"Working with Shae was a dream. Each time we spoke I felt heard, held, respected, supported, and always ended feeling much calmer..."

Allyce Ananda - Working with Shae was a dream. Each time we spoke I felt heard, held, respected, supported, and always ended feeling much calmer and grounded within myself again. She not only provided support for me and my little one around sleep, she also empowered and helped build my confidence in me as a mother and that I really was doing a great job - no matter how it looked and changed from day to day!

Talking with her made me feel so looked after and cared for - something we as mums to young ones don’t often make space for but need deeply! It felt like a warm calming hug - even over the phone.

Shae truly went above and beyond during our time together, she continues to be my go-to support and the relationship really does go beyond the allotted period - she is on your team for always! Her knowledge bank and toolkit is astounding!

I often jumped on to a chat with Shae with high emotions/panic/fear/confusion as we navigated the stresses of a sleep-deprived mama and bubba and she always held those emotions with such compassion and understanding. She is an amazing mama herself and an incredible woman to have in your village :)

"I would highly recommend Connection Village to anyone struggling with their little ones sleep as well as dealing with toddler issues..."

Eliana & Oliver - I would highly recommend Connection Village to anyone struggling with their little ones sleep as well as dealing with toddler issues such as behaviour problems and toilet training.

Shae is extremely caring and knowledgeable and has guided me since my son was 6 months of age and is now 3!

Shae’s approach is gentle and nurturing and I really appreciate everything she has taught me!

Thank you so much, Eliana and Oliver

"Shae's support has been invaluable. She has shared endless wisdom, kindness and patience..."

Emma & Luke Hewitt - Shae's support has been invaluable. She has shared endless wisdom, kindness and patience and worked with us to find a new sleep schedule and bedtime routine that better suits our little one. She was generous with her time and her support, always willing to talk through a particularly difficult night. Her ability to listen and empathise helped me through a number of real low points as I dealt with the exhaustion and frustration of parenting a 'bad sleeper'. She built my confidence with practical ideas, so I now feel I know how to get my baby to sleep every time. And while my baby still has difficult nights, we've gone from 4-5 wakes a night, to only one or two. Which feels miraculous. Thank you, Shae, for all you have done for us.

"Shae has been apart of my family for the past 3 years, and has supported my husband and I with our two girls through many milestones..."

Jenna & Marcus Cole - Shae has been apart of my family for the past 3 years, and has supported my husband and I with our two girls through many milestones. Reaching out to Shae as sleep deprived parents when our first born was 6 months of age was the best thing we ever did. With Shae’s calming influence, we implemented changes to my daughters sleep environment and adjusted wake times, but most importantly Shae gave us a wonderful understanding on how listening to our baby and supporting them through their developmental milestones is by far the most rewarding and satisfying connection as a parent. We very quickly had 2 happy parents & a beautiful sleeping baby.

Shae not only supported us the once, but numerous other times throughout my daughter’s developmental changes, her continued guidance and coaching through these many challenging milestones like toddler behaviours was truely amazing.

Shae also supported us with our second born daughter who was more challenging & complex as she had reflux & intolerances. But with Shae’s expertise knowledge, we went from having a 30minute catnapping baby during the day & multiple wakes overnight, to a baby who was calm that had beautiful long day naps & waking once overnight. As parents to an already busy toddler, this was an extremely tough time for us. Without Shae’s daily support & encouragement we certainly wouldn’t have survived. Thank you from the bottom of our heart!

Whilst I reflect on what I have learnt since becoming a parent, I would highly recommend connecting with Shae prior to becoming first time parents. I believe having the understanding of babies sleeping habits, developmental milestones and most of all connecting with your baby & listening to their needs prenatally would be highly beneficial.

Having this knowledge and the tools prior to becoming parents is setting yourselves and your baby up for success right from the start, instead of getting to breaking point before reaching out for help. Becoming new parents is extremely overwhelming, connect with Shae and join her village of support. You as parents don’t need to do it alone. Reach out for this incredible service to guide you as parents through the entire journey from the start.

"Getting Shae’s support was easily the best investment we’ve made during our parenting journey! Her kind, realistic, gentle and understanding approach has helped us with..."

Jess & Chris (Archie & Millie) - We originally contacted Shae for support with our first child, Archie, who was 6 months old. Being first time parents, we were exhausted and fell into the trap of reading too much information online about sleep. We were completely overwhelmed. Absolutely nothing seemed to suit our family or our values. Until we found Shae! After an email and a quick phone call, we felt completely relieved. Her gentle, responsive and connection-driven approach was the only option for us. We wanted to be there to support our son with his sleep, not leave him alone to cry.

Shae was with us every step of the way, guiding us with Archie’s wake windows, his developmental play and building a connection with myself and my husband. Archie is now three and apart from the normal hiccups such as teething, milestones and sickness, he is a great sleeper. Both my husband and I have such an amazing bond with him and continue to include quality time and rough housing play in our day. When we had our daughter, Millie, we had no hesitation in contacting Shae again, this time at 4 months. Once we transitioned out of the ‘fourth trimester’ we wanted that one-on-one guidance again, but personalised for Millie. Shae focussed on building a strong connection, prioritising developmental play, finding Millie’s wake windows and being there to support us through milestones and sleep barriers such as reflux, wind pain and teething.

Being extremely sleep deprived and anxious with a new baby and an energetic toddler Shae was like a lifeline! She guided us the whole time and knowing that she is only an email away if something changes and we need her advice, makes us feel at ease.

Getting Shae’s support was easily the best investment we’ve made during our parenting journey! Her kind, realistic, gentle and understanding approach has helped us with both of our babies and we are so grateful for everything she has done for our family.

"I felt like I had an all-knowing oracle with me guiding and supporting our sleep journey..."

Julie Dowse - I began working with Shae when my second child was about 9 months. I was exhausted and at my wits end wondering if I was destined to have a baby sleeping in my bed waking up every couple hours all night long. I was at a point where I thought I needed to hold my baby all night just so that he could sleep and I could “rest my eyes”. When I was put in touch with Shae I found her warm and non-judgemental and really wanted the best for me and my Bub. The program we worked on together wasn’t overwhelming and aligned with my values to nurture and be present for my baby. She encouraged me to trust in my instincts and consider being reactive rather than proactive. The daily video messages and updates during the initial support period were invaluable - I felt like I had an all-knowing oracle with me guiding and supporting our sleep journey! We started to see a difference in our baby within the first week and that feeling of our baby stringing together hours of sleep in a cot was a game changer! The advice was practical and straightforward which helped this sleep deprived mama.

The best part is that our baby - who has now turned one has maintained his sleep routine. The difference it has made to our family is worth more than we can put a value on and I would not hesitate to recommend Shae to anyone.

Thanks again for your support - it really has changed our life!

"Shae helped us break all the bad habits we had unfortunately been doing to get through the nights..."

Rachael & Hudson - A huge thank you to Shae! After returning to work when Hudson was 9 months old he started sleeping terribly, waking every 2-3 hours through the night and was a serial cat napper through the day! My husband and I knew we needed some help so we reached out to Shae and I can certainly say she severely turned things around for us. Shae helped us break all the bad habits we had unfortunately been doing to get through the nights (bottles at 2am, sleeping in our bed, rocking to sleep), she gave us a guided routine we should use, she gave us better awake time windows, she taught us how we could break the early rising. Within a few days I started to see results with Hudson’s sleeping, he was sleeping 1.5-2hrs for day naps and begun sleeping from bedtime till 6am again!

We have had 8 months of beautiful night sleeps... but I’ve just used Shae again as Hudson started regressing his morning nap & started waking a few times through the night for long periods. Shae has helped us transition Hudson to 1 day nap and helped us get Hudson to stop the night waking. He was waking through the night for developmental reasons, Shae suggested developmental play tasks we do with Hudson to help him move past this and it worked!

I cannot recommend Shae enough, she supported us when we were feeling completely defeated, she always complimented me and told me I was doing an amazing job & whenever I was unsure or had a question she was always a text message away!

Thank you for helping us getting our sleep back & helping Hudson get through this period :)

"Working with Shae has truly transformed our lives..."

Rachel Wrigley - Working with Shae has truly transformed our lives.

Our 2 year old boy was bed sharing with me, waking 6-8 times a night. Now Hudson is sleeping through the night and in his OWN BED!

When I contacted Shae I was really clear that I was really not ok with cry it out or controlled crying. I had a bad experience with a previous consultant that had left me in tears with how strict the regime was and I just couldn't put myself or my son through it. Shae listened and tailored a process that worked with me and at the pace I was comfortable with and was there whenever I needed anytime of day. Not only did Shae help Hudson, but picked me up when I was exhausted, sick in my first trimester and couldn't help myself. Shae gave me strength and confidence plus the gift of sleep to Hudson and I!

Now I have a clear mind to be excited about my pregnancy and being a mum again.

Thank you Shae!

"As a first time mother in the midst of Covid, I was not engaged in a parent group..."

Family Therapist - As a first time mother in the midst of Covid, I was not engaged in a parent group and had found the interaction at the local community health centre nurse very judgmental when I informed her I was not breast feeding. So I decided to access private support elsewhere where I could obtain guidance in navigating the early developmental milestones and attachment with my first child.

I was looking for a professional/coach, preferably online. Shae was recommended to me through a colleague (clinical psychologist). As a family therapist, I had insight into family and relational dynamics, and the importance of couple adaptation to the changing dynamic. However I was not prepared for my emotional experience, the sleep deprivation, the loss of identity, and other unconscious triggers that were surfacing.

The experience with Shae was invaluable. I felt so supported and contained and was thankful for Shae’s wealth of knowledge and insightful strategies to respond in ways that build connection and create fun. Shae is empathic and engaging, and allows her clients to explore their experience in a non-judgmental and safe space. Shae helps her clients feel validated, respected, and empowered. Shae is a great listener and her positivity is infectious. I highly recommend her to all new parents and cannot thank her enough for walking with us through the highs and lows of early childhood challenges, and shining her light and love our way.

"I heard about Shae through a friend in my mother's group who said she was amazing..."

Katherine - I heard about Shae through a friend in my mother's group who said she was amazing and you see results straight away.

My then 9-month old boy was an OK sleeper, but I was struggling with settling him for bedtime and he was starting to resist naps as well. He had also just started daycare as I was back at work. In fact, it had become so bad, it was taking us 30-40 mins to get our son to sleep at night. It was so stressful and we dreaded bedtime.

After our consult with Shae, where I came away with some basic but fundamental strategies - my son started settling for bedtime immediately. It was amazing. My husband - who was initially unsure if anything would help - was in shock!

Shae advised us on optimum wake windows for his age/maturity, as well as some great ideas for play and bedtime routine. It sounds simple, but it worked. Once bedtime became a breeze, the naps were like clockwork again and our little one started sleeping through the night quite regularly.

But one thing we know with babies is that they change. Shae has been so helpful in giving us tips on what to look out for when those changes happen and how to adjust. She has also been great in giving advice along the way after the initial 2-week period. I highly recommend reaching out to her. It's worth every cent!

"Our 4 year old daughter had been having tantrums since she was younger..."

Natalie & Patrick - Our 4 year old daughter had been having tantrums since she was younger, but over the past few months they were also occurring at night and disturbing all of our sleep.

We were at a point of desperation when we met with Shae - it was nearly impossible to be good parents, work and stay sane on so little sleep! We just couldn't settle her, and it turned into quite a vicious cycle.

Shae helped teach us connection tools to make our daughter feel safe and loved during the day, and improved our communication around her tantrums. Within a couple of weeks we were having some nights were she would sleep through, and others with just a few cuddles and no screaming.

It has made a huge difference to our parenting and our quality of life. Our daughter is so much happier and more content, and the whole household is in a better place now that we are all getting sleep. We could not have done it without Shae's support and we would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone else.

Natalie & Patrick xx

"Shae was referred to us by a close friend and we couldn’t have been happier with her assistance..."

Neha & Matt - Shae was referred to us by a close friend and we couldn’t have been happier with her assistance.

We have two boys, aged 2.5 years and 6 months. We reached out to Shae initially because our toddler became very emotional at about the time our bub hit 4 months. Lots of tantrums and meltdowns, and to be honest, my husband and I didn’t really know how best to handle it. We thought it would be sensible to get some professional help which is why we contacted Shae.

Shae was a delight to deal with. Very professional, knowledgeable, and she has an extremely lovely nature. We immediately felt comfortable with her. She helped us understand the importance of ‘child led play’, and gave us practical advice about how best to help our toddler emotional regulate himself, so as to reduce/minimise his meltdowns. For example, ideas about activities we could do with him, how we could communicate with him about big changes in the home (ie: welcoming a new sibling into the family etc). She also sent us some very helpful resources (articles, podcasts etc) to assist our understanding.

She was very available to us, and was always very quick to respond to our queries/ messages. I found her extremely helpful and we write this review with no hesitation.

There is no point suffering in silence. If you’re struggling (for whatever reason), reach out to Shae!

Neha and Matt xx

"Shae made me feel confident about knowing my baby best and turning down noise from social media and other mums that were just making me feel bad."

Jess & Matt - I was desperately looking for some sleep advice that was gentle and aligned with my parenting values. All I found was people to ‘gently’ sleep train my baby for $1500. When I found Connection Village, it was the first time I had come across something that felt like me. All the information was evidence-based with a baby-first approach.

At the time I wanted someone to tell me what to do and when - I felt like everything I was doing was wrong. I didn’t get that, but I did get what I actually needed - my confidence to back my own choices. Shae made me feel confident about knowing my baby best and turning down noise from social media and other mums that were just making me feel bad.

As a first time mum I felt guilty asking for the help, but I knew I needed some guidance, just like I did breastfeeding, something that I had been told would just happen naturally, but didn't for me. Shae gave us just that, warm encouraging support and guidance. I’m still doing many of the same things, but without the guilt. I don’t need to try and ‘fix’ my baby, he is doing everything right.

I would absolutely recommend Shae because you need someone to look at you and your baby individually. Someone with education and experience behind them, and not just a generalised sleep schedule and a following. Also because as a Mum, sometimes you just need permission to do what you’re doing, Shae does that in such a warm and supportive way.

"Through the implementation of the connection tools and Shae’s coaching we have really seen a change in our daughters communication with us…”

Karen & Ben - We reached out to Shae about 6 months ago to help us to better communicate and connect with our little girl, who’s just turned 6. After my initial chat with Shae, she suggested my husband and I should do the Connection Coaching package. Shae has been amazing! Through the implementation of the connection tools and Shae’s coaching we have really seen a change in our daughters communication with us, and the way we approach behaviours and communicate with her.>

Shae has been so much more than a parenting coach - she has also helped my husband and I with the way we communicate and support each other, which I have since learnt has been a large part of the problem. Being aligned on our approach and parenting style, working together, communicating more openly, and connecting and feeling supported by each other in our parenting journey has been made a huge difference.

I enjoy talking to Shae. She is very easy to talk to without any judgement, and she creates a safe space for me to unload any thoughts and feelings that I have. She has also created a comfortable space for my partner to feel seen and heard, so he can work through a lot his feelings and triggers with her.

We are forever grateful to Shae and even if we stop needing her, I hope to continue to have her in our lives and a part of our village.

Karen & Ben xx

"I loved that Shae supported my choices and never suggested I do something that I wasn’t comfortable with...”"

Em - My friend referred me to Shae after I had told her how challenging Raffi’s sleep had been. She had been waking 3/4 times a night consistently for months. Even though I knew that waking at night was considered ‘normal’ I was becoming quite exhausted and thought what have I got to lose!

Shae’s holistic approach sounded so perfect for us and aligned with my parenting values! I loved that she didn’t just look at the sleep science, which a lot info I’d read in the past and other consultants I’d worked with, only focused on. Her approach really appealed to me because it took into account Raffi’s developmental age and stage and also fostered my connected parenting philosophy.

Shae was so invested from the get go. Everything she said made so much sense! I loved that she supported my choices and never suggested I do something that I wasn’t comfortable with. I had spent numerous hours in the past doing settling techniques that I hated but thought I had to do! After making some tweaks and focusing on exactly what Raffi needed during the day, her sleep changed completely! For the first week she only woke once per night and since then, she has slept through every night. I actually still can’t believe it! And although having her sleep through was not the intended outcome, it has been the biggest game changer! Shae has equipped me with the right knowledge to now know how to read what Raffi needs and how to adjust things accordingly as she grows and develops.

The best part about it is that Shae is now part of our village. I love that I have her support and that if I need her she’s not far away! I will always be forever grateful and so will Raffi!

"We loved that Shae didn’t just outline a one size fits all ‘sleep routine’, it was extremely personalised to our daughters age and developmental stage...”

Kristen - We knew we wanted Shae to work with our family during our initial phone consult when we felt she truly understood the day to day of what was happening with our 5 month old daughters day naps. Shae explained a sequence of things that we didn’t even need to tell her was happening, she just knew! We also loved that Shae didn’t just outline a one size fits all ‘sleep routine’, it was extremely personalised to our daughters age, developmental stage with the focus more so on how to best ensure we are maximise what we are doing in ‘awake time’ to encourage optimal sleep opportunity. Which is something we wouldn’t have realised the importance of. Shae also outlined a lot of sleep science which we really resonated with.

Shae has set us up with the knowledge and skills to last well into our daughters future years and also for subsequent children! One of the most amazing inclusions in Shae’s package is the messaging support for 2 weeks - having the ability to contact Shae instantly for any hiccups that may arise was so comforting during a time that may be daunting.

Being so warm, approachable and professional, we found our program thoroughly enjoyable which is something we wouldn’t have expected with the thought of embarking on ‘sleep consulting’! Our daughter was struggling to sleep more than 40mins for her days naps after months of sleeping through the night, and within 2 days she was sleeping for 2hr in a day nap - we could not believe it!! We have now recommended Shae to numerous friends and friends of friends.

"The support we received from Shae was beyond valuable and we are so glad we had her by our side!”"

Laura + Mitch + Lennox - Friends of ours recommended Shae and I am so glad they did! We originally reached out to Shae to help us with our 6 month olds sleep - we were sleep deprived and needed all the help we could get.

Shae understands that every baby is different and therefore tailored an individual plan for us which was more than just improving our sleep.

Shae is extremely knowledgable and provided us with a lot of information and resources that helped us to support our little ones development and approach to parenting. The support we received from Shae was beyond valuable and we are so glad we had her by our side! We will definitely be recommending Shae to everyone!

Laura + Mitch + Lennox xxx

"Shae helped me feel confident with putting Lily down at bedtime and heading back out to the lounge room to have some me time.”

Sarah, Justin and Lily - As first time parents we wanted some advice and help with our 4 month old babies sleep and overall confidence to get out and about with her. We got in touch with Shae as we had seen her at an online workshop and really liked her approach to sleep and connection. She also had realistic awake windows for the different age groups.

Shae was wonderful in helping us work out Lily’s optimal awake window at the time and how best to space out naps. Shae was still a big supporter of contact naps but could gently guide us (when ready) for some more independent sleep. One of the most interesting and important aspects was the connection during her awake times which then optimised her sleeping. This also helped us conquer car rides as lily wasn’t happy in the car nor was she taking naps in the car like she used too. Making sure we connected with Lily before every car ride made a huge difference. (We even use this connection for our dogs to sleep better overnight!)

Shae helped me feel confident with putting Lily down at bedtime and heading back out to the lounge room to have some me time. Shae helped us be ok with certain elements of her crying as tears (and laughter) are good when we are there to support her especially during her awake time and if she is practicing new skills.

Working with Shae based on Lily’s individual needs instead of working on a ‘one size fits all baby schedule’ was the best more realistic approach as every baby is so different! Shae also normalised a lot of Lily’s behaviour to being developmentally appropriate and not something we needed to fix. We now have a very busy social life and love getting out and about!

We are so glad to be apart of Shae’s village!

Sarah, Justin and Lily

"Within days we were seeing beautiful changes and our little boy was getting more rest (and so were we!).”"

Elyse - Our 6 month old was having trouble with his feeding, overnights and naps. Shae helped us have a clear plan for how to address these issues in a way that really aligned with how we wanted to parent. Within days we were seeing beautiful changes and our little boy was getting more rest (and so were we!). What we loved most though was that Shae really helped us feel comfortable and confident with how to approach sleep and feeds, and importantly, how we approached his awake periods and the types of play we prioritised and this made the world of difference to our family! We got so much out of working with Shae - her support and guidance was absolutely wonderful!

Elyse & baby Rex

"We didn’t have an easy start into parenthood due to hospitalizations but Shae was honestly one of the main people I relied on and was truly part of my village of support.”

Elly - I cannot recommend Shae enough. She is a true light and love in this space. She offered us such a individualized approach to our sleep and transition into parenthood with our little man. We didn’t have an easy start into parenthood due to hospitalizations but Shae was honestly one of the main people I relied on and was truly part of my village of support. She was so much more than just sleep advice, she gave us great tips and tricks on play, behavior and even teething (as our little one started teething quite early which surprised us). She was always there when I needed a shoulder to lean on due to some rough patches at the start. She understood our unique situation and provided so much advice beyond her programs. She is so easily contactable and always answered my questions. Shae is amazing and I truly think all new parents need a Shae in their lives as they enter parenthood. Shae truly goes beyond and above to provide such support and connection.

"Learning about sleep science and setting some flexible structure around daytime napping based on Neve’s developmental stage was so beneficial.”"

Caitlin - I was hesitant to go down the path of ‘sleep training’ because I had preconceived ideas in my head that needing ‘training’ on something so natural and simple meant I was a failure and also that I was going to sign my life away and be house bound by regimental nap structure with no flexibility. This wasn’t the case at all. Learning about sleep science and setting some flexible structure around daytime napping based on Neve’s developmental stage was so beneficial. Incorporating Shae’s advice around the type of play, as well as the time of day for feeds (we were introducing solids) led to our family getting our first full night’s sleep in 6 months. Shae really listens. She listened to what was important to me and set me up for success with the day sleep and play needs of baby Neve as a priority. Now that we have an established relationship, I will call on Shae again and the Connection Village group for advice as Neve develops.

Caitlin, Tim & Neve