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.
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here to learn what recent events are taking place
and of changes to The Mindful Parent website. Please
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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.
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Today's Sip: Open
to Your Child's Evolving Independence
The story is
a familiar one. The child grows up and leaves home. The
intimate bonds between parent and child become a source of friction
as the child reacts against them, looking for independence, while
the parent resists letting go. Deep down both parent and child
have mixed feelings. In some cases, the relationship breaks
down entirely. In others it sours. Then, with the bonds
severed, the relationship remerges strong and healthy; parent
and child become two autonomous beings.
The forever evolving
parent-child relationship continues to tug and pull in the seemingly
opposing directions of intimacy and independence. The practice
of mindful parenting opens awareness so that intimacy and independence
naturally evolve in a manner that allows them to comfortably coexist.
But
the process of "separation" is not one that happens all of a
sudden. It progresses slowly, with every passing day of
your child's life. It merely ripens during adolescence and early
adulthood. By opening awareness to the subtle shifts that continually
take place, you can more easily absorb the separation. As a
result, intimate bonds of deep connection are not compromised.
Today,
see whether you can identify some of your child’s behavior
as part of a search for independence. Looking deeply into your
child's actions, you can better understand your child and respond
with greater awareness of what is actually motivating him or her.
Breathe
deeply as you absorb the beauty of your child's self-expression, embracing its
eventual consequence with an open heart.
