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.
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.
Sign up for The Mindful Parent newsletter
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The Daily Sip: Your Child Knows You
Much of our behavior is driven by our perceptions
of ourselves. We believe we are a certain way, or that others
believe us to be a certain way, and if we find those perceptions satisfying,
we act so as to maintain them. But, because we are in charge
of these perceptions, they may be erroneous.
To be
present in the moment is to see with clarity, and to know
with clarity. It is to soak in the stillness and embrace the
cosmos. As we come to know ourselves with greater clarity
and honesty, our relationship with our child reaches even greater
heights.
Through the practice of mindful parenting, our child
can help us to see ourselves more clearly. Today, if you
have the opportunity to interact with your child, open awareness
to your true self. You may be in the middle of a game, or a
conversation, or reading a book or reviewing homework. Whatever you
may be doing, take a moment and see yourself from the
perspective of your child.
I am who I think I am
But my child
Knows
me
Like
a flower knows the rain
As you recite the verse, breathe deeply
and relax your shoulders. Soften your belly. As you open
awareness to your child's perceptions, don't judge yourself.
Just absorb the feeling. Smile at whatever insight might
emerge.
