Mindful Parenting is a contemplative practice through which we become more mindful of our children and, in doing so, experience a more joyful life.
The Mindful Parent is an organization
devoted to sharing with parents and other child caregivers ways in
which to enhance the many joys of parenting. By mindfully attending
to our children, both when we are physically present with them and
when we are physically separated from them, we can enhance our sense
of connection to them and, in turn, our connection to the cosmos.
This makes us a better parent, a happier person, and a more vital
human being.
To facilitate a more mindful approach to parenting,
The Mindful Parent publishes on its website, and in its bi-weekly
newsletter,
mindful parenting
verses and commentaries. The Mindful
Parent website also serves as a community forum that encourages and
supports a mindful parenting dialogue and the sharing of mindful parenting
experiences.
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The Daily Sip:
Shine
the Light of Compassion on Yourself
As If You Were Shining It On Your Child
When
things don't work out as expected, we can become disappointed, and,
from time to time, take it hard. Generally, the discomfort associated
with unwanted events is tied to our resisting "what is." It
is one thing to prefer something to have turned out differently and
take steps to make the most of it. It is another to become stuck
because of difficulty accepting what happened.
When our child
doesn't get what he or she wants, we can sometimes witness emerging
in them sadness, frustration, and even despair. From our loving
and more mature perspective, we try to assuage their concerns.
"It's okay if you get a minus for not having completed all of your
homework. The important thing is to learn the material and to
be prepared next time." It is sometimes little consolation
to them, but important that they see that we do not share their concern
that "it is the end of the world." Through deep listening and
compassion, we can ease our child's discomfort and prepare them for
dealing with similar situations in the future.
Just as our child's
uncomfortable emotional state may not dissipate the moment we
offer perspective and comfort, so too our emotions do not change on
a dime when we try to comfort ourselves when something doesn't go
quite right. But we might generate more compassion for ourselves
were we to approach the difficulty as if it were our child's.
The
next time something doesn't turn out quite right, imagine
the situation befell your child and talk to them about it. Listen
to yourself explaining "your mature response" to you problem.
By doing so, beautiful and loving compassion for ourselves can surface
that might otherwise have remained dormant.
