Our Story

A parent’s journey to creating a calm, supportive space for quietly social kids.

In 2023, we made the decision to home school one of our children. Like many families during the COVID-19 pandemic, we explored alternative education options. But for us, homeschooling wasn’t just a response to school closures—it became the only path that truly made sense for our highly sensitive child.

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For four years prior, we searched tirelessly. Countless calls, meetings, school tours, and trial days—all in hopes of finding a safe, supportive space with calm energy, flexibility, and other quietly social peers. What we found instead was frustration and defeat.

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Public school classes were too large and overwhelming. Private schools were smaller but still didn’t meet our child’s unique needs. We came close with one specialized private school—yet even there, the atmosphere wasn’t quite right for our child’s nervous system.

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Next, we enrolled in a therapeutic program that seemed promising: small groups, flexible structure, and sensory-friendly spaces. But within weeks, group sizes doubled, peer consistency faded, and the quiet atmosphere vanished. What was meant to help instead caused more stress.

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The program missed the signs. Our child wasn’t shy—they were frozen in fear. While we were told progress was being made, the reality was the opposite. The focus on compliance over autonomy increased our child’s anxiety and invisibility. Because they weren’t disruptive, their struggles went unseen.

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Eventually, we knew we needed a new plan.

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After a year of burnout and reflection, we chose homeschooling—and, more importantly, we committed to building the social village we could never find.

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While delivering academics was manageable, creating meaningful, developmentally appropriate social experiences was the real challenge. Most programs during school hours were geared toward much younger children.

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I turned to online home school groups. Many parents worked hard to create community—but play dates often fell through due to mismatched ages, distance, or sensory-overloading environments. It felt like the stars never aligned. Homeschooling, while rewarding, started to feel isolating.

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But we were not alone. I had spoken with many families—parents of quiet, sensitive, yet social children—who longed for the same thing: connection, community, and a space where their child could truly be themselves.

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That’s why I created The Quietly Social Kids Club (The QSKC).

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Humans are wired to belong. We all want to be in a place where we feel seen, supported, and accepted exactly as we are. The QSKC was designed to be that place—for your children and mine.

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I’m a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) and mother of two, with over 38 years of experience working with children from infancy to age 18. I’ve held leadership roles in licensed childcare and before-and-after school programs, directed Ministry-operated childcare centers, and supported families and children across a variety of settings.

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Beyond early learning, I also built a career in retail—serving as Director of Communications for a large chain of stores before founding and running my own successful retail business. These experiences strengthened my skills in leadership, communication, and creating welcoming, inclusive spaces—skills I now bring to The QSKC.

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But my true passion has always been for the children who sit quietly on the sidelines—the ones whose needs are easy to overlook. The ones with social anxiety. The ones surviving their school day instead of thriving in it. These are the “in-betweeners.” They aren’t loud or disruptive, so their struggles often go unnoticed. They mask discomfort through people-pleasing and freeze responses. They’re described as “shy,” “quiet,” or “overly sensitive.” For them, recess—meant to be joyful—is often a source of dread. They simply want to feel safe. To be themselves.

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The Quietly Social Kids Club exists for these children.

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When home schooled, children don’t have built-in daily opportunities for social connection. So we create them—intentionally. That’s where The QSKC begins: by bringing quietly social kids together in environments that honor their nervous systems, supported by the most important person in each child’s social experience—their parent.

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I’ve seen that when children feel safe and supported, they access their social skills more easily. With gentle modeling, guidance, and chances to reflect on social experiences, they grow in confidence. Every interaction builds a skill. Every skill strengthens with practice.

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At QSKC, trying is success. We honor each child’s pace and capacity. We don’t force square pegs into round holes—because when we do, we risk breaking the peg.

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A place where every sensitive child fits—just as they are.