Being mindful of the way you live every day is a much talked about concept today, and that is how it has seeped into conversations as well related to parenthood. Mindful parenting is quite a popular term that is being used very frequently, but not many parents are aware of how to really implement it the right way. Here are a few tips that will make your mindful parenting skills great.
1. Pause Before You Respond:
To respond mindfully, you need to calm your mind, which will not happen immediately. If you face a challenging situation and find it tough to maintain your calm, your immediate response to your child will not be the most mindful one, but it will be one that comes out in the heat of the moment. You need to first calm your nerve and think straight before interacting with your child. The best possible way to handle such a scenario is to give your child some time out in their room till you get a grip on your mind and then talk to them mindfully. This will ensure you do not make any parenting mistakes while you are angry. Instead, you choose the right parenting path to deal with the current scenario.
2. Listen to Your Child’s View Point as Well:
Once you learn to pause before you react, it becomes easier to hear the other side’s story. To make a mindful decision, you need to have all the information, which means talking to your child and hearing their point of view becomes essential as well. If you react without listening, your kid will not really understand your point as well and retaliate more. Your aim is to ensure that your kid finds you fair, which only happens when your child gets a fair chance to explain themselves.
3. Address Your Feelings:
Dealing with difficult kids can be frustrating. While all the time, you should be mindful when you deal with them and teach them right from wrong, you should not only worry about their feelings and well-being. You need to also address and show how you feel about the entire situation. Children’s make several mistakes in life, which is natural as they are learning. Parents make the classic mistake of blaming themselves for that and judging themselves to be terrible parents. A conflict with your kid can take a toll on your mental health as well. Hence be mindful to address how you feel as well.
4. Teach Your Kids to Be Mindful:
In the entire process of being a mindful parent, do not forget to be mindful about teaching your kids to become mindful about living their lives as well. From waking up to having their meals, going to school, evening plays, studies, money games, and going off to bed, they need to learn to be mindful during every step. It is great to introduce them to their concept early on in their lives, which will guarantee better success in their lives ahead.
The Bottom Line:
You cannot lead a mindful life if you do not practice mindful parenting and vice versa. While it may sound a little tricky to be mindful at every stage of life, with practice and really being aware of your thoughts, you can successfully live a mindful life, which also means success as a mindful parent.