Meet Maëlys Le Levreur, founder of My Little Coaching

From Montessori to daycare

When you hear the word “coach,” you sometimes get scared. “I can understand because that expression didn't exist 12 years ago when I chose it. Today, it is used wrongly and wrongly. I prefer the term companion.” Maëlys tells us about her journey between her specialized studies and the discovery of Montessori pedagogy: “Initially, Montessori schools were establishments in poor suburbs in Italy.”

The pedagogy initiated by Maria Montessori consists in observing the child and in offering him activities according to his evolution and his desires, because each child is different. We set up workshops to help them become autonomous, to do alone.

Before founding My Little Coaching, Maëlys was the director of a nursery in Paris. Three weeks before the famous Covid, which no one could have predicted, she decided to focus full time on her support project. “I created it for parents who did not have space in day care.”

The miracle recipe does not exist

Today, Maëlys works in companies and with individuals with a strong message: there is no miracle recipe, because each child is unique. “I'm not here to judge, I'm not going to tell parents if their methods are good or bad. ” Okay, but what do you do when you're overwhelmed and need help?

According to Maëlys, you have to observe, listen to your child and learn as you go, while breaking away from preconceived ideas. “I bought every educational book possible and imaginable. What bothered me was this injunction to perfect parenting that caused parents to be lost. This famous parental doubt that creeps into life can be very sneaky, especially when you observe all these perfect parents on Instagram. It is normal to have doubts, but the little one needs to have a parent who accompanies him. I think parents should trust each other. They are already experts on their own child, not books.” The educator continues her reasoning: “Before, when we wanted to plant a fruit tree, we asked our grandfather. Now we ask our grandpa, our friends, our friends, YouTube, Instagram and we don't end up doubting.”

Far from being anti-social networks or against parenting books, she rather advocates knowing your own child, in order to adapt to his needs... Without forgetting herself, the parent. “In the end, we talk a lot about the child and not much about the parent. With Covid that has arrived, many adults think that they need to be even more with their children. Family was almost all that was left during this time. However, forcing yourself to play when you don't want to will not be a quality moment, neither for one nor for the other.”

Trust and learning

Faced with these reassuring words, Maëlys explains to us that she designed her book as a practical collection to support future and young parents in their role. She, who is suspected of whispering in the ears of families, also tells us that she understands children better than adults. In her book, she explains things in a concrete way and draws parallels: “If you were ordered to go to your room, how would you react?” She also dissects what is going on in our children's heads. “When you tell them not to do something, they understand the opposite” and for each problem situation, she offers keys to test, advice from books or useful websites.

Help, Maëlys!

Postpartum, sleep, anger... Maëlys came back for us to the questions she is asked most often.

How to lighten your postpartum period?

After making a place for your baby in your body, you have to make a place for it in your life, and in that of the family. It's normal that it takes time! Above all, you must therefore accept without feeling guilty that there is a time of trial and error to get to know your child. This time depends on everyone and can range from a few weeks... to a few years.

When is my baby going to sleep?

“The question doesn't really come up until the child is 8 months old. You need to know a few things like the circadian cycle (the difference between day and night). It is implemented around 4 months so you have to wait! Sleeping at night is a myth and... an exception. On the other hand, it is important to set up rituals for children, such as bedtime stories. We adults have our rituals too! Children and babies often need a decompression chamber.”

How do you deal with anger?

“When he is angry, the child is in an emotion that overtakes him and if we put him in his room, he will not be able to move on... and sometimes yes. Some children need to be alone, or arms, and this is where you have to find the solution that suits them. When he is in the peak of emotion, the child does not hear us. You have to test and find what is right for your child.”

How to prepare for the arrival of the second child?

“When we adults know that we are expecting a new child, we are overwhelmed by a lot of emotions. It's the same for our kids. And then once the baby is there, the big one finds himself doing things that were not asked of him before... He no longer has the exclusivity of his parents whereas before, he had his arms all to himself. And on the parent side, we feel like we have to apologize and compensate with gifts, but it's our adult decision to assume. You have to explain what a family is from the start. At the beginning, there is a love bubble formed by both parents. And then they decide to expand it with a first child. And then the parents love each other so much that they want to create an even bigger bubble. You have to explain to the first person why you love him. We love our children because they are different and throughout life. This is important in order not to create competition.”

Go to Instagram to watch our LIVE with Maëlys on the fascinating subject of postpartum!