MICHELLE NICHOLASEN, mom of five, former filmmaker, writer

For nearly a decade Michelle Nicholasen produced documentaries for PBS, including award-winning films for NOVA and FRONTLINE.  Her journalism has covered controversial science and public policy issues such as AIDS, autism, power lines, tobacco, breast implants and human evolution. Her mini-series on 20th century science for middle schoolers called A Science Odyssey: Short Trips, has won multiple awards including a Cine Golden Eagle. In 2004 she gave up her film career to raise five children under the age of five. How did this happen? After a 2-year battle with infertility, Michelle and her husband hit the IVF jackpot.  She gave birth to her first daughter in 2001.  Then, trying for a second child, she became pregnant with triplet girls.  When the triplets were 10 months old, she became spontaneously (and impossibly) pregnant with her fifth child, a boy.  Michelle survived an intense learning curve and decided to put all her little-kid behavior strategies, along with Barbara O'Neal's decades of wisdom, into a book to give a leg-up to other moms and dads.

BARBARA O'NEAL, Educational Director, Arlington Children's Center, Arlington, Massachusetts

Barbara O’Neal, age 75, has worked with preschool-aged children, teachers and families for more than 40 years in the capacity of Educational Director, parent consultant and teacher trainer.  She has been guiding and supporting teachers, kids and parents at the Arlington Children’s Center of Arlington, Massachusetts, for 30 years.  Growing up in Brooklyn in her youth, Barbara studied art with Rothko at the Center Academy, and then went on to become a children’s dance instructor. In the late 1950s, when class sizes were much bigger, Barbara was the sole kindergarten teacher for a multi-ethnic class of 30 students. She is the mother of three children, one of whom is profoundly mentally retarded; and she has three grandchildren.

Photo credit: 2 Mamas Photography