In college, I studied early childhood development and elementary education. I went on to earn both an elementary and special education teaching credentials. Teaching at-risk special needs students at a continuation high school, I saw just about EVERY behavior imaginable. I quickly became an ‘expert’ on behavior modification and would readily advise teachers and parents on how to ‘make their kiddos~students behave’. I thought knew EVERYTHING about kiddos.

And then, I became a parent and realized I knew NOTHING about how to be a parent to my kiddos. I swore up and down that I would NEVER be like my parents, no way! I consciously decided to parent in a way that was completely the opposite of how I was raised. I thought that I could turn my kiddos into happy adults by simply meeting all of their needs before they even knew what those needs were. I had a tall stack of parenting books on my bedside table that I referred to as my ‘parenting bibles’, and whenever my kiddos acted out I would rush into my bedroom and find the parenting ‘answers’ and try out the suggested solutions on my kiddos. I righteously declared to other parents that I was parenting my kiddos by my motto of ‘keeping them unscrewed’ and not dumping my stuff onto them (yeah, right?!).

I diligently vowed, ‘I’m not going to be a raging parent like my mom’ and ‘I’m not going to avoid conflict at all costs like my dad’. In truth, I was repressing and putting a lid on BIG feelings- like joy, sadness, rage, disappointment, fear- inside of me and my kiddos. Whenever my kiddos had tantrums and lashed out expressing their BIG feelings that I had so carefully repressed, I became very angry, uncomfortable and threatened.

Years later, long after my kiddos had left home, I stumbled upon the idea of wanting to re-parent myself, of wanting to be a healthy parent to myself. I mean, let’s face it, I could keep blaming my parents for not being ‘good’ parents for the rest of my life- or face the reality that they did the best that they could with the resources they had. It was time for me to be an adult and parent myself the way I needed to be parented. Wowzah!

So, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty questions:

Are you ready and willing to get your life jacket on and navigate down the river of parenting, of yourself and your kiddos?

Are you ready to paddle through the rapids – the twists and turns of ALL of your feelings- and enter into the eddy of calm where you are held, honored, and loved just as you are?

Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime that is YOU?

If you’re ready for the YES... book your free consultation today!