Get The 411 On Parenting with Carol Muleta

BBC: We are pleased to be interviewing Thee Parenting 411 coach, Carol Muleta. Hey Carol, give our readers a little background on you. How did you get started and end up where you are today?

CM: As the mother of toddler twin sons, I felt overwhelmed and outmanned. I had two young children (and a husband) to care for. Toward the end of the boys’ first year, one son was diagnosed with developmental delays. We quickly had to identify resources to help him and learn how to guide him, ourselves, to overcome these challenges.

When the boys were about 2 ½ , God gave me a vision that I was to share all that I was learning about parenting and child development with other parents. He laid out an audacious plan for me. It was scary at first because motherhood was still pretty new to me. It took me awhile to line things up the way He instructed, but His plan evolved into The Parenting 411 and I feel grateful to be where I am now.

BBC: That is amazing, I do not have any kids yet but I am sure moms view you as Heaven sent! Carol, share with us about your business and the services you provide.

CM: The Parenting 411 is a platform I created to present relevant content, tools, and practical strategies for parents seeking solutions to manage challenging behavior, improve communications and strengthen family connections. I deliver information parents need from sources they can trust through workshops, webinars, parent talks, and The Parenting 411 Podcast. I am also the author of 5 best-selling books including a motherhood memoir, entitled Mother's Work: Pearls of Wisdom & Gems from My Journey and a parenting anthology, The Parenting Odyssey: Trials, Treasures, and Triumphs of Parenting in a Pandemic.

BBC: Congrats on your 5x best seller! That's Incredible! On your journey what would you say the best advice you ever received was?

CM: A business mentor of mine always says “You’ve got to stay in motion.” For most of my life, I had been fairly conservative and ‘rational’ about the opportunities I pursued, with a few exceptions. I would usually try to wait for all of the ‘stars to align’ before I made a move. However, I have found that I experience the best outcomes if I take action when conditions are ok, but not necessarily perfect. Tools, resources, and connections flow to you once people are alerted to your intentions. It makes sense. When we take action, people have something to respond to. We might not always win, but lessons and blessings always come when we stay in motion.

BBC: That is really good advice! Thank you for sharing that gem. Amongst the pandemic and changes from the pandemic how do you find inspiration?

CM: I find inspiration in watching people overcome obstacles, particularly children and young adults. I so admire the courage and strength and they bring to bear in tackling their challenges. I’ve seen it in my own home with my son. It all springs from the seed of faith. I believe that home should be a place where children can cultivate that unassailable belief in themselves. No matter the challenges parents and caregivers come to me with, I am always led to ensure that they have created an atmosphere where their children are nurtured to believe they have what it takes to reach their full potential.

BBC: A good home foundation and atmosphere is definitely key. What would you say has been your greatest success? What are you most proud of in your business?

CM: I am most proud of the fact that I am touching children’s lives with my work with parents. I am committed to giving parents tools so they can feel confident as parents, enjoy being parents, and be equipped to help their children reach their full potential. I have received notes from clients saying they feel more connected to their children, have more patience now because they better understand child development, and have seen their children grow more confident and capable because of the time they spend teaching them life skills. More than material things, this type of engagement with parents prepares children to succeed in the game of life. To play a role in a child having that kind of experience is an honor, and a measure of success, for me.

BBC: That is most definitely something to be proud of! As we close out Carol, share with our readers your personal motto for a little inspo.

CM: That would be “You can pay now or you can pay later, but you’ve gotta pay!” Whatever we want to be, do, or have in this life requires sacrifice, be it time, hard work, attention, or money. There are no shortcuts. I advised my children they could do it right the first time or come back and fix it. I like to pass this along to the parents I work with as well. We do our children no favors when we do things for them that they could do for themselves. This is also true if we shelter them from consequences or difficult lessons because it’s inconvenient or we want to save time in the short-term. If they wind up unprepared to manage their lives as adults, we’ll likely have to come to the rescue and it’s sure to cost a whole lot more at that point.