Nicholeen Peck is an author and public speaker who has been teaching parenting principles around the world since 1999. She is the founder of Teaching Self-Government. She is a mother of four and previous foster parent of many difficult and troubled teens. In 2009, Nicholeen and her family were featured in a one-hour BBC reality show about parenting - World's Strictest Parents, and since then she has appeared on various news shows and radio programs to discuss effective parenting.
Early life
Nicholeen Pond was born in 1975 to Nicholas and Janeen Pond, and raised in Sandy, UT. Her father was a high school teacher, college professor, actor, play director and public speaker, while her mother was a dedicated homemaker. Both of her parents had a major influence on Nicholeen, who participated in theater, dance, journalism and speech and debate classes. In 1994 Nicholeen married Spencer Peck and had two children over the next few years. Shortly after the birth of her second child in 1999, she decided to do foster care with the Utah Youth Village] as a way to support her family financially and as a mother. She became a trained treatment parent and for the next four years always had at least two youth, ages 12–18, in her home. During this time she dealt with many youth who suffered from disorders, including kleptomania, honesty issues, anger management issues, ADHD, ADD, OCD, Oppositional defiant disorder, RAD, depression, suicidal tendencies, addiction, sexual perversions, and perpetration.
Career
Nicholeen experienced such success with her foster children that the same year, 1999, she began receiving requests to speak at seminars and conventions about her child care methods. By 2006 she created her first parenting CD set, and in 2007 she launched TeachingSelfGovernment.com, her first website. She was requested to teach more classes on parenting, and in 2009 the British BBC show “World's Strictest Parents” asked her to be on their program. The episode was an instant success. According to the BBC, the episode involving the Peck family was the most watched episode in the TV series. In 2009 she published her first book, Parenting A House United, which is now published in English, Spanish and Chinese. In 2010 she went on a speaking tour in Beijing, China, and she has spoken on the KJZZ morning show several times. Since then Nicholeen has published children's books, adult books, a DVD tutorial, and her most popular CD, “The Power of Calm.” In 2013 she went on another teaching tour through England and Scotland, and in 2014 she spoke at the United Nations in New York City. In February 2014 she was made president of the Worldwide Organization for Women. Due to the success of her website and teachings she was also nominated by the American Mothers organization for the Utah Young Mother of The Year award that same year. Nicholeen's most recent book, "Roles", was published in 2016. It's available in English and Japanese.
Homeschool
Nicholeen Peck has been very active in the homeschooling community. She has taught many drama classes, directing productions of The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, and The Wizard of Oz. She also teaches Knights of Freedom classes and other classes for youth. She continues to work within the homeschooling community and speaks at conventions.
Personal life
Nicholeen Peck is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is married to Spencer Peck and has had four children, Quinton Peck, Paije Peck, Londyn Peck and Porter Peck.
