Lynell Morgan is passionate about providing caring support for families looking to deepen their relationships and strengthen their connections. At Morgan Mentoring+, you will gain deeper insight into your child’s perspective, leaving you equipped with practical strategies to respond to them. You will receive guidance with kindness and honesty to help you to achieve a stronger relationship with your child and prepare a solid foundation for the approaching teen years. Lynell’s aim is to help families develop bonds and habits that will encourage tweens to seek and value support from their parents through the years ahead. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Morgan Mentoring+, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
The need for a strong connection between parents and tweens inspired me to set up my mentoring service. While a nurse and a teacher, I met parents who were unsure of how to deal with various emotional and physical issues that their children experienced. I also heard children say that they did not want to talk to their parents about sensitive issues. I felt saddened that some children felt unable to share heartfelt concerns with their parents, even though many of these parents would have welcomed those interactions. Morgan Mentoring+ supports parents who want to feel confident, connected and calm in their relationship with their child.
I have worked with and ministered to children for over 35 years. This experience has enhanced my understanding and perspective of children and their needs. I provide kind, caring support for families so that relationships can be deepened, and so parents can develop confidence in their parenting skills. My aim is to help families to develop bonds and habits so that tweens are more likely to seek and value support from their parents through the teen years.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Towards the end of 2023, I felt a longing to combine my 20+ years of experience in health and 5 years as an educator in a way that would help families. I founded Morgan Mentoring+ in January 2024 and we began with a focus on students’ learning and wellbeing.
I quickly realized that I wanted to expand and include a parent service to provide holistic support to families. In May 2024, we created the Facebook group Strengthening Parent Connections with Tweens. This space is used to provide support and strategies to parents and carers who desire a deeper connection with their tween, and for those who want to prepare for the teen years. Practical support and strategies are also available via our website and Facebook group.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
I gained significant insight when I worked with children as a youth leader, a registered nurse and a teacher. I observed that tweens commonly experience challenges such as friendship conflict and mood changes. Parents and children can be uncertain of how to handle this. Children who felt supported by their families were better able to manage these situations and maintain focus in their studies. It was also useful when families made me aware when they experienced times of upheaval, perhaps due to health issues or family changes. This allowed me to provide extra support to their children. So, I would encourage families who are experiencing a difficult time to avoid isolating yourselves and working through issues alone. Instead, seek support for yourself and your children.
I have consistently enjoyed the satisfaction of strong connections with students and sharing insights into children’s perspectives of life. A breakthrough came when I realised that a highlight for me was watching children and parents deepen connections through understanding. Respect and encouragement were increased in these relationships. I wanted to support more parents to gain awareness and develop strong family connections, and this has given me direction as Morgan Mentoring+ grows.
I love knowing that a child has felt welcome to share thoughts and concerns with a parent rather than seek answers from peers or the internet. But I know this happens only with a good deal of effort on the part of the parent. My desire is for more families to experience the joy of deep connection and close relationships through the tween years, even as children naturally develop more independence. Families will benefit from this solid foundation through the potentially bumpy teen years. Our society will also benefit when our tweens and teens feel connected to their families.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balancing work and family has been a challenge for thirty years! As a mum of four children, I understand the difficulties faced by parents to meet the needs of jobs and parenting.
My children are now young adults, so the balance of work and family is significantly easier than when they were young. I still find that work will claim as much time as I allow it to, so it’s important to allocate time for family and to pursue things that bring us joy. My extended family get together each Saturday for dinner and games nights. We have over 150 boards games! Our current favourites include So Clover!, Ticket to Ride and Catan. Telestrations also provides us with lots of laughter. We also enjoy spending time together in the city, at the zoo or watching theatre. Like many mums, I’m often behind the camera instead of in front of it as shown in the reflection of my daughter’s sunglasses.
