Meet Emily! | Stamford Moms

How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have one adorable daughter who’s 5.5 years old. I also have an almost 12 year old Yorkshire Terrier who is my fur baby.

What do you love about living in Stamford?
I love that in Stamford you get a little bit of everything from the country feel in North Stamford to the Downtown shopping and restaurants. Everything you need is in and around Stamford, and it’s especially convenient for families with younger children with all of the indoor and outdoor activities that are around.

What’s your favorite restaurant and/or place to shop in Stamford?
My favorite restaurant is Luigi’s on High Ridge Road. Their food reminds me of a childhood restaurant I used to frequent with my family in White Plains, NY. I do a lot of online shopping, but my favorite stores in Stamford to indulge in are Saks off Fifth, Lord & Taylor and DSW.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you need some “me time”?
Going for long walks around the Bartlett Arboretum or in my neighborhood while listening to music, getting a mani/pedi or reading a good book.

Tell us about your career.
I am a licensed professional counselor and certified child sleep consultant, specializing in working with children (birth to 5 years old) and their families on behavioral challenges, mainly with sleep!

Two years ago I launched my private practice, Peaceful Sleep Consulting and I also see families privately with Emily Klein, LPC, LLC. In addition to those two small businesses, I work as an early intervention specialist/behavior analyst in Connecticut’s birth to three system. I love working with the little ones on a variety of challenges but sleep and behaviors are my forte!

Why did you start Peaceful Sleep Consulting?
I have always been passionate about sleep, mine, my daughter’s and my husband’s too. I own about 12 different child sleep training books! I’m a firm believer in the idea that when the whole family is well rested, you are more accessible to do the things you love. Think about how hard it is to function without sleep?

Over my years in early childhood education and in recent years as a parent, I’ve come across countless families that are sleep deprived and not functioning well. It breaks my heart. A few years ago, my husband actually pointed out to me “You know, you have a lot of knowledge when it comes to sleep and kids. You could actually turn this into a career.” Within a few months I got certified as a child sleep consultant by the Family Sleep Institute, and a month later I launched my business. It really is the perfect private coaching practice niche for me as a sleep nerd with a strong professional background in early childhood.

What’s the best thing about your job?
Being able to help parents gain confidence in their ability to teach their child to sleep and to see how the outcome of our work together enables them to get a part of themselves back, that they didn’t realize was gone. Often we forget as parents to take care of ourselves, to nurture our hobbies and our romantic relationship. Once a child learns to sleep through the night, parents get a couple more hours back in the evening where they can treat themselves to whatever it is they want; be it Netflix, a good book, adult game or a workout video!

What is your #1 tip for parents struggling to get their kids to sleep?
Consistency is key. Babies and children of all ages really thrive on structure, routine and consistency, especially in the area of sleep. When parents create a consistent bedtime routine such as bath, pajamas, books, bed, this helps the child to be cued in to sleep.

Most kids are not naturally good sleepers so it’s up to us as parents to create a healthy sleep foundation for them and the best way to do that, is through being consistent!

How do you juggle work with mommyhood?
This is a constant struggle! I do my best to work my sleep and therapy clients around my daughter’s schedule. I truly put my daughter first and then work second, by squeezing as much as I can during school hours, evening hours (once she is asleep) and then on the weekends too.

Unfortunately, what ends up happening is I miss out on some plans here and there to squeeze sleep consultations in on the weekends but, I am getting better at spacing them out so she doesn’t feel my absence too much. Thankfully, she is getting older and she understands that although I may have to peel away for a few hours on the weekend, Mommy does drop off and pick up at school, play dates and afternoon activities all week. It balances out somehow but it does often feel like I’m juggling many things at the same time as a small business owner, independent contractor and parent.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
“When it comes to work, you have to do what you feel comfortable doing, otherwise it isn’t worth the time you’re going to spend away from your child.” I grew up having both of my parents working full time; one worked a typical 9-5 job and the other was an independent contractor like myself. I feel really blessed that at least one of my parents was always at my sporting events and able to drive me to and from school. Those were things I took for granted as a child but now, I see how special it was to have my parents available to me.

A few years ago I took a position as a mental health counselor at a hospital that had longer days and late hours; it did not work me. I only lasted 6 months doing that due to the anxiety I felt from not being as present and available with my daughter. That’s when I made the decision to do a part-time/independent contractor style position and I do not regret it. I learned that ultimately the benefits of the flexibility of this lifestyle far outweigh the negative feelings I had at that time working a longer day.

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