About Us

Melissa began Playing Together Being Together in 2021 from a desire to support parents of young children. She takes inspiration from numerous sources: Becky Bailey and Conscious Discipline; child-led play; being in nature; the use of loose parts instead of toys; music. And play. Lots of play. The lessons Melissa has learned while raising her son, James, has greatly impacted her views on teaching children and supporting parents.  

Melissa’s career began as an elementary and high school music teacher. After 6 years, she realized her passion was in child development. She shifted her focus to early childhood education where she specialized in infant/toddler education and care for 10 years, culminating in her position as a school director.

Melissa has a Master’s Degree in Music Education. She has attended and presented at many Conscious Discipline Institutes while continuing her study and becoming a mentor to many. Melissa has also completed her child-led play certification through Fairy-Dust Teaching with Sally Haughey. She lives in Warick, NY, with her husband and son. And they all really love ice cream!

Meet Melissa

Founder

Meet the Team

  • Kyle LaColla

    PTBT Co-Teacher

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  • Kathleen Penland

    PTGT Co-Teacher

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  • Samantha Scalpone

    PTCT Co-Teacher

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Our Mission

To help build executive function skills through child led play while providing caregivers and children social-emotional support for all the moments life has to offer. 

While building executive functioning skills through child-led play and exploration is at the core of PTBT beliefs, so is the idea of connection and community. It is our mission to strengthen connections between caregiver and child, teacher and child, teacher and caregiver, child and child, and caregiver and caregiver. These connections lay the foundation for a strong community. A community that will be there to support each other when things get hard and to celebrate each other when the world goes our way. We believe wholeheartedly in the African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child".

Ideas that inspire us

  • “We must see children differently in order for them to behave differently.”
    - Becky Bailey

  • Understanding the developing brain.

  • “Slow down, you move too fast. You’ve got to make the moment last.”
    - Simon & Garfunkel

  • Less is more.

  • “Don’t do for a child what they can do for themselves.”
    - Sally Haughey

  • They learn by watching us

  • “It’s only fair that each child be cherished.”
    - Corita Kent

  • Connection, connection, connection.

  • “Discipline does not mean to punish. It means to teach.”
    - D.J. Batiste

  • Child-led play

  • “Watch more, listen closely, speak less.”
    - Erin Meyer

“Every child’s behavior is telling us something. Our job is to see behavior as information, not aggravation.”

— Jeannette French