“Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful & magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become – Brooke Hampton.”
In times of a pandemic our lives are surely different. Life is fast & slow at the same time. We are wearing so many hats , working or non working parents. We get extra 4-8 hours with our kids , which was the day care or school time before. Many additional activities they were part of are on halt or online . We are in constant guilt of not meeting the expectation of discipline & learning experiences not being provided to them
Also the cleaning , cooking , random chores comes in package with everything you are trying to accomplish in a day.
I believe practice of mindfulness is absolute antidote for the stress the complexity of life brings in current times.
So how do we start on this journey of Mindful Parenting.
Let me tell you its not easy to break old habits or behavior , so lets have one bite at a time attitude.
Here are some simple changes I have made and still working on , start with one or two and add more as you go. Its a behavior change , it will take time so be patient with yourself.
1- Get aware of your trigger– lack of sleep, hunger, work stress, being tired. Once you know what brings you to edge, you can step back with conscious breathing. Also make sure you prioritize your wellness & self care.
2- Have Patience, Show Patience– Listen and help the kids through their distress , do not add to the chaos. Sometimes fake it till you make it. just think about it , if you cant do it , how will you teach them?
3- Communication– Misbehavior is your kids way of communicating an unmet need or lack of control on situation. Talk with age appropriate reasoning. Trust me kids love to talk , the more the better .
4- Pause & Reflect– little time of reflection on your words & behavior will do tremendous in stressful encounters with kids. Try to control your reaction at the moment and see the bigger picture and consequence of your reactions.
5- Technology Detox- Start with small and then build up. have a Unplugging routine for family and try to stick to it. That could be your family activities time, outdoor time or just catch up time. Digital detox will do more for you than your family. Fix a time and commit to it.
Top of it all be less judgmental to yourself. we all are work in progress and we do it as we live our lives.
Please feel free to share your experiences or changes your made to be a better parent this year.
Shivi
