Meet Jenn Langsdale of New Beginnings at the Nest Mommy & Me

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Langsdale.

Jenn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
More than 6 years ago I walked through the doors of the Nest mommy & me program as a new mom with my first baby boy. I was excited, overwhelmed, madly in love with my baby, exhausted, and eager to meet other moms. The Nest quickly became an invaluable community for me. I learned about caring for my baby, was able to talk through questions with other moms “in the trenches”, and formed life long friendships. The owner of the program, Tanya, created a community that was warm, welcoming, fun, informative, and supportive. I felt so blessed to be a part of the Nest as a mom, and when Tanya gave me the opportunity to take over ownership of the program 4 years later, I jumped at the chance!

I have my undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in child development, my master’s degree in Education, and my National Board Certification in Early Childhood Education. I’ve worked with children and families in various capacities for over a decade and am now the mom of three beautiful boys. As the owner of the Nest and a facilitator of some of our classes, I love spending time with other moms, learning from them, and being a part of such a precious time in their lives.

Over time we have added classes to our program in order to meet demand. Jessie, Mary, and Mary Beth have all joined the Nest as class facilitators over the past year. They are all moms who love their families and love supporting other moms. They are positive, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and kind, and I am so blessed to be able to work with each of them.

Has it been a smooth road?
As a mom I am constantly questioning if I am doing enough for my kids and for my family, and the same is true as the owner of the Nest. I regularly evaluate our program to make sure that we are meeting the needs of our families and our community. I care very deeply about the work that we do and the service that we provide and question my decisions and approaches constantly. None of us are perfect teachers, none of us are perfect parents, I am not the perfect business owner, and the Nest isn’t the perfect business.

But in the mistakes that we make in all of these aspects of life there is learning. I believe that Nest families can feel how deeply the teachers of the Nest and I care about our work, I think that they appreciate our vulnerability as imperfect moms and people, and I believe our passion and vulnerability makes our program special. The Nest community is strong and supportive and uplifting of families, and as long as this remains the case, despite mistakes that we make and decisions we struggle with, I will be really proud of the work that we are doing.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the New Beginnings at the Nest Mommy & Me story. Tell us more about the business.
The Nest is a mommy and me program that holds classes for babies and their parents from 0-18 months old. In addition to our traditional mommy & me classes, we have classes for working moms, 2nd/3rd-time moms, and a toddler playtime. We have weekly informational topics and occasional guest speakers. The intention for our classes is to create a lively and supportive environment in which moms and their babies make life-long friends, all while learning some tricks of the trade from their instructor and each other.

I love that the Nest informs moms about parenting strategies but above all empowers them to trust their instincts and develop their own approach to parenting. All of the teachers at the Nest care deeply about children, families, and our community, and I know that is felt in our classes. I love that our program has an impact on building happy, healthy families in the South Bay.

Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years?  Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
Over the next 5-10 years, I hope we, as a culture, make it a priority to better support parents and families. I think that we’ve seen a greater awareness of maternal health issues in recent years, such as Post Partum Depression, and I hope that this awareness continues to grow. I hope that our country finds a way to ensure that all new moms and dads have the opportunity to take time off of work to bond with their baby and care for their growing family.

With the growth of the internet and the massive amount of information now available to parents, parents are more informed than ever before. In the midst of all of this information, parenting can feel even more overwhelming and daunting than in the past. I hope that parent support programs, like the Nest, continue to grow and expand to serve families in all communities.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.NewBeginningsattheNest.com
• Phone: 310-850-8629
• Email: Jenn@NewBeginningsattheNest.com

Image Credit:
Erin Purdy Photography

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