Vocation built on rollercoaster of parenthood
Becoming a parent educator for Parents as First Teachers in 2011 led Caitlin Hocken down a path that has allowed her deep love and an affinity for young children to become a vocation she is passionate about: partnering with parents to create the best possible relationship with their children.
As a qualified early childhood teacher, she says she came to believe that the most effective way to enable children to thrive is by supporting their parents and caregivers to foster a secure, healthy relationship with them.
Through her work with Parents as First Teachers, Caitlin had access to several professional development opportunities with The Brainwave Trust, the late Pennie Brownlee, and The Ministry of Social Development.
However, her most intensive, difficult, and profound training began when she became a parent in 2013.
“I very much struggled as a parent, which came as a bit of a surprise to me with my background,” she says.
“When I discovered the Jai Institute for Parenting in 2019 and went through their parent coach training, all the pieces of the puzzle as to why I had found becoming a parent so hard, fell into place.
“I really felt I had found my calling and set up my business, Childwise in 2020, completing my Master Coach training in 2022.”
Caitlin believes a rare child-free girls’ weekend with one of her best friends was the pivotal moment that set her on the path to establishing her own business.
“I had some free time to think about what was next career-wise for me, so I started googling study options,” she says.
“I came across the Jai Institute for Parenting, and their parent coach certification seemed like the perfect fit for me. I contacted a wonderful New Zealand parent coach, Kylie Johnstone, who had trained with them, and she encouraged me to go for it. The rest is history.”
Today, Caitlin is proud that she has the courage of her convictions to do things that have been hard and scary like public speaking, learning to run a business with no idea how, and telling people she was a parent coach, even though it was often followed by awkward silence.
“When I started, I was terrified of putting myself ‘out there’ as I was sure everyone would think that I thought I was a perfect parent or that my children should be perfect, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I know that by being brave, a few children might be able to grow up in homes that feel happier and have relationships with their parents that are more secure than they otherwise would have been, and that’s more than enough for me.”
For Caitlin, International Women’s Day is a chance to celebrate the recalibration of the feminine and masculine dynamics that have been out of whack for way too long.
“I think we’re moving closer to a much better balance and towards honouring the equal and vital importance of the feminine and the masculine in every aspect of society.”