garder à l’esprit leur perspective sur le monde. Mary-Lynn instaure par ailleurs un environnement très sécurisant, propice à l’honnêteté et à la franchise avec les autres participants.

Aussi, en tant que mère française d’enfant élevé aux États-Unis (avec un père américain), je me retrouve à cheval sur deux cultures d’éducation, hautement contradictoires.

Source de frustration et d’agacement, mais aussi d’interrogation et de remises en question.

Mary-Lynn, qui connaît très bien la culture française (parlant parfaitement français), et la discipline positive semblent opportunément faire le pont entre les deux. J’ai appris durant ces cours combien l’autorité peut s’exercer sans sévérité ni rigidité, mais avec empathie, créativité et tendresse. Et combien il était important de se laisser guider par la petite personne en formation dans cette aventure d’éducation, plutôt que d’imposer un cadre préconçu qui conduit trop souvent à altérer la nature unique de nos enfants.

- Noémie

This class exceeded my expectations. I came into it looking for specific strategies to get me through tough moments but came out with a whole different perspective that has shaped my relationship with my child for the better. This course has allowed me to see the world from my child’s perspective, understand what is going on inside their heads, and tailor my responses to their reactions to be the most effective possible. I often find myself in conversation with other mom friends saying “ooooh! I learned a strategy to deal with this in my PD class….” – would definitely recommend it!
- Simran

We took this class over the summer of 2020 when pandemic lockdown plus fournager climbing the walls had started to feel like more than we could handle (I know we weren’t alone!) Having a group with whom to feel solidarity and work through our challenges using the gentle and thoughtful approach Mary Lynn takes was *so* valuable in helping us step back, breathe, reassess and figure out some strategies for moving forward. I highly recommend it!
- Milon

The skills I learned in this class helped and continue to help me tremendously. Having my kids (all boys) close together in age presented challenges I wasn’t prepared for. My kids weren’t listening to me, or each other, in a mutually respectful way. This course has given me tools to address the common, everyday challenges that come with children (e.g., eating, getting dressed, boundaries, sibling rivalry, etc) and shifted my thinking about how to parent. More importantly, the tools are growing with me as my kids grow. Last, Mary Lynn Fiske is a master of her trade. She embodies the spirit of positive discipline in her attentiveness, calm, and devotion to her students and their families. She is beyond helpful and her classes are meticulously planned and prepared. In short, I highly recommend Mary Lynn and her courses to anyone with children.

– Ellerie

This course gave me a lot to think about and many new tools to implement right away. I appreciated both the theory and the practice and came away feeling like a more equipped parent almost immediately. I feel like I don’t have to work as hard at parenting anymore. Watching the ways my new techniques positively impact my kids and our family makes me feel like I am showing up as the best parent I can be (most of the time :)).
- Amy

I really enjoyed the Positive Discipline class because it allowed me space to think differently about my parenting and also gave me the opportunity to try out new ideas in the class. Despite the fact that it was on zoom it was very hands-on and involved role-playing and other interactive exercises so that I felt fully immersed in the process. I have incorporated many of the tools we discussed, including family meetings, routine charts, and I reference some of the other tools less frequently but I think about them in my day-to-day processes. …I am very grateful for this gift during the pandemic when I felt like my parenting skills were falling apart and I was struggling to regroup.
- Najah

My husband and I took this course together to improve our parenting to our 7 and 4-year-old children. The PD class has dramatically improved our family dynamic and the overall cooperation of all. I set out with high hopes for the class, but Mary Lynn and the material far exceeded even those expectations. Our older child has independently commented that our family is happier since we took this course. My parenting style has become more consistently mindful. The class and exercises give participants the practical tools to implement the concepts. Some tweaks in the manner and content of feedback we give the kids have visibly improved their self-confidence and intrinsic motivation in just a short time. We are also better able now to avoid escalations or quickly defuse them when they do arise, and to identify patterns in our own behavior that were unproductive or damaging. … This course is the best gift we have ever given our family.
- Voula

Mary Lynn is an exceptional counselor who will help guide you on your journey to being a better parent. Her course offers powerful advice that you can put into practice at home to improve your relationship with your children. In just a couple of months, we learned to approach problems from a completely different perspective, one which actually works. Through positive discipline, we have learned to reframe our interactions in constructive ways.

When my wife first signed us up for the course, I was skeptical. Now, I’m a true believer. It has been a great benefit to our family and I encourage others to try it. Even my children agree!

- Alex

Positive Discipline has completely changed my approach to parenting. The tools and techniques that are part of the Positive Discipline approach are incredibly effective. The hardest part is learning to use the tools and to quickly be able to access what you’ve learned when you are in the ‘moment’ of parenting, especially if that moment is challenging you! That’s where Mary Lynn comes in. She takes the lessons that can be read in a book and teaches them in a way they really ‘stick’. Her teaching style includes engaging and useful scenarios, role-playing, and active participation that allows you to really learn the material. Every session is full of information that gives you real insight into how small children see the world and how to respond and interact with them to teach them, not punish them.

I hope every parent takes this class – it will make for a world of happier parents and well-adjusted children.

– Staci

Knowing the drivers behind my child’s behavior has enabled me to respond more constructively when the chips are down.

The stress we have been feeling at home has been greatly reduced.

– Mike


Photo Credit: Julie Hassett Sutton

Mary Lynn’s class has empowered me to develop a long-term strategy for how I want to parent that focuses more on who I want my children to grow into than how I’d like them to behave at any given moment.

Since taking the class, I’ve been able to more easily identify and remove obstacles to better behavior that I was creating, to be more patient and creative with my kids when issues arise, and to provide them with more opportunities to make decisions and regulate their own emotions. I see my kids taking more initiative, articulating their own feelings more often, and overall responding to the positive discipline approach.

I would certainly recommend this class to any parent who is looking to create a more harmonious home.

– Gaby

Taking the Positive Discipline class lightened the mood in my home immediately, and my relationship to my daughter immediately felt healthier than it had after a stressful time; parenting became fun again. One of my take-aways was that I needed to help our daughter take on more responsibility in the home. Now she sets the table, can make her own breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and participates in family clean-up time, growth she feels proud of and growth that has lessened my workload, meaning I can spend more fun time with her.

– Kate

Mary Lynn is an exceptionally good teacher/facilitator/guide. I took her positive discipline class over an 8-week cycle. I’m not a parent but I have kids in my life. The class gave me practical ways to communicate with those kids when they break agreements, do dumb things or put themselves in danger. Mary Lynn clearly knows what she’s talking about but really didn’t lecture. She’d present a situation, give us some smart tools on handling the situation and then let us practice. Over the 8 weeks, we shared our progress, how we blew it, supported each other to get back on track.

– Emily

When I came to the class I felt lost in my relationship with my son. I didn’t understand my son’s adolescent issues and the ways I was contributing to the problem. Mary Lynn helped me understand his development stages and more importantly, gave me specific language to use in response to tussles. Her guidance seemed to magically defuse the arguments. I was relieved to hear that the other parents in the group also experienced many of the same difficulties. It made me feel less alone in my struggles. Almost immediately after the start of the classes the heated temperature in our home turned down. I’m pleased to report that the conflicts in our relationship have been significantly reduced and our connection seems stronger than ever.

– Paula

I feel like there is a stigma against doing a parenting workshop. “If I need a workshop, I must be a bad parent and I don’t want others to know.” We have all attended a lot of school in our days. When I wanted to master something I got a Master’s degree, when I wanted to learn how to be a photographer, I went to FIT. So I felt like it only made sense that when I wanted to be a better parent I sought a teacher.

Mary Lynn was amazing. She made me feel like it was okay to make mistakes and gave me strategies for teaching the little people in my life. She helped give me other things to do instead of yelling. It made me feel calmer and more in control. My fellow parents in class felt like life boat companions and the trust and openness we all brought to every session was pretty awesome. I had at least one epiphany every class and I found myself really looking forward to going each week. If you are looking for ideas on getting kids to engage more, for you to yell less, to feel less like you don’t know what to do in certain situations and for everyone to be happier, go.

– Cortney

My husband and I just completed Positive Discipline classes with Mary Lynn and we will never be able to thank her enough for what she brought to our family.

We now feel we can be the parents we have always wanted to be: screaming, threatening and bribery have been replaced with mutual respect, harmony and solution-oriented discussions.

Six sessions might sound like a big commitment but it is really nothing compared to the life long skills it will give you.

– Claire

The approach of being kind and firm while relating to your child’s needs and feelings is a simple concept, but putting it all in practice is where the work comes in. But it works.

We like the structure of having multiple classes over a few weeks, as it provides an opportunity to connect with other parents and discuss ideas and situations together. Plus, your kids give you so many opportunities to practice. Our family issues involved not listening, refusing to do simple tasks, “misbehaving” when not getting attention, etc.

Once we learned to pause what we were doing, pay attention to what our daughter was feeling and ask curiosity questions about the situation, she started to open up about her feelings and identify them. By giving her short bursts of focused attention, we found there to be much less attention-seeking “mis-behavior”.

– Alex

I highly recommend Mary Lynn’s parenting class, which may be more relevant and helpful now than ever. My spouse and I have two young kids and took Mary Lynn’s six-week parenting class (in person) a little more than a year ago; we found it to be extremely enlightening and worthwhile. Some of us take classes for everything else (yoga, pilates, cardio, languages, etc.), so why not parenting? Bonus: Mary Lynn is a very kind, patient, and knowledgeable instructor. If you have a partner, make them put the kids to bed, pour yourself a glass of wine, and Zoom onto this parenting class. You’ll learn a lot of concrete strategies that can help your family life—especially during a global pandemic. And you might even forget about said pandemic for two hours.
– Christine

Mary Lynn is a skilled teacher. She created an atmosphere where parents felt safe to share their parenting challenges. Through our role playing, I felt for the first time what it must be like for my daughter when I lose my temper. I also learned to focus on what is really important. Instead of getting angry at a rebellious teen who missed her curfew, I was able to focus on my real concern – her safety. I asked my daughter what she suggested we do to resolve this problem. We worked out a better arrangement where she travels with other friends when she is out late. Her curfew is actually a half an hour later, but she is not traveling alone.

– Jane

Applying some of the practical methods has helped diminish power struggles, softened temper tantrums, increased connection, and reminded us how much joy our children bring us. Thanks to Mary Lynn, there has been less screaming, threatening, and punishment, and more peace in our household.

– Joanna & Sean

I am always amazed that I signed up for an 8-hour childbirth class but not one single parenting class until my oldest son was 6 years old. I signed up for the 6-week class and at first, I thought it would be too long, but it turned out to be so helpful. I actually looked forward to the weekly classes and hearing other parents with similar struggles. We would work together to solve our battles with our kids. It made me a much more compassionate and problem-solving parent. I now unwind feelings and outbursts so that we can all feel heard and understood. My children are better at communicating and I am better at setting expectations. We have a happier home life because we can all understand each other better and figure out how to solve our problems. We have a cool-off chair instead of a time-out chair. I take time to listen to my kids and in turn they listen to me (mostly). We work together because we have a mutual respect that was missing from the traditional parent/child relationship I learned from my parents. All in all, we are a happier family because of the class, and we have a calmer and quieter house because of it.
– Mary Beth

I was lucky enough to find this class taught by Mary Lynn at a time when raising my preteen and teenage children was getting to be quite a challenge. The style in which the class is taught is very encouraging, engaging, informative and interactive. …In applying the techniques learned in class I was able to better manage my home life when everyday problems arose. I would advise anyone with a preteen or teen to take this course. Not only was it helpful, it was also a support group through knowing that others have similar situations in their homes.

– Elizabeth

Positive Discipline for Pre-Schoolers was truly a life changing experience. In 6 weeks we’ve learned so much about our children and how they feel and react to our actions and what we can do to improve our relationship with them.

Mary Lynn was everything you expect and want from your instructor. She was attentive and accommodated all our concerns while giving us the confidence that we will do it and that we will do great. It’s a possibility to gain significant knowledge that will improve the communication with your children for life.

– Anat

I was experiencing power struggles and battles with my 3.5 year old son at home and felt I had tried everything. This class gave me unique and concrete tools to deescalate difficult behavior by understanding and addressing the underlying causes. The methods are practical and they focus on connecting with your child and teaching him/her skills to make them feel capable and significant without punishment or rewards. I was amazed at how well the few methods that I tried worked, and in such a short time!
– Rashida

Want some useful parenting tips delivered to your inbox?

You have Successfully Subscribed!