Wonder Woman: Miki Cutili, Parenting Coach

By Anabela Mok 2021-12-28 17:14:53

Parenting coach, mum of three kids and former children’s educator, Miki Cutili, shares how she found inspiration to help families bond.

My name is Miki and I arrived in Shanghai 4 years ago with my family. We moved from Spain (I am Italian-Spanish) where our first daughter was born. Now our family consists of five members, the little ones of the house were born in China, they are twins. I’m a parenting coach working with families and schools to help them build their balance with kids, offering trainings, workshops, webinars, coaching and consulting. My studies and background are related to the Montessori approach (educating 0-6 year olds), positive discipline, growth mindset, emotional intelligence, child psychology. My aim is to let adults understand how we can build a respectful relationship with our kids starting from ourselves.

It’s not only about looking for solutions to our daily parenting struggles, but also having a better understanding of what being a kid means in this age. I also do one-on-one coaching.

 

What inspired you to be a parenting coach ?

I started working with children 15 years ago and during those years I could see how parents were struggling to understand their kids and finding the best solution for raising their child. Often parents listen to what others think “is right” and fight against who they are naturally.

I started studying the Montessori method during my university years in Italy, where Dr Maria Montessori was born, but only during my first pregnancy did I decided to become a parenting coach. Becoming a mum was the most wonderful and the hardest journey I ever planned and even after having a certain knowledge in the field. I learned that kids don’t need to be fixed or changed, we need to learn how to understand and then communicate with them. To do that, we need to get in touch with ourselves.

 

What’s the hardest part about your job and how did you overcome it?

Fighting those wrong beliefs that mislead us when we are facing a problem with our kid.

When our little one doesn’t sleep, we want a quick solution and don’t often think about the root of the problem. Sometimes we rely on the temporary ways to fix something rather than understanding the issue at hand. It’s the same when our little ones are crying, or when they don’t follow our expectations or even when addictions or behavioral issues surface during the teenage years.

 

Can you describe the part of your work that you enjoy the most

Observing how families finally reach the balance they were looking for, improving their bonding, connecting with their kids, stop yelling, opening their hearts and building those wonderful memories that last a lifetime.

 

How do you balance being a parenting coach for others and being a mum to your three children?

I really want to spend both quantity and quality time with my kids, at the same time I love what I do. Knowing that kids will be kids only for a few years, I work a lot during the evening and nighttime. This means giving up on certain things and prioritizing all the time. I want my kids to enjoy their childhood, to follow their own rhythm and needs but I know that being satisfied with who I am and what I do is one of the key points to being happier together.

 

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