Menu
Testimonials
What Parents Love About Jeanne-Marie
Virginie Dor, mother of one
When Jeanne-Marie first came to our home, my son was 18 months and I was a single mom at her wit’s end. My son was quite rambunctious, extremely curious and unstoppable. All I did when we were home was screaming “NO” every move he made… He would get bored quickly with his toys and couldn’t stand to stay home or in his playroom for more than 15 minutes. I was spending 4 to 6 hours out of the house daily to keep him busy and entertained. We’d go on 2 to 3 walks in our neighborhood, to the park, rec center or Sea World every single day. I was exhausted, short fused and did not know what to do anymore.
After her very first visit I was filled with hope and excitement. I could not only see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I also felt a great sense of empowerment. I couldn’t wait to get started and within 24 hours after her visit I had taken her advices and implemented her recommendations.
The changes in my son were immediate! Every new task and responsibilities I presented him with were so exciting to him. He thrived to help, participate and was eager to learn. He could play with one toy for long periods of time, was a lot more focused, calm and serein. Our house became HIS own playground and a place where he can now safely explore and take part of.
I can’t even find the words to explain how grateful I am to Jeanne-Marie for the joy she brought into our lives. Through her kind, intuitive and knowledgeable guidance I am becoming the parent I’ve always dreamt of having myself. My son is the happiest, most amazing little boy a mother could ask for.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have been an absolute godsend.
This experience has been eye-opening and life changing. My only regret is not to have met her sooner!
Lili Gould, mother of two
Jeanne-Marie gave me some advice which was extremely effective. My husband and I found ourselves in a sticky situation with our tantruming 2 year-old who wanted to get her way in a major department store. We quickly implemented Jeanne-Marie’s advice and not only did the tantrum cease, but the woman in line in front of us turned and said ‘I am a Kindergarten teacher and what you just did was fabulous! Parents don’t know how to discipline anymore and that was wonderful to see!’
As parents expecting our second child, my husband and I recently took Jeanne-Marie’s ART course- we were amazed at how much we learned and are subsequently deciding to do things quite differently this time around with bambino #2. Jeanne-Marie is extremely knowledgeable and compassionate in her presentation of the material. We felt that the class was very well organized and balanced, combining both theory and practical application. We have adopted new ways of experiencing our 4-year old and also the newborn which feel more harmonious and respectful to everyone in the family. From adapting the home environment to learning relaxation techniques for birth, Jeanne-Marie has presented so much practical and intuitive information. We feel much more in-tune with what being a parent means and are looking forward to this next chapter! I highly recommend Jeanne-Marie to anyone looking to make parenting more joyful and intuitive.
Jeanne-Marie has helped us find more joy and freedom in parenting and we can’t thank her enough!
Amy Malik, mother of two
Miss Jenny, as I have known her for many years, is one of the most natural “Montessorians” I know. Even as she was starting her studies of the Montessori method she seemed in tune with the philosophy. Jeanne-Marie has a great respect for children, pair that with her knowledge of their developmental needs and she is someone you can really go to for advice. I am the mother of two, children an infant and a preschooler, and also a former co-worker of Jeanne-Marie’s. I have enjoyed countless discussions with her about the developmental needs of children in general as well as ideas of how I could try doing something differently to get a different result with my own children. Jeanne-Marie is down to earth, compassionate, and nurturing, all the qualities a new mom or worried mom can really benefit from. I am grateful for her advice and insight on parenting!
Montessori has been the guiding force when it comes to raising our children. Not only do we choose Montessori schools, we have tried to implement the philosophy into our daily lives as much as possible. We have made it a point to consider our home environment as an educational place for them as much as it is a home, and we are constantly changing it as the children grow from one stage to the next. Montessori helps us to adapt to their developmental needs both physically and mentally so that we can provide them with the most suitable environment! It is not always, hardly ever in fact, the easiest way to do things, but in the end it is SO worth it. When we see our children developing independence and growing so beautifully into respectful, caring, and intelligent humans, we know we are doing something right!
Maria and John Harrison, parents to Sienna
I was so happy to meet Jeanne-Marie and invite her to our home for a consultation. She is so passionate about her work with the Montessori education and loves helping people understand the philosophy. The first visit is very thorough with observation on our daughter and the environment she lives in. We visited each room of our house to discuss the layout and her recommendation for making it more child-friendly. After her visit, she sent a proposal containing more recommendations filled with resources and tips. Finally, she came back to the house to meet with our family and discuss the proposal at lengths.
I have told all of my friends about Jeanne-Marie at Voila Montessori because I am such a believer of the Montessori approach. We have already enrolled our daughter in an 18-month program (which so happened to be a recommendation from Jeanne-Marie). We are excited to see Jeanne-Marie for a follow up meeting to see the progress from our household and our daughter! I highly recommend Jeanne-Marie for parents who want to learn about what Montessori can do for your family. We have seen living proof through our daughter’s improvement in her participation within the household. I feel so happy to have Jeanne-Marie as a resource!
Anne-Emilie Gold
We have implemented most of what I have learned from your Montessori in your Home workshop and it has done wonders. Theo found new independence and learned new skills. He has been potty trained for about 2 months now and still going at it even though he just welcomed a new baby sister.
Maria Harrison
Thank you so much for helping us. We are so happy for the guidance and your expertise. I have been sharing your information with my friends and family. I appreciate all the links. Those are very helpful! Siena has been excited about every new little thing we implement and she has embraced it very much!
Tom Bewley, Expectant father, and professor at UCSD
So, your wife is pregnant. You’ve probably heard from your buddies that the supportive thing to do is to go with her to breathing classes to get her psyched up for birth-day – a day that she will go to the hospital to have the baby removed from her body by several highly trained physicians using, amongst various other things, a big “Machine that Goes Bing” (catch the hilarious Monty Python skit on YouTube if you haven’t seen it previously). If you’re anything like me, you probably have no clue that there is a substantially more peaceful and nurturing way for you and your wife to bring your child safely from her womb into the world. Nor, perhaps, that the peace and tranquility with which your baby enters the world even matters. Nor do you know how best to prepare your home for the day your baby arrives, nor what to do with the little munchkin once she gets there, nor how to simplify and evolve your child’s environment to encourage and maximally facilitate her development, curiosity, and composure while preventing the so-called attention deficit that tragically holds back so many American children raised with frequent access to TVs and video games.
Enter Jeanne-Marie Paynel. Jeanne-Marie, mother of two, has developed a remarkable 8-week course for expectant parents which blends her extensive training in the Assistance to Infancy phase (for 0-3 year-olds) of the remarkable (and scientifically-proven) Montessori Method (a comprehensive approach to child development based, amongst other things, on providing the child with the right intellectual stimulation at the right times) with her complementary training in Autogenic Respiratory Training (a Montessori-oriented holistic approach to pregnancy and childbirth).
The result is a course, which prepares you and your wife not only for the few minutes before birth, but also harmonizes the two of you for your baby’s arrival. Jeanne-Marie has literally set out on a path to change our world for the better, one baby at a time. I truly hope that you have the opportunity to take Jeanne-Marie’s most remarkable course.
Colette Poy, mother of two
I am so happy that I found Jeanne-Marie! I started working with her when my son was just a newborn. She is extremely patient, compassionate and knowledgeable. She has given me priceless tips on how to better set up my son’s home environment and how to maximize his independence. My son is 2 years old now, and I still seek her advice. I am also currently expecting baby number two and will be asking her back for some more ideas on how to set up our space for the new addition.
Jeanne-Marie provides an invaluable service to families with young children and I would recommend her to everyone!! Thank you, Jeanne-Marie for all your help. Our whole family has benefited from your service!
Dana Gabriel, mother of four
When I first met Jeanne-Marie I knew nothing about the montessori methods. We were fortunate to have her as my son’s first Montessori Primary guide for his 3-6 years. After learning a bit about Montessori while my son attended the toddler environment, we really saw its benefits when he entered the primary environment with Jeanne-Marie. Her temperament was perfect–stern when needed but always encouraging and supportive. My son left her classroom with the best attitude I could hope for in a child. She really fostered his desire to learn and to this day never dislikes school, even when he is facing a challenge. He knows how to behave in a group, is super helpful with all practical life in our home and has great self-esteem. I really credit Jeanne-Marie with giving him (my son) his desire to learn and laying the foundation for his overall social behavior!! He is an excellent role model for his three younger sisters.
Angela, mother of one
I took the A.R.T. of Childbirth course with Jeanne-Marie when I was pregnant with my daughter. I found this class to be a perfect compliment to my birthing class, as this one included an emphasis on the postpartum period as well as child development. The other participant and I learned so much about preparing our home environment in a nurturing manner that would encourage brain development, caring for our newborn, ourselves, and honoring the transition into motherhood. I was so impressed with Jeanne-Marie’s wisdom and intuition about child development. She has a remarkable amount of experience from which she could draw for our discussions and planning for our future family. Her kindness also was valued in the third trimester of my pregnancy! I found Jeanne-Marie to be very intuitive, supportive, and well-connected to people within the community who would be of assistance during pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum, and while raising an infant. She shared resources that helped me to develop great ideas for supporting my child’s development in the early weeks and months of her growth. It has been so exciting to see my daughter interact with some of the materials recommended by Jeanne-Marie at critical stages of her brain development! I have found that her suggestions offered opportunities for growth that I would not have known about without her insights. Jeanne-Marie is a treasure to new and seasoned parents alike who are looking for ways to help their children to thrive!
Dalal Daisy Dweik
Honestly, the best way I’ve spent two hours in a long time! This is full of easy yet wonderful ways to enhance your child’s experiences in their own home. And you don’t have to run out and buy a ton of specialized resources or toys; most of the items are already in your house. I came away from this workshop totally inspired to refocus DD’s home activities.
This class is awesome!!!! If you haven’t taken one yet, please consider it!! It completely changed some of the ways we parent and interact with our DD and has made so much “click” for us. You won’t regret it!!!! Or send DH so he can learn everything you’ve been trying to tell him but he needs to hear from a stranger/expert before he’ll believe it!
Jessica Schnebel
Jeanne-Marie led a class that I attended for several weeks. At the time, my son was about 16 months old. It completely changed the way I view mainstream toys. As a result of taking her class, I now have a much more critical approach to the materials I place in my son’s environment. I feel a sense of responsibility and now consider myself a curator of his space. In addition to learning what to look for in materials, I also had the opportunity to learn how to present the materials so that I might maximize the material’s potential for the education of my son. Jeanne-Marie also offered suggestions in the way of positive discipline and healthy approaches to resolve common struggles with a toddler. I highly recommend Jeanne-Marie and only wish I had met her and taken advantage of her services earlier.
Chen Jian, Dean, School of Education, Chinese Montessori Society
As Director of Chinese Montessori Society Training Centre, I had the privilege of inviting Jeanne-Marie Paynel to our annual International Montessori Educational Conference as well as to hold a workshop following the conference. Ms. Paynel has such a deep understanding of Montessori Philosophy and was able to share her expertise of how to apply Montessori in the home. We are grateful she has agreed to come back again this year to speak and hold workshops around China.
