A holistically developed child is one who has the constant attention of his or her parents. Therefore, being a mindful parent is essential. It involves cultivating openness, wisdom, and attentiveness. Your child won’t be well-rounded unless you practice it well. We explain mindful parenting, and how practicing it will help your young one thrive.
What Is Mindful Parenting?
All parents wish for their children to be healthy, happy, and succeed in life. Achieving these goals, however, is a humongous task. You may wonder how to help your child attain these qualities. Parents typically respond to a child’s behaviors and judge them as positive or negative.
Experts disagree; they share that displaying such emotions isn’t beneficial to a child. A mindful approach to parenting is a viable alternative. It entails a more positive approach, one which encourages a child to weigh his actions against his or her responses and decide if they are appropriate. In short, it prompts a child to take responsibility for his or her behavior.
With all this in mind, these are the five tenets of mindful parenting.
1. Make time for self-awareness
First of all, being a mindful parent means being fully present for a child. You need to be self-aware to achieve this. Therefore, practicing daily mindfulness is vital. Find a calm, quiet place in your home and sit still for about half an hour. When your mind wanders, let go of your thoughts and slowly regain awareness of your body.
Being present entails retaining this awareness. Calming yourself helps you be present in the moment.
2. Manage your stress
Also, being a parent means being in the middle of stressful situations and routines. It’s possible to track your stress as your mindfulness increases. You can release your pressure and become more mindful by using the STOP acronym.
- S- Stop yourself when you feel stressed.
- T – Take a deep breath: Bring your awareness back to your body. Doing this harmonizes the cardiovascular systems in your body and calms the parts of the brain that send out alarm signals. Consequently, it restores full brain function.
- O – Observe: Take some time to notice how your body systems begin to balance. Notice what is happening in the present moment.
- P – Proceed: Now you are ready to take actions that are appropriate to the situation.
The Benefits of Mindful Parenting
This approach to parenting has benefits for adults and kids. It will undoubtedly help you become the parent your kids will adore. But how?
1. Avoid impulsive tantrums
First of all, practicing mindful parenting enables you to control the frustration that you feel when your kids run wild. You can evaluate your thoughts and prevent yourself from lashing out in anger. You will be able to detach yourself from situations and find the best way to address your child’s misbehavior.
2. Establishing A Connection
Also, children tend to act up when they feel ignored. They want to cooperate with you, but must first connect with you. They misbehave in attempts to gain your attention. Mindfulness is a way to establish this connection.
As a mindful parent, you should give your children your full attention. By doing so for 10 to 15 minutes a day, you tell them that they matter to you. Complete focus reassures them and improves family relationships.
3. Leading By Example
Finally, parents have the responsibility of raising well-adjusted children. They must teach their kids independence and focus. By paying attention to your thoughts and actions, you tell your child that focus is essential for success.
4. Reduces Anxiety
Hassled parents are always worried about their children. They think about why their children’s teachers wish to see them, or about the flu they have. Parenting involves circumstances ripe for anxiety.
A study on anxiety disorder by the Massachusetts General Hospital involved 93 individuals with the condition. Those who went through a mindfulness program displayed a decrease in anxiety.
5. Reduces Bias
Biases, particularly those related to siblings, can destroy relationships. Central Michigan University studied people who listened to mindfulness audio.
It uncovered that practicing mindfulness could reduce generation and race bias. Therefore, your relationship can become more manageable if you are a mindful parent.
6. Depression
Does your child keep to himself or herself? He or she may have depression. Mindful parenting may resolve some of his or her problems. Being a parent who’s aware helps reduce your child’s negative thoughts. It will also arrest those you may have about your child.
7. Increases self- worth
Does your child always compare himself or herself to the other children in the class? Mindful parenting will enable you to teach him or her healthy self-compassion. He or she will learn the importance of self-love.
According to a study by Ellen R Albertson, women who underwent mindful therapy experienced a decrease in body dissatisfactionand a corresponding increase in self-compassion. It is a healthy way to relate to yourself.
How to Be a Mindful Parent?
Practicing mindfulness is already a challenge, and being a mindful parent is even more so. How should you practice mindful parenting successfully?
Tip 1: Find time for your child
First of all, spend at least 15 minutes a day with your young one if you are busy. Being seen is essential because it tells your children that you value them.
The many ways to practice mindfulness with your children include:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Breathing exercises
- Chanting
- And storytelling.
Tip 2: Reduce Stress
Mindfulness will help you manage the stress that you and your children feel. It will help you to evaluate situations and make appropriate decisions before they go out of control.
Tip 3: Fair Evaluation
All parents want the best for their children and sometimes set unreasonable expectations of them. Some may expect their children to achieve Straight A’s in mathematics. Realistically, this isn’t always possible, regardless of a child’s intelligence. Such demands damage the parent-child bond.
Find ways to help your children instead. If they have language difficulties or issues with Algebra, introduce them to a tutor. A mindful approach to parenting is about finding constructive ways to solve problems.
Tip 4: Accept Your Child
Mindfulness means accepting your children as they are. Remember that they are navigating their worlds with limited knowledge. Therefore, they will make mistakes that may seem silly to you. Kids should understand that errors are forgivable. However, they should learn from their mistakes and not repeat them.
Help them become enthusiastic about their futures. Helping a child develop his or her interests is never easy. Remember that your passions may not align with theirs. By forcing yours upon them, you become stifling despite having the best intentions.
Tip 5: Accept Yourself As Such: Nobody Is Ideal
Finally, remember that you cannot be the perfect parent. Practice self-compassion and teach this to your children. They learn as you do; human beings are imperfect, and Imperfection will unite you.
In all, mindfulness is essential. Giving your children the benefit of mindful parenting will improve your children’s overall well-being. It will also enhance communication and self-compassion.
