Our lives have led us to where we are today.
Clarissa Constantine
Clarissa is an only child who had a tough relationship with her mom. During college at University of Hartford, she began what would turn into a decades-long career as a test prep coach. She's helped thousands of kids around the world navigate the college and grad school admissions processes. Along the way she's joked that she sometimes finds herself playing the role of therapist more than tutor, helping kids manage the stresses of life. But no matter how many young adults she helped, she longed for a closer, more intimate relationship with her own mother. Unfortunately, that didn't come to pass before her mom passed in November 2019. She's driven to help other families avoid the heartache, the lost years, and the regret she - and most likely her mom, too - experienced. This includes working directly with families to find the resources they need, as well as coaching business owners who work with teens, tweens, and families.
Joe Constantine
Joe dealt with horrible bullying as a kid. After years being the '95-pound weakling' who was tormented mercilessly, he hit his growth spurt as a freshman at University of Rhode Island, where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering. More than a decade later, he recognized that he was burned out and decided to change careers. With Clarissa's encouragement, he went back to school to become a personal trainer. He has spent the last decade using his engineering background and understanding of the human body primarily to coach youth athletes to help them prevent injury and excel on the field or court. But toward the end of 2019, he recognized that he still wasn't as fulfilled as he'd hoped. He knew he wanted to do more to help the 'underdog' kids - the kids that he was when he was a kid. He has a unique ability to to connect with kids who are struggling with self-confidence, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation because he's been there & gets what they're going through.
The ParenT(w)een Connection
When friends of ours were going through a REALLY tough patch with their then-15-year-old daughter, the mom said, 'I just wish I had other parents to talk to.' It was like a lightning bolt for Clarissa, and The ParenT(w)een Connection was born. We launched a Facebook group and within a few days had over 100 parents join - talk about proof of concept! We knew we had the potential to make a huge global impact and went to the drawing board to sketch out a vision. As it stands today, we have four unique but interwoven segments:
Think Angie's List, but specifically featuring professionals who support families with kids between the ages of 10 and 20. If you're a parent, browse the listings to find professionals who can support you. If you're a professional, join what will become the world's largest network geared toward connecting you with other professionals who support the same clients.
Joining our Facebook group is a GREAT first step! And when you're ready for more - more community, more support, more education - then it's time to join The ParenT(w)een Village. We're a judgment-free zone where you can connect with other parents who've been there, done that, or other parents who could use your insight.
It's one thing to say, 'Hey, look at all these awesome professionals who can help you & your family.' But if finances are an obstacle to working with these pros, that's not okay in our book. We want to help you get the help you need. We received our approval as a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit in December 2022, so now we're on our way to raise funds to help families!
If Covid taught us anything, it's that we CAN use technology in ways we never imagined, including establishing and growing relationships. And we also recognize that we can develop relationships differently in person than we can online. Our local communities & events will be managed by local professionals who are dedicated to cultivating relationships with parents & other professionals in their geographical area.
Are you a professional who would like to be one of our Community Builders? Click here to get more information as we have it available!
Our 'Kids'
It may shock you to learn that we don't have kids of our own.
At least not of the human variety. We have two lab mixes, Luna Belle (chocolate girl) and Chara (caramel and white boy) who are our canine 'kids.'
We are dedicated to growing The ParenT(w)een Connection out of a desire to help families avoid - or at least minimize - the impacts of the kinds of experiences we had as kids.
Join us!
If you haven't yet, we invite you to join our Facebook group to connect with other parents. It's a great place to get to know The ParenT(w)een Connection!
As we grow, it's our mission to help families avoid many of the difficulties we experienced. We want to give parents a safe place to connect with each other. We want to help you find trusted experts who can help you when you just don't know what to do on your own. We want to give you different ways to connect with your kids so you can have awesome relationships with them. We believe that the better your relationship is with the kids in your life, the happier you'll all be - and the fewer kids we'll lose to suicide.
