Monica J Sutton

Early Childhood Behavior Specialist

Helping you find your calm & guide your child through challenging behavior

Hi, I’m Monica! So happy you stopped by to visit the website. Curious to learn more about me and the MJS Insiders Community? Great!

Read on..

About Me

Hi, I’m Monica J. I have a Masters Degree in Early Childhood and Special Education. As an early childhood behavior specialist, I have the tools to assess where any child is in each of the stages of development, from social skills to cognition. But, I also know that there’s a huge difference between seeing these stages as milestones of achievement in a competition with other children and parents, and using them as tools to understand and guide your child as an individual. Let’s figure out the difference and set a clear plan for your child. But first, join the MJS Insiders Community so we can keep in touch.

My Values & Beliefs

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Every child deserves to be understood

Child behavior is often misunderstood. Children can even be mis-diagnosed based on their behavior. I was once a young child who’s behavior was misunderstood by teachers. I was treated poorly because of it. My experience is one of the main reasons why I advocate for children being understood.

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Every child deserves to be loved

Young children thrive off of connection, guidance and love. When I think of every child being loved I think of empathy. Having empathy for young children is necessary, especially when trying to understand their behavior. Children need us to have empathy for them in all settings. Having empathy and expressing love doesn’t take . away from teaching them new skills and correcting behavior.

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Every child deserves to be celebrated

We all should be celebrated. But children should be celebrated from young ages. During the early years, the foundational years, children are learning and soaking everything in. This is the perfect time to celebrate them for who they are and what they like. Make it known that they are perfect just the way they are.

It Began When…

She was a quiet little girl of 3 yrs & it was her first year of nursery school. The new teachers weren’t anything like the older women who babysat for her at home. Here the teachers had clear favorites. She knew by the way that they made fun of her that she wasn’t one of them.

She went home humiliated & afraid to talk with her mom about this awful experience, and she began yelling at her dolls. Finally, after witnessing unexplained behavior changes and a total lack of communication from the teachers, her mom withdrew her. But the damage was done.

I was that little girl. And I’ll never forget that feeling of loneliness, shame and fear as I looked out at the room from my cot while the other kids and teachers looked back at me.

Whenever I see that same look of pain in a child’s eyes, I feel it deeply. And knowing that the pain is avoidable is at the heart of my work with children today.

Luckily my next preschool teacher saw ME – as a unique individual with preferences and feelings. Instead of reprimanding me when I didn’t understand, she guided me to find my own voice. I could get help with solving problems without fear of punishment – and when I knew the answer, I could feel proud that “I did it!”

I started MonicaJSutton.com because I believe parenting is about embracing the journey of getting to know your child and guiding them to be their best selves, wherever they are in their development.