Happy Hearts Parenting
Empowering parents & educators with the knowledge and tools to promote:
empathy and compassion,
prosociality (e.g. helping, giving & sharing),
kindness and caring,
competence through contribution,
an abundance & gratitude mindset.
Raising awareness about the powerful link between:
the development of these skills & attributes,
and mental and emotional wellbeing
(in childhood and across the lifespan).
Did you know...?
Researchers know quite a lot these days about childhood development, including the fact that socio-moral skills & capacities begin to develop early in childhood...
And did you also know...?
...that research shows interpersonal attributes are linked to
higher levels of mental health and wellbeing.
What can YOU do?
In EARLY childhood, sew the seeds and nurture:
a tendency to notice and feel empathy for others
a tendency towards compassionate responding
a gratitude mindset
generosity through an abundance mindset
a sense of competency and pride when contributing
the emotional rewards of giving
home habits like sharing and helping
and ultimately...
...a culture of mutual care in your home
What people are saying about our online parenting program...
"What an incredibly valuable framework!"
(Chris)
"Loved it... Very engaging!"
(Julie)
"Great!... Fascinating."
(Peggy)
"Easy to follow strategies!"
(Ally)
Meet our team!
We're a small (but strong!) team based in the Blue Mountains in NSW Australia, and we're genuinely passionate about helping parents, carers & educators raise kind and connected kids who have a healthier sense of their interdependence with others.
Learn more about Jess Kingsford, Nicola Monks & Lawrence Baker below...
Jess Kingsford, PhD.
Founder and Co-Director
Jess lives in the beautiful Blue Mountains in NSW, Australia, with her partner and two teenage kids, … so she has plenty of first-hand experience when it comes to the challenges and rewards of parenting! Jess has a Doctoral Degree from the University of Sydney’s School of Psychology where she completed a research-based PhD examining Childhood Moral Development. Jess has based the Happy Hearts Parenting Foundations Program on the very latest research into childhood moral development and moral psychology more broadly.
“It’s just a matter of time before this fascinating area of childhood development makes greater inroads into the public domain”.
Jess has worked as a research psychologist, lecturer, and tutor for the Sydney Uni, Charles Sturt University, and the University of Texas, before founding Happy Hearts Parenting.
Nicola Monks
Business Development Manager
Nicola is a Business Development Manager with a background in both corporate and small business environments, particularly in the technology sector. She is also mum to 2 fabulous teenagers!
Nicola has always had a keen interest in corporate ethical leadership and moral development, and explored these aspects of business management while completing her MBA at Swinburne University of Technology.
"The Happy Hearts Parenting program concepts really appealed to me from the moment I learned about them. Understanding how parents can contribute to moral identity is knowledge every parent should have in their toolbox. I use concepts from the Foundations Program with my teens and only wish I’d learned these things earlier! I'm excited to be able to help parents and carers of young children access this program while their kids are still young.”
Lawrence Baker
Co-Director
With a background in public policy, law and veterinary medicine, Lawrence brings experience from diverse professional fields to inform an “other-oriented rather than self-oriented” approach to childhood development. In the legal and public policy fields, Lawrence gained a deep understanding of the principles of ethics, justice and fairness. As a veterinarian, Lawrence has developed an appreciation for the significance and power of empathy and caregiving. As co-director of Happy Hearts Parenting, Lawrence aims to promote the importance of raising the next generation of kids with a stronger sense of the positive and rewarding role they can play in other people's lives.
"The fact that the things we're teaching in our Foundations Program have been shown in the research to be linked to a whole range of wellbeing outcomes doesn't seem to be fully appreciated in the early childhood sector or indeed the broader public... yet!"
About Us
Happy Hearts Parenting is a not-for-profit organisation supporting parents, carers & educators of young children to nurture and promote their children's mental and emotional wellbeing.
(We take a secular, evidence-based approach to our work and we are not affiliated with any religious or political organisations.)
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