This is the final chapter of my blog series on mindfulness. I am wrapping it up with talking more specifically about mindful parenting and how it looks different from general mindfulness, and I really hope that you will find the content both educational, practical, and inspiring.
Benefits of mindful parenting for parents:
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More positive parenting behaviors and less negative parenting behaviors
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More attuned into how a child is feeling and thinking
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More aware of WHY a child is behaving a certain way (e.g., the child feels sad or unloved), rather than focusing on the behavior (e.g., the child is yelling or being defiant)
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Increases parent-child connectedness, even during difficult moments
Benefits of mindful parenting for children and teens:
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Less anxiety and depression
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Less aggression and defiance
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Fewer risky adolescent behaviors
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Better academic outcomes
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Better peer relationships
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Better coping skills
Who doesn’t want that for their kid? In a society where suicide is the second leading cause of death in teenagers and young adults. Dr. Justin Parent, who is a professor at Florida International University and studies the impact of mindful parenting on family interactions and children’s outcomes states, “When you have developed ingrained patterns of behavior with your family, they can be very hard to change”. Mindfulness can come in handy in changing these ingrained patterns. Dr. Parent says that there are three key factors to mindful parenting:
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Noticing your own feelings when you’re in conflict with your child,
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Learning to pause before responding in anger,
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Listening carefully to a child’s viewpoint even when disagreeing with it.
You will always be better situated to help a child learn what you want to teach them (so that they can grow and thrive) when you have a strong and healthy relationship with that child. Any tool that will help you foster that relationship is a gift, whether it is love and kindness, or mindful parenting. The best part is that these tools do not cost anything, unlike that iPad or video game device they are obsessed with (not to mention our own obsessions with our electronic devices which really interferes with being a mindful parent).
When taking care of children, we hope to be warm and kind while providing structure, organization, and proper firmness. But in the heat of the moment, we either give in or lose our temper. It’s hard not to lose control when our children push all of our buttons, while we are sleep deprived, and stressed from work, and behind on four loads of laundry. But if we strive to make small changes to become more mindful parents, the results that we are desperate for will follow.
For more resources on mindful parenting please checkout the following books:
Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting
The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children
Mindful Games: Sharing Mindfulness and Meditation with Children, Teens, and Families
