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 Daily Sip:
Feeling Tugged:
Respond From A State of Awareness
The weekend
marks an occasion when many of us are able to spend more time with
our children. It also is a time when we are able to catch-up
on a variety of other matters that have been piling up. How
often do we feel a tug between these two (or more) often competing
interests?
Mindful parenting does not presuppose an answer to
how we spend our time when confronted with such decisions..
But when we are mindful about our parenting, the decisions we
make feel good and often lead to positive outcomes.
Today, if
you find yourself feeling stressed or angered or frustrated
or guilty or sad -- at a time when your child is engaging
you -- let this feeling cue a mindful parenting state and . .
.
--Breathe deeply and slowly into the belly.
-- Soften your gaze
and observe where in your body you are tense.
--
Relax your body.
-- Slow down the thoughts racing through your mind.
Then,
listen deeply to what your child is saying without intending to react
or answer immediately. As thoughts enter your mind, push
them aside or let them float away. Just listen.
When
your child is finished, smile and draw your child in
for a hug. Still, try not to formulate thoughts. Just
soak in your child and this moment.
Then, without trying
to do so, respond (if a response is called for) from deep within
you. A wonderful and fulfilling answer resides there waiting
for you.
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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.
In
the spirit of developing a mindful parenting community, we encourage
you to
submit a mindful parenting experience through verse,
commentary, and imagery to share with others. We believe that
through our collective experience, we can help each other develop
a deeper and more meaningful mindful parenting practice.
Click here to learn more about making a submssion. We thank
everyone who has contributed or is considering making this very compassionate
contribution.
Click
here to learn what recent events are taking place
and of changes to The Mindful Parent website. Please
contact
us with your questions about mindful parenting or to share a mindful
parenting experience. We are devoted to working with you to
enhance your ability to "be" with your children, and to experience
the bliss that awaits you.
