For the last year and half my husband and I felt lost, our three year old daughter Mia could hardly communicate, she was socially detached and we used to think Mia could be Autistic. It broke our hearts seeing her so isolated, unable to interact and express herself. We went to many specialised centres and had her checked by a Psychologist, we looked into all sorts of therapy’s to try and figure out the best solution to get our beautiful little girl back on track but nothing really felt like it would actually make a difference and it became practically stressful knowing that she might not be ready to go to a big school. We were then introduced to Lucrecia at SoMi through close friends; our first meeting was a breath of fresh air. She actually listened and took time to understand our situation. Lucrecia spent a lot of time observing us at home reviewing our daily routines and particularly to get to know Mia in her home environment. After spending sufficient time with our family she created a special, but importantly a practical plan to help Mia become the “Big Girl” that we hoped she would be. Lucrecia helped us establish our family values through an effective routine and communication with consistent positive discipline. She directed us step by step to support each other to build a foundation for our daughter’s success. It has certainly been a challenge throughout the whole process and it has been a huge team effort to get us all on the right path, but consistency and continued support from Lucrecia has meant Mia has already made massive steps forward. We’ve seen a big improvement with her communication and becoming more social. She is finally calling us “mommy” and “daddy” and she surprises us every day with new sentences. The “bottle” is a thing of the past and she finally sleeps in her own bed. She will always be our baby girl but in her mind Mia is now on her way to being a “Big Girl”. Lucrecia from the bottom of our hearts thank you!! You have been a true inspiration.
Simon & Grace - Dubai, UAE: Parents
We were experiencing some challenges with our three year old daughter. Her talking was delayed, she was socially too independent and she was having tantrums when she was asked for a change. There were also problems with the developmental foundations such as delay in potty training and attachment to her bottle. We were being guided towards expensive therapy centers by the nursery teachers and were becoming convinced that she might need therapy treatment. We then were introduced to SOMI and started working with Lucrecia. She spent significant time just watching our parenting habits, daily routine and our daughter’s behavior. She recognized the true potential in our daughter and highlighted what we can do better as parents to unleash her potential. She prepared a very structured roadmap along with developmental milestones. She showed us our development areas, orchestrated us as team and helped us define our roles as parents to set our daughter up for success. She walked us through each step and provided tremendous support. Our daughter has shown significant progress in speech, has already become much more social and has left all of her baby habits behind. Our “threenager” has almost no tantrums now. We are much more enabled and happier parents thanks to SOMI.
Mark - Dubai, UAE: Dad
Nothing beats being a mom. Nevertheless, it comes with great challenges and gets quite overwhelming at times. With so much information out there and so many different opinions , you don’t know what to listen to and how to get your head around things I was facing some sleep challenges with my 9 months old baby so I seeked Lucrecia’s help. Her approach was so reassuring and was built on her vast experience working with different families in addition to her personal experience with her own children which truly made a difference. Her advice put things into perspective, it gave me a boost of confidence Lucrecia simply has a wonderful approach that puts you at ease . With an objective outlook on things and her solid experience Lucrecia is the person to go to.
Leen - Jordan: Mum
We hired SoMi to help with our 3-year old boy, as we were having a few challenges getting him to eat better and go to sleep at night. We needed a few tips on parenting to give him the best start in life. We have been really impressed with Lucrecia's help and advice. She came by to see what our routine was and made a plan that we could implement. Suggestions included getting rid of the bottle and not having the TV on all the time. It sounded like a challenge but we managed it. Day by day, I am seeing a more creative boy who just loves playing with his Thomas the Tank Engine and making up songs about his lovely school teacher rather than watching the same kid's movies over and over and getting very grumpy at me for turning it off. Since we put our SoMi plan into action, I have seen a real shift in our sons behaviour and as parents, we are less stressed and enjoying our family time very much. Now I am able to put him to bed at a better time - 7pm as opposed to 10pm, and I even have time for my own design and craft projects, which to be honest, I was struggling to find the time to do and it was making me very unhappy. I cannot recommend SoMi enough to other families out there! Thank you very much to the SoMi team for helping our family back on track to succeed - and save me from having to listen to Woody and his friends from Toy Story every day!
Lucy & Dave - Dubai, UAE: Parents
"Both of my children attend SoMi, and both have shown increased self-regulation and maturity as a result. Lucrecia has thoughtfully designed this program to focus on universal values through hands-on learning and social interaction. I find this type of social-emotional learning to be underdeveloped in the schools, so SoMi feels like a critical complement to the work we do at home. In a world where technology has usurped so much of childhood, SoMi puts the focus back where it belongs: tapping into each child's unique strengths and intrinsic wholeness by anchoring her/his view of the world through the lens of universal values."
Amanda Gentine - Portugal, Lisbon: Mum
Lucrecia had created a safe place for children at Somi for children to become the best versions of themselves. The space has a purpose and was carefully planned out for the children’s evolution. The class teaches children values which is truly lacking in our society. I would highly recommend Somi for any parent looking to bridge the gap from school and home life. You will not be disappointed...
Diana Acosta Miller- Portugal, Lisbon: Mum
SoMi, along with Lucrecia is a strong model for personal development for children. Her Centre in Lisbon is amazing. Lucrecia builds strong partnerships with whomever she deals with and creates long standing bonds with companies, group organizations, parents, teachers, coaches and children.
Tamara Stubbs: Head of Project Development - Balibou Family Middle East
My daughter attended SoMi and loved it! Lucrecia's strength is her ability to connect with children on their level and help them develop emotional intelligence skills and values through play. What really impressed me was the intake process - she really wanted to know what my daughter wanted to work on, rather than getting me to answer that question! The focus is on the children, which is exactly where it should be.
Lucy Geradin
My son Jaime (currently 11 years old) had the privelege of receiving English Language lessons from Lucrecia for two years (from Sept. 2011 to May 2014). During this time, she proved to be the best teacher we have ever had. The way she teaches English is outstanding with an absolute focus on motivating and giving confidence to her students. The final results are really excellent. Lucrecia is very responsible and absolutely serious in what she does. She enjoys her work and transmits this enthusiasm to her students, making her classes enjoyable. During the time she was with us, she had her daughter and was on maternity leave for some months, but we had no doubts we would wait for her to resume teaching. I would recommend Lucrecia unreservedly.
Marta Berriatua - Madrid, Spain: Mum
I hereby wish to state that Lucrecia Carvalho, during the 2012-2013 school year, taught English to my son Adrian Pinto, with great satisfaction on our part and that of our son. She was a teacher who favored the participation of children, and motivated them to learn as well as maintained their attention continuously throughout the class. An achievement, taking into account that it was in our home, after the usual classes of the school and that the students were eight years old. On the other hand, she was always very correct in dealing with us, the parents, as well as complying with the schedule. An exquisite professional.
Belén Alvarez Sanchez - Madrid, Spain: Mum
Ms. Richards Carvalho taught a wide variety of English classes throughout Madrid, mainly teaching Business English classes to adults in various companies, as well as general English classes to children and adolescents. The qualities Lucrecia exemplified as a student naturally became her standards as a teacher. Always energetic, enthusiastic, hardworking, professional, and attentive to students needs, Ms. Richards Carvalho was in the process of becoming an outstanding teacher of English as a foreign language before recently taking some time off to have a baby. In addition to this, Ms. Richards Carvalho was always quite personable and “down to earth” with all the members of the staff at the school. She attended any extracurricular activities of the school in a spirited and jovial manner. Moreover, as a teacher, Ms. Richards Carvalho was both very well prepared for her classes and extremely well liked by her students. In closing, I must state that Ms. Richards Carvalho has shown herself to be a person of high professional integrity and noteworthy personal character. Lucrecia is a pleasure to have as an English teaching colleague. Thus, I do not hesitate in giving Ms. Richards Carvalho my highest recommendation as an exceptional candidate for any teaching related position in the educational field.
John Bouse - Madrid, Spain: Director, Canterbury TEFL Programme
Lucrecia Richards De Carvalho for one year gave private English classes to my daughter Haina Amor in my home. The results were frankly good, she knew how to motivate for the learning of the language, making the classes very enjoyable. She knew the pedagogical aspects to be a good teacher. My daughter's English level improved noticeably. She established a great relationship with the children, which is very appreciated as well. Punctuality and excellent personal treatment. She is an extraordinary teacher.
Maite Mateos Baruque - Madrid, Spain: Mum