LADY OF THE MONTH – IRINI GIRGIS – Ladies Who Online

Parental and Kids Life Coach, Irini Girgis, is a goal-driven woman. She pursues her passion and loves being around children. She’s always inspired by seeing how and why kids behave the way they do.

Irini, who’s a mother of a 19-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter, feels immense bliss from parenting. She shared, “being a mom has brought me so much joy and it has allowed me to experience firsthand the challenges that parenthood can pose. My core belief in instilling lifelong skills in my kids from a young age has proved worthy of my efforts.”

THE RIGHT MINDSET | Starting her own family helped highlight her passion for kids. This was the first step that made her get a teaching degree, which was a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education. When her children started their teenage phase, she resigned from being a full-time teacher to be a substitute teacher. “It was a tough decision, especially since many of my close family and friends were not supportive of it. I felt the need to have the right mindset to deal with my kids’ new phase. I didn’t want to look back and regret being stressed or busy to deal with my teenagers’ challenges,” she shared.

She started as a substitute teacher, and then studied different neuro educational courses. Later, completing a child psychology degree and earning a kids’ life coaching certificate. Among her community, she’s always been the ‘go-to’ person for parenting challenges, or just for reliable parental advice.

Irini also shared, “I am an outdoors lover who believes that nature is the best teacher for all. Inquiry and hands-on activities have always been my favorite way of learning and teaching, which is why I became a teacher in IB curriculum schools.”

She and her family moved to Dubai in 2005, where she officially started her teaching career in IB curriculum schools. And in 2018, she officially launched Kids Summit, a Parental and Kids Life Coaching service.

WORK LIFE BALANCE | With all the joy that teaching and being around children has brought to her life, there was also a stressful part of handling all the admin work that comes with educating. This has brought some trying moments during the last couple of years of Irini’s career, so she made a promise to herself not to continue living that way. “When I resigned, I started investing time in my personal development, both mentally and professionally. I focused on maintaining a work-life harmony, and I worked on setting my priorities,” she shared.

THE MEANING OF SUCCESS | Irini’s personal experiences as a mother have given her a lot of credibility with what she says or does. It makes a huge difference when you speak using firsthand experiences, especially when you have been there, done that, instead of just being theoretical. Seeing the results of her parenting journey with her children adds a lot of value to her services. “As a former classroom teacher, I have always been a firm believer in viewing each child’s needs from a holistic perspective. I developed a deep interest in understanding the root causes of some challenges my students faced. Helping kids and their parents break down barriers and overcome challenging behaviors became my purpose,” she shared. Her success habits include having an ongoing reflection on what and how she manages things. The purpose of what she does has helped her improve in many aspects.

WORDS OF WISDOM | Irini wants the next generation of young women to succeed in the workplace or business, and she imparts some brilliant advice for all the ladies who are dreamers and achievers like her. “Be passionate about what you do. If you feel that it is ‘just a job’, then think twice about it and try to find the ‘WHY’ in what you do,” she advised.

Even though her business is still growing, and while she takes it one step at a time, the most important thing is that she’s enjoying what she’s doing. “I encourage everyone to follow their dreams and to pursue a career they love. Always keep in mind that with every challenge comes opportunities,” she shared.

She also recommends taking the success ladder one step at a time. “Don’t rush it and don’t get disappointed when you face any failure or if things don’t go your way. Also, be flexible with your goals, and always have a Plan B. Best of all, believe in yourself,” Irini advised. 

Love and light,
Mai