How Nora Nahhas Built ‘Stars by Nora’ to Help Parents and Educators Guide Children Through an Increasingly Complex World

My first extended chat with Nora Nahhas happens on the morning of Entrepreneur Middle East’s Tech Innovation Forum this year in Dubai. Later the same day I join Nahhas just as she strikes a conversation with Joelle Mardinian, founder of beauty and wellness brand Joelle Group, and one of the speakers at the Forum. As the conversation between them organically meanders into the topics of motherhood, the perils of teenage years and the challenges of raising children in that age bracket, I get to quietly observe not just both women’s shared joy of being mothers but also why Nahhas loves working as a behavioral and educational consultant for children and families. For one, her laments on modern-day parenting challenges come from a place of compassion and not harsh judgment.

“As I raised my daughter, Anna, I observed her friends and how they interacted with one another and with their parents,” Nahhas shares, a few days later, during this interview. “I was often dissatisfied with their behavior, the parenting styles I witnessed, and even the level of respect shown within families. For instance, a simple yet significant detail was that my daughter called me “Mama,” whereas her friends addressed their mothers by their first names—a practice I considered pedagogically incorrect. This sparked an idea: I wanted to do something to help mothers raise their children and alleviate some of the pressure they face. I thus set out to find a way to study the Montessori method—widely regarded as the finest approach to child-rearing.”

What followed was a year and a half long journey which finally resulted in Nahhas pursuing a Montessori diploma in Jordan through the American University before becoming an internationally accredited trainer through the American Montessori Center. This, however, wasn’t her first certification in the field of education. Originally having completed a degree in Architecture and worked as a freelance architect for a few years, Nahhas had pursued a second university degree -a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Damascus University- at the behest of her late mother. With the additional Montessori qualifications under her belt, and a zest to put her passion to good use, Nahhas had but one final decision: to find a suitable platform to showcase her expertise. “It was my husband who suggested, and supported, the idea that I become a content creator, producing educational and parenting-focused material for mothers and teachers,” she shares. “That was how the concept of “Stars by Nora” was born. My goal was to offer behavioral and parenting advice and consultations, as well as to guide teachers on the effective use of Montessori materials. I launched an Instagram page—choosing the platform because of its widespread use—with the aim of providing valuable, educational content rather than mere entertainment.”

Among the many aspects of modern-day parenting Nahhas addresses on the platform, the one she advocates quite strongly for is positive and gentle parenting. “There is no such thing as “behavior modification”—a term I consider offensive to the child. Every child possesses a unique personality and mindset; we must guide their behavior in a way that aligns with their specific abilities and skills, rather than basing it on external expectations,” she says. “For instance, we should avoid comparing the child to others or reprimanding them in front of anyone other than their parents. It is also wrong to demand anything that exceeds their physical or mental capabilities, and it is damaging to fail to appreciate even the smallest things they do.”

Deploying such strict methods is something educational institutions too must avoid, Nahhas adds. “Sometimes teachers reject a child’s method of solving a math equation simply because it differs from their own, even though the answer is correct,” she explains by means of an example. “This is a mistake; the child has solved the problem using their own unique thought process—a sign of intelligence, given that they arrived at the right result in a novel way. Scolding is also among the most harmful actions parents and teachers can take—especially when done in front of peers. This undermines the child’s confidence, makes them shy, leaves them vulnerable to bullying, and can lead them to view themselves as failures.”

Nahhas’ insights are backed by hard data – and the numbers suggest that adopting gentle, positive parenting practices benefits not just the children but the parents themselves. Gitnux’s 2026 Gentle Parenting Statistics report shows that while 68% of gentle parenting children exhibit lower cortisol levels (indicating reduced stress), the method also lowers parental burnout by 39%. Among the many studies examining this topic, research has also found that 65% of children whose parents practice active listening demonstrate higher self-esteem by age 10, while children raised with positive reinforcement show 20% better academic performance by the third grade. 

“Trust between the child and their parents is the foundation of this developmental stage; earning that trust through dialogue and constructive discussion is essential, whereas a lack of trust leaves the child feeling lost,” Nahhas says. “In such cases, children may turn to bad company or the internet to find a sense of comfort and validation—seeking to feel successful and valued rather than marginalized by parents and teachers. These elements are all interconnected; earning a child’s trust and affection, and providing a sense of security, form the basis of the relationship between parents, children, and teachers. Through this bond, we protect the child from external influences that are unsuitable for their developmental needs.”

But beyond parenting techniques lies another, more elusive challenge for parents nowadays: the many digital outlets children are exposed to. “Excessive screen time hinders a child’s intelligence; the World Health Organization advises against any screen exposure for children under the age of three—a guideline that is frequently ignored, particularly in our Arab societies,” Nahhas says. “Curbing this habit can be exhausting for parents, as children often become obsessively attached to their devices.”

Addressing this issue has therefore become a major part of Nahhas’ work through Stars by Nora. “I always strive to help mothers limit this excessive usage through tailored plans suited to each child’s specific situation. Generally, however, a gradual approach is best: reducing daily screen time by half-hour increments (though this reduction might be paused if the child is stubborn or uncooperative). We can replace screen time with activities like household chores, reading, or simply sleeping, while also increasing the quality of interactive time parents spend with their children—such as discussing the day’s events and work pressures, or asking for the child’s opinion on how parents might handle certain situations. We can also encourage children to use the internet to explore useful topics together and gather valuable information. Treating the child and their opinions as important helps us overcome the challenges associated with technology and the internet.”

Here, Nahhas shares that all of these practices have been an integral part of her own motherhood journey so far. “I employed positive parenting methods while raising my daughter and strove to understand her personality and way of thinking,” she says. “I did not treat her merely as someone expected to obey my orders and instructions; instead, I recognized her individuality and encouraged her to express her opinions—albeit within the bounds of politeness and appropriate limits. We maintained household rules that were not to be violated, though we remained open to discussing them whenever necessary.”

It is precisely Nahhas’ ability to be transparent about her own parenting techniques that has helped her amass an attentive and loyal online Stars by Nora community. “Credibility is the most crucial element in building a successful business. As the mother of a teenage girl, I face numerous daily challenges; I sometimes share these with my followers to illustrate the realities of raising children,” she says. “While information is now readily available to everyone, the questions remain: Is it accurate? Does it truly serve the best interests of the child and the family? This is where my strength lies—in the cases I have handled with families and children, which have yielded outstanding results. Word spread among parents about my approach and the privacy I ensure for every child, as well as the excellent outcomes we achieved together. My work with children is deeply rooted in emotion and nobility; I do not view it merely as a job. Instead, I regard every mother as a sister and every child as my own—someone I am duty-bound to protect and guide toward a bright future.”

That sentiment has inevitably built the vision Nahhas has for her brand. “Every child is a unique star in their own space, and every child has a wonderful personality. From here, I am working on building my brand as a shining name in the field of raising every child, so that I can help as many parents and teachers as possible in the way of raising the child and maintaining the internal balance of every educator, given the pressures involved. I aspire to turn Stars by Nora into a guaranteed reference for every mother, father, and teacher, and to establish specialized educational centers in the Montessori curriculum in the Middle East, whether through electronic platforms or educational centers.”

Before the interview ends, I ask Nahhas if her work in architecture all those years has had any bearing on her entrepreneurial journey in education at all. “Through my studies in architecture, I learned discipline. I learned how to focus on the foundations of a structure to create a complete, towering edifice built to endure for centuries. I learned that a building’s exterior must harmonize with its interior. This applies equally to children: as parents, we must shape our children’s characters and attend to their upbringing just as architects attend to every detail of a building, inside and out.” 

But while architecture may have influenced the structural decisions of her business along the way, it was inadvertently the decision of Nahhas’ late mother to move into the education industry that laid the foundation for Stars by Nora – a moment in her life that she looks back on fondly.  “All the success I’ve gained so far, I dedicate to the soul of my mother whom I lost a few years back at an early age,” she says. “And that is why, perhaps, in my view, success and influence are inextricably linked. As a mother myself now, when my daughter sees me working to secure a good life, caring for her, offering detailed guidance while respecting her freedom of choice—all within a framework of mutual trust—she grows into a mature individual capable of building a brilliant future.”

“Raising a child—instilling values and principles—is a way of building an independent, conscious individual. I am deeply dedicated to every child I work with; I treat each child as if they were my own, much like how I view a building I design as my own creation before it belongs to the client.”

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