How many times have you heard your parents or relatives, looking at your child saying he or she looks like you. They may keep repeating it but what is needed here is a constant self-reminder that we are not raising a ‘mini-me’, but an individual human being, who may resemble with us a bit or may be possess a few habits & mannerisms but they are not us.
Children are not ours to possess or own in any way. When we know this in the depths of our soul, we tailor their raising to their needs rather than molding them to fit our needs.
On its own, mindfulness is a practice of living in the moment. It means being aware of where we are in the world, what we are thinking, and how we are feeling on the inside and out.
Mindfulness is also about looking at your surroundings with less judgment and more acceptance. The idea of bringing awareness to the present moment is the core of mindfulness, and it has been practiced and studied for centuries.
This is what Mindfulness brings to Parenting which is bringing awareness and responding thoughtfully to child behaviors or actions versus simply reacting.
Mindfulness also equips us you have more acceptance for our children and, in turn, for ourself. Nurturing our relationship with child in this way may help strengthen the bond and create a life long relationship. I am not saying that being a mindful parent always means thinking positively. Parenting is never going to be all sunshine and smiles and kids eating what you fixed for dinner without complaint.
Instead, it is about really engaging in the present moment and not letting emotions or trauma from the past or future color our experience or more importantly our reactions. We may still respond with anger or frustration, but it is from a more informed place rather than one that is purely automatic.
Remember that…..To let our children to grow, we need to slow down
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