I
like my kid again” — that’s what one
parent told Forest Levy Wolfe, found-
er of Teaching Circle, after taking part
in her Family Coaching program.
Wolfe started Teaching Circle in January
2022 — offering classes to young children —
but she soon realized, it’s not just kids who
need support. Parents need it, too. “There
are a lot of preschools and tutoring programs
out there for children, but there’s not as
much support and coaching available for
parents who may be struggling,” she said.
“I help parents who value emotional,
mental and physical health for their children
and want to invest in it. As an educator for
the last 25 years and the mom of an 11-year-
old, this is something I can offer to really
help parents.”
Wolfe is an independent facilitator of Love
and Logic Early Childhood Made Fun! and
Parenting the Love and Logic Way classes.
She has taught groups and individuals with
this method and uses the skills she learned
in her own parenting as well.
“Being able to treat my own son with
respect and kindness, while at the same
time being firm, has really strengthened
our relationship, and I hope to bring that to
others as well,” she said.
Wolfe offers both in-person and virtual
coaching to parents facing challenges with
their child — such as defiance, hitting,
screaming and other signs of stress. She
works on addressing problems that are
creating frustrations, and she puts together
an individualized curriculum to help stop
these issues when they arise.
“Typically, those who are having issues
with their kids are in a power struggle, and
the kids don’t respond well to consequences.
So, I teach parents how to deliver messages
to their children and get them out
of these cycles. Synchronistic
parenting and consistency
are key,” Wolfe said.
“When I work with
parents, I tell them
this isn’t a magic fix.
Instead, this is going to
make things easier and
give them some tools to
keep in their back pocket
for when they don’t know
what to do. “
Wolfe started this program over the
summer and, so far, has coached about
10 families and ran a parenting group
class at Knollwood Country Club in West
Bloomfield. After their sessions, parents
have told her they feel like they’re being
heard, their children are being heard
and they are now able to work
together.
“My goal is to foster a
shift in parenting and
help bring peace, love
and respect to families’
homes. You want
your kids to become
independent eventually
— so I help parents with
letting their child make
mistakes, being there for
them, and helping them grow into happy,
successful and self-reliant adults. Being able
to do that is huge for me,” she said.
A LIFE IN EDUCATION
When attending the University of Texas
School of Education, Wolfe worked as a
special education teaching assistant in a life
skills classroom. This marked the beginning
of a career dedicated to helping children.
“The more I was in the classroom, the
more I realized this was how I wanted to
spend my life. I love working with people
with all different abilities,” she said.
Wolfe was the youth and family program
director at the JCC in Austin, Texas. After
graduating with her bachelor’s of science in
applied learning and development, she was
recruited to Michigan to run the camps,
28 | JANUARY 5 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
Local mom and educator offers coaching
sessions and classes to help
both kids and parents.
A Teaching Circle
SARI CICUREL SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS