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Zahra Kassam, an early childhood education entrepreneur, delivered her two children with unmedicated hospital births using midwives and the hypnobirthing method. Having experienced both postpartum bliss and postpartum depression, she contrasts her two births, her miscarriage, and discusses the importance of mothers caring for themselves.
Zahra Kassam Bio
Zahra Kassam is Founder and CEO of Monti Kids: the only subscription service for children ages 0-3 that provides an authentic Montessori education, proven in schools for over 100 years. Zahra holds a BA in Psychology from Harvard and a Master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is an internationally certified Montessori teacher at the infant, toddler, and preschool levels and a mother to two young boys.
Through Monti Kids, Zahra is filling the education void from birth to preschool, the most critical years of development when 85% of the brain is formed. Zahra has been invited to the White House Early Education Summit, named a Global Education Influencer, named a ‘World Changing Woman’ by Conscious Company Media, and was nominated for the Dalai Lama Unsung Heroes of Compassion Awards for her work with children. Zahra has appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank and recently gave a TEDx talk on education for babies. Follow Zahra on Instagram @zahraikassam.
Resources
- Monti Kids website
- Monti Kids Instagram
- Advice for New Moms on Postpartum Recovery and Self Care
- eBook: 7 Ways to Support Your Baby’s Learning
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Hi Zahra! I loved your story! I appreciate how open you were about your experience with PPD and how your work and career influenced your experience. I have a 7-month-old and a 2-year-old and definitely struggled after my second while I did not after my first and for similar reasons. I have been very intrigued by Montessori since I had my daughter. She is in a wonderful program in Petaluma, CA (Spring Hill) but there are no infant programs in this area with strong Montessori philosophies. I’ve been considering starting one (I am not a teacher but I am a businessperson) and wondered if you offer any help to new schools with getting started establishing a Montessori program, specifically for infants. I would also want to try to attract talent to this area. It is REALLY a lovely place to live and I think there is a very large market for an infant and toddler combination Montessori program. Please feel free to reach me by phone or email if you receive this.