A mother of two; a marriage of 22 years ending in divorce; a new marriage; years of struggling raising two children in this technological age…
Hi, my name is Sue DeCaro.
While these descriptors have defined my past, today they are just a part of my journey.
Today, I define myself as a conscious parent, parent coach, educator and conscious living ambassador. Now, you may be asking yourself what do those titles mean, and how did I get there?
As parents, we face great obstacles. From advancing technology, social and academic pressures, drugs and alcohol, and more, the obstacles are endless.
Throughout the years, I was faced with many challenges as a parent. I had two children, both whom were completely different and required different parenting styles.
I had a hard time (as many parents do) knowing what was the “right” thing to do in each situation. The ambiguity was stressful. As the years went on, the struggles grew. What I wanted for my family and what I was doing to get us there was definitely not working. As my oldest daughter hit her teens, I was underwater, constantly trying to swim against a very strong current and getting nowhere. Going from one therapist to another, I kept searching for the answers and a different way to parent, but not finding any solutions.
Having exhausted many home options, I enrolled my oldest daughter in a therapeutic boarding school to help her learn skills and coping strategies to manage life’s challenges. While she was there, I attended parenting weekends. During one of the meetings, I heard about parent coaching and something clicked inside of me.
As time went on, I learned more and more about parenting and myself. I began to focus on who I was and what I was bringing to my daily parenting practices as opposed to how my children were behaving. I was slowly learning that parenting was about me – my behavior, my reaction and non-reactions, not my children. Then I learned about The Parent Coaching Institute. This was my opportunity to go back to school to earn a Masters Level Certification in Parent Coaching through the PCI and Seattle University, an intensive year long learning process.
The schooling offered me a greater chance to look within. I was able to focus on myself, my own triggers, and the unresolved issues from my childhood. These patterns were unconsciously being repeated and not benefiting my children. I began to change these patterns, communicate in a more thoughtful way, remove judgment from my behavior, accept my children for who they are, not who I wanted them to be.