4 Mindful Parenting Practices That Will Improve Your Relationship With Your Children
Our relationship with our children is unique. There are no two ways about it, they are our kids and we love them unconditionally. This viewpoint helps us to be more compassionate towards their needs and delights. There are ways to show them love, through actions rather than words.
One of the most beneficial things you can do for your children is to be mindful during the time you spend with them.
Mindful parenting practices will reduce stress and help you understand your children’s needs better. This technique could be used when dealing with tantrums and other behavior outbursts.
Mindful parenting could also help you deal with difficult situations like moving or changing schools, which are stressful times for both parents and kids.
In simple words, mindfulness means being present in the moment and being aware of what is going on around you. It is a simple practice that we all can benefit from, but sometimes it's hard to find the time to practice it.
Consider the following parenting practices as you plan your lifestyle. They can help you improve your relationship with your children.
Beware of Your Own Emotions
When you are arguing with your child, be aware of your own emotions.
Consider your most recent disagreement or argument with your child. Notice your emotions? Are you upset, humiliated, or ashamed? Think of your emotion or trigger as a wave that comes and goes. Don't try to suppress or halt the emotion. Try not to hold the feeling inside. Don't expand it further than it is already. You don't have to act on your emotions since you are not your emotions.
Simply be there and be fully aware of it. Remember that there is no need to blame yourself or your child for what has happened.
Practice Pausing Before Responding in Anger
Slowing down is sometimes absolutely necessary for mindfulness. Rather than feeding your anger by concentrating on the trigger, practice pausing. Remind yourself to breathe and focus on the present moment. From there, you can decide how to react and avoid acting out of control.
Being aware is focusing on the present moment rather than constantly moving on to the next thing. By not yelling, you prevent yourself from letting your emotions take control of your behavior.
Non-Judgmental Attitude
Mindful Parenting can be described as the process of adopting a non-judgmental attitude while interacting with your children.
This means not only listening to them, which allows them to express their feelings, frustrations, and disappointments, but also being aware of the impact you may have on them by your own behavior and decisions.
Pay Close Attention to Your Child's Perspective
Children will act like children! Therefore, they won't always be able to control their emotions. It becomes a problem when adults begin to behave like kids as well.
Parent could practice staying calm and model emotional regulation to teach their children how to regulate their own emotions.
This means paying full attention to what your child is saying and feeling. Try to understand them and figure out whether what your child is feeling, irrespective of whether the feeling is right or wrong. It can take a lot of patience and practice to accomplish this.
In reality, being mindful of your parenting can be a little challenging. But if you keep a positive mindset and take it one day at a time, you will likely find more joy in parenting than you ever thought possible. It may sound like an exaggeration, but we believe that the benefits alone make it worth considering.