Meet Jill Vetstein of Nurturing Parents and Teachers in Metrowest

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Vetstein.

Jill, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I knew as a little girl I wanted to be a therapist and help others. I came out of college with a bachelor in Human Services and Education. I received my masters in Social Work from Simmons Graduate School of Social Work. The challenge was figuring out how I was going to use my dream of helping with my passion for babies and children.

I have worked in many settings such as an out-patient pediatric mental health clinic, an Early Head Start program, a domestic violence shelter, a home for teenage mothers, an elementary school, a Preschool and in Early Intervention.

I left Early Intervention to start my own family. Ironically it took me many years to have my first baby. Three months after he was born I was surprised to find out I was pregnant again. My beautiful baby girl was born 364 days after my son was born. She was born the day before his first birthday. In spite of all my knowledge of babies, and caregiving I was not prepared for two babies! I finally understood how difficult and rewarding it is to be a parent.

While my children were very little I took a break from working and stayed home with them. I would fill our days with going places such as enrichment classes. One of the programs we went to asked me to teach. I laughed and said, “I think my hands are full of babies and toddlers right now”. The manager there then said that I should at least present a workshop for parents on toddler behaviors, so I did. I presented for a while at this location to parents.

One of the Mom’s said she was at a Mom’s Club and wanted me to speak to them, so I did. One of the Nannies at the Moms Club asked me to present to a preschool she worked at, so I did. Everywhere I went to present I got another booking. The demand for workshops on discipline, behaviors, developmental milestones etc. continued to come. I would write curriculum while my children napped. It was the most organic natural progression of building a business.

Attendants of workshops began asking me to consult with them. I began getting requests from teachers at the preschools to meet with some of their families. Schools were hiring me to do observations and consults. Before I knew it I had a parent coaching business, a preschool consultation business on top of my workshop training business. Those consults became ongoing clients. Other programs started to seek me out to lead new mother groups, baby and toddler classes.

The next natural step was to start providing therapy to young children and parents. I went from being a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Developmental & Early Intervention Specialist, Certified Infant and Toddler Teacher to also becoming a writer, blogger and professional speaker in the field of Infant Mental Health and Parenting. Nurturing Parents and Teachers was born.

Has it been a smooth road?
I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be running my own business. In fact, my parents owned a business while I was growing up. I thought the level of stress it caused was something I would never touch. I did not have a mind for numbers. I did not have any education on marketing, PR, or anything business like.

I simply had a passion and there was a need for my services. I had to learn everything the hard way. I became obsessed with podcasts, self-learning books, and many online trainings. My entire formal education focussed only on face to face communications. I had to learn about CRM programs, various social media platforms, conducting webinars and teleseminars, website design, merchant gateways etc.

In the process, I had used virtual assistants, some really good and others who left me hanging. I had websites that crashed, and internet systems that failed me. It has been easy to build the services I provide, the customer base and the quality of services. It has not been an easy journey on the back side of things. I have learned so much through trial and error but I know I am so much stronger because of it.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Nurturing Parents and Teachers is my consulting, counseling and educational practice. There are three divisions of my business. The first division of my business is where I provide therapy and coaching to children and parents. I do this in my Framingham MA office.

I am an experienced psychotherapist specializing in infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children. I help children via play therapy. We work on issues such as worries, transitions, social skills, relationships, sensory processing, attachment, and so much more. I work with infants and parents via Child-Parent Psychotherapy and Post Partum Therapy.

Parents come to me for one-time consultations and also ongoing work. I help parents with navigating the journey of parenting. Some of the issues we work on include sleep, bonding, tantrums, potty training, developmental delays, anxieties, behaviors, biting, meltdowns etc. My approach is for the everyday parent that struggle with the everyday challenges and frustrations. I can help them understand their child so they can be the best parent they can be.

The second division is where I provide workshops and trainings. I have trainings for parents, early childhood educators, and summer camps. I often open my trainings to the public so parents and teachers can register to attend. I offer these public workshops at my Framingham office and other locations. I provide private trainings for early learning centers, preschools, summer camps and other parenting programs. These private trainings take place at the schools and or programs that have hired me.

I also have many of my trainings recorded and available for download from my website. Early Childhood Educators in MA receive certificates of completion. These certificates can be used towards their EEC renewal of certification. The third division is providing private observations and consultation to early childhood schools. Schools hire me to assess specific children, classrooms, etc.

My mission is to care for our children and our children’s caregivers. My philosophy is to meet children, parents or educators exactly where they are. I understand that every situation has its own unique circumstances. There is no ‘cookie cutter’ approach to caring for children. Children, parents, teachers etc. all have their own temperaments, styles, and personalities.

What works for one family may not work for another. What is best for one child is not necessarily the best approach for all. Whether my services are provided one-on-one or in a workshop atmosphere, every question is answered through a detailed thought process. I use a personal approach to every single scenario that comes my way.

It takes a unique skill set to work therapeutically with young children. I feel lucky to have had the experiences and training in the field. I absolutely love helping little ones and their caregivers.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I have worked with children, families, and educators in many different settings. I have worked in big cities, small towns, high economic communicates, the projects etc. I have enjoyed them all!

No matter what the background children’s development has the same progression. Children still go through specific developmental milestones. Parents still worry about their child’s emotional well being, their child’s coping skills, self-regulation skills etc.

I am happy that I have settled into my office space in Framingham Ma. It is central from the most recent towns I have worked in. I recently was in Grafton, Holliston, Wellesley, and Brookline. Framingham is a great town for families from all over to easily get to.

I believe that every community needs helpers. If anyone is thinking of starting a business in your town to help others, please do it!

Contact Info:

• Address: 1 Granite Street Framingham MA 01702
• Website: www.nurturingparentsandteachers.com
• Phone: 508-523-3111
• Email: jill@nurturingparentsandteachers.com

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