Testimonials
From Our Parent Community
“Vanessa has a gift for helping adults see the world through a child’s eyes. She encourages curiosity, creativity, connection, and developmentally appropriate expectations, which has transformed the way I approach parenting.”
“Ms. Vanessa has had an incredible impact on our family. Through her work at Little Folk House and the parent education opportunities she provides with Little by Little, she has helped me better understand my daughter’s development and become a more confident, intentional parent.
What sets Vanessa apart is not only her depth of knowledge in child development, but also her ability to share that knowledge in a way that empowers parents. Her guidance is always thoughtful, compassionate, and grounded in a deep respect for children.
Vanessa has a gift for helping adults see the world through a child’s eyes. She encourages curiosity, creativity, connection, and developmentally appropriate expectations, which has transformed the way I approach parenting. Every interaction with her leaves me feeling more informed, supported, and capable.
I cannot recommend her highly enough. Any parent, educator, or school that has the opportunity to work with Vanessa will be better for it.
— The Cravens, a grateful Little by Little family
“With her years of experience working with children, Miss Vanessa has an incredible ability to truly understand each child as an individual. She sees beyond behaviors and milestones and takes the time to understand what motivates children, what challenges them, and what helps them thrive.”
“Miss Vanessa has been an invaluable part of our daughter's experience at Little Folk House and through Little by Little. When we chose to keep our daughter in preschool for an additional year rather than move her into a traditional academic environment, it was because we wanted to preserve this precious season of childhood a little longer. We wanted her to continue learning through play, exploration, creativity, and connection, and Miss Vanessa helped make that experience everything we had hoped for and more.
With her years of experience working with children, Miss Vanessa has an incredible ability to truly understand each child as an individual. She sees beyond behaviors and milestones and takes the time to understand what motivates children, what challenges them, and what helps them thrive. Our daughter always felt seen, supported, and accepted for exactly who she was.
One of the things we appreciated most was how accessible and communicative she was with parents. If our daughter was having a difficult day or working through a challenge, Miss Vanessa would bring it to our attention with care and thoughtfulness. We were able to have meaningful conversations about what might be going on beneath the surface and work together to support our daughter both at school and at home. That level of partnership is incredibly rare.
The parent-teacher conferences were one of the most valuable parts of our experience. Unlike traditional conferences that often focus on academic benchmarks or simple observations, our conversations with Miss Vanessa gave us a deeper understanding of our daughter as a whole person. We learned about how she approached challenges, how she built relationships, what sparked her curiosity, where she was flourishing, and where she might need additional support. We often left those meetings feeling like we had gained a completely new perspective on our child.
One of my favorite things about Little Folk House is that the children come home looking like they've truly lived their day. Dirt on their clothes, paint on their hands, leaves in their pockets, and stories about their adventures. The freedom to explore, create, get messy, and simply be children is something that feels increasingly rare, and Miss Vanessa helps foster that environment every day.
We are so grateful for the care, wisdom, patience, and dedication Miss Vanessa has shown throughout our daughter's time at Little Folk House. She has helped create a foundation of confidence, independence, curiosity, and joy that will stay with our daughter long after preschool is over. Our family will always be thankful for the role she played in these formative years.
— The Cummins, a grateful Little by Little family
“Of all the early childhood educators we’ve encountered, Vanessa stands out as the very best. She doesn’t just teach—she empowers, nurtures, and leaves a lasting impact. Any program, school, or family fortunate enough to work with her is made better because of it.”
“We are honored to recommend Vanessa Collett, an exceptional educator and community-builder our family has known for many years. Both Vanessa and her daughter Haley taught our two eldest children for three years each, and in that time we witnessed her rare gift for making every child feel truly seen, safe, and celebrated.
Vanessa creates learning environments where curiosity thrives—joyful, play-filled, and deeply connected. Her warmth, patience, and enthusiasm are unmatched, and she has an extraordinary ability to inspire curiosity, foster emotional growth, and build trusting relationships with children, families, and fellow educators alike.
Of all the early childhood educators we’ve encountered, Vanessa stands out as the very best. She doesn’t just teach—she empowers, nurtures, and leaves a lasting impact. Any program, school, or family fortunate enough to work with her is made better because of it.
We wholeheartedly and without reservation give Vanessa our highest recommendation.”
— The Lays, a grateful Little by Little family
“[Vanessa’s] knowledge in childhood education is immense and she has so many creative tools in her belt, many of which we implement daily. ”
“Our family has known Vanessa for 6 years in 2 different preschool programs. In both of these programs she has guided our family in emotional growth. Her knowledge in childhood education is immense and she has so many creative tools in her belt, many of which we implement daily. She is truly passionate about working with littles and their parents, and we have been so blessed to be able to rely on her for guidance in parenting throughout the years.”
— The Konishis, a grateful Little by Little family
“[Vanessa] showed me how I could teach my son in ways that felt natural. Her help was simple and attainable. I never felt overwhelmed or burdened by our conversations. She helped shift my expectations.”
“Vanessa was my son’s first teacher, and it was such a gift. In just a couple of weeks, she truly got to know him—understanding how he learns, his habits, and the best ways to help him grow. What was even more incredible was how she helped me grow as well. I would vent to her about how my son loathed any type of art and how I wished he would engage in more pretend play. In just two meetings, she offered thoughtful suggestions on how to encourage him, without a forceful approach. She showed me how I could teach my son in ways that felt natural. Her help was simple and attainable. I never felt overwhelmed or burdened by our conversations. She helped shift my expectations.The fear of feeling inadequate as a parent, especially when considering homeschooling, has been calmed by Vanessa’s support and guidance. I will always be deeply grateful for her wisdom and care.”
— The Taylors, a grateful Little by Little family
“[Vanessa] creates a truly safe, non judgmental space where you can talk openly about anything without fear of being judged.”
“I’m so grateful for Miss Vanessa and the space she creates through Little by Little. Our parenting meetings have been incredibly meaningful for me; I always leave feeling calmer, more confident and better equipped as a parent.
She creates a truly safe, non judgmental space where you can talk openly about anything without fear of being judged. I’ve learned so much from her approach to children and parenting, especially around understanding behavior with more compassion and connection rather than stress or pressure.
What stands out most is how grounded and supportive she is. She really listens and you feel seen and understood in every conversation. It’s rare to find someone who combines so much knowledge with such warmth and emotional safety. I’m genuinely grateful for her guidance and the positive impact she’s had on the way I parent.”
— The Musas, a grateful Little by Little family
“Vanessa’s combination of education and life experience, along with the love she truly shows for children make her such a treasure in this space.”
“I had the pleasure of getting to know Vanessa as a preschool teacher to my two children, and I am so grateful that I had her for guidance in that stage of my parenting. My older child has a hard time socially and emotionally and Vanessa was there for me with encouragement, advice, understanding and never judgement. She gave me empathy, listened to me and offered me advice that I could use in a practical way. Vanessa’s combination of education and life experience, along with the love she truly shows for children make her such a treasure in this space.”
— The Godoys, a grateful Little by Little family
“Attending Little by Little Parent Info Nights have become a top priority in our home… [Vanessa] taught us the importance to see the world through our daughter's eyes.”
“Ms. Vanessa walked through the most challenging and rewarding year of parenting with us. Our 5 year old daughter attends a play based learning program that was heavily influenced and shaped by Ms. Vanessa's 15 plus years of personal experience and education in early childhood learning. She helped create a space that was not only every kid's dream, but the dream of every parent's inner child. I’ll never forget at the end of the first day, all the kids came out with bits of paint on their hands and mud on their clothes with the biggest smiles on their faces and we knew we were in the right place.
We met Ms. Vanessa when our daughter was in a season of struggling with anxiety and a waning confidence. We were seeking direction on how to help her out of the fog. Ms. Vanessa's guidance, wisdom and patience with not only our daughter but with us helped us through the challenges that felt permanent or uncertain. Not only did Ms. Vanessa meet her where she was at, she LOVED her for where she was at. What parent doesn’t want that peace of mind?
Attending Little by Little Parent Info Nights have become a top priority in our home. We were educated us on the necessity of true and authentic researched backed child-led play based learning, but she helped us see our daughter through a different lens. She taught us the importance to see the world through our daughter's eyes and develop trust, wonder and thoughtful dialogue with her. The impact she had was lasting and will ripple through our daughter's life.
Over the past year our daughter has transformed into a confident, full of wonder, hungry learner. We have watched Ms. Vanessa take a group of kids learn how to confidently communicate, deal with conflict and gain the skills to have healthy relationships without constant adult intervention.
Ms. Vanessa taught us the importance of letting our children's interests and creativity run wild and free in a safe place with kind, thoughtful and gentle boundaries. We feel the momentum that this style of learning has lit in her and we excitedly chose to continue on through her Kinder year and break from the conventional path. Ms. Vanessa helped us learn and reframe what true ‘Kinder readiness’ should look like. Ever since we have fully embraced that our daughter has begun to thrive. We want our daughter to be a kid as long as she can. Not only does Ms. Vanessa let her dwell in the wonders of childhood, she fiercely protects it.”
— The Petrillis, a grateful Little by Little family
“[Vanessa] has helped us understand and support our child, giving us the knowledge and tools to create appropriate boundaries and emotional safety in our home.”
“Vanessa is such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to childhood development. She takes the time to listen and hear specific examples of things happening at home and gives incredible advice that is so practical and easy to implement. She has helped us understand and support our child, giving us the knowledge and tools to create appropriate boundaries and emotional safety in our home.”
— The Yamashitas, a grateful Little by Little family