A Letter from Our Founder

Dear Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa,

If parenting and grandparenting feel heavier than you expected, you are not alone. God sees you in it. And on the hard days, know this, what you are doing matters more than you may realize.

You were uniquely made for this. Called to do mighty things. And you were never meant to do it alone.

Parenting and grandparenting are the most important calling and work we will ever do. It’s not a job, but it is work, hard work. Yet today, we face more distractions than any generation before us. Screens in every hand, in front of every face. They are tools we all use, but they can quietly pull us away from what our children need most, connection, attention, and presence.

There’s even a term for this now, parental technoference and parental phubbing, when our devices interrupt the moments of connection our children are seeking from us. What feels small in the moment can quietly shape how seen, heard, and valued they feel over time.

Children don’t just want to play. They want to play with us. They want to look us in the eyes, laugh with us, and have our full, undivided attention. Those silly, messy, hilarious moments, without a screen in our hands—are where it all happens.

There’s something called “serve and return.” When a child looks to us and we respond with eye contact and engagement, something remarkable happens. Back and forth, back and forth. This simple interaction builds focus, communication, and social skills from the very first months of life. Research shows just how critical it is, and how easily a screen in our hands can interrupt it.

That’s why The Perch Academy was born.

The Perch was created for parents and grandparents who want real, one-on-one time, but don’t always know how to create it. The most powerful moments happen when we are eye-to-eye with them, on the floor with them, in the game with them—not watching from the sidelines with a phone in hand, but fully in it together.

I challenge you: ask your children or grandchildren,
“What is your favorite memory of just the two of us?”

At The Perch, we teach families to move, play, and grow together. Through athletic time, creativity, and faith, we show you how, so you can take it home and make it part of your everyday life.

Because one day, those chubby little feet will grow. You’ll blink, and your toddler will be a teen, applying to college or driving across the country to start their next chapter. I know this firsthand. My two Gen Z children are now young adults. It happened in the blink of an eye.

Every parent hits bumps in the road, at 3 months, 5 years, and yes, even the teen years. Our family was no exception. I have been on my knees, praying to God for a miracle. What helped restore and strengthen our relationships was turning to Scripture, staying present, and choosing connection over and over again. Through prayer and intentional presence, real change happened. I couldn’t be more proud of who our children have become. God’s hand is in it. All praise to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

To the new parents, I had my two children at 36 and 39. At 56, I cheer you on like one of my own. The early years of intentional, one-on-one connection lay a foundation that holds through everything that comes next. Let’s build it together.

The Perch isn’t just a athletic play and creative arts studio. It’s a movement. We invite you to walk alongside us.

With love and prayers,
Michelle Dickerhoof
Founder, The Perch Academy

Everything we do at The Perch is for the glory of God.

Proverbs 22:6 — Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.