7 Benefits Of Mindful Parenting And How To Do It

• What is mindful parenting
• Mindfulness and Meditation
• Benefits
• How To Learn

• Mindful parenting can reduce stress and improve parent-child relationships.
• Mindful parents are present, intentional, and non-judgmental with their children.
• Meditating and focusing on the parenting journey enhances mindfulness.

What Is Mindful Parenting

Mindful parenting is to apply mindfulness to parenting by paying attention to the child and parenting intentionally, presently, and non-judgmentally^​1​.

Mindfulness is about focusing on the here and now, in the present moment, and not letting your mind wander off into the past or future.

For example, a parent may come home tired and exhausted after work. As soon as her child throws a tantrum, she yells at him for being spoiled and giving her a hard time. A mindful parent will recognize that her negative emotions are exacerbated by her fatigue and that her child needs help regulating his emotions.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Being mindful is a skill that can be developed through practice. 

Meditation is one of the most common ways to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness can also be achieved by focusing on a craft project, painting, playing a musical instrument, etc., or anything you can focus on without letting your mind wander.

The more one practices, the better one becomes at being mindful.

Meditation has been around for thousands of years, originating from the Buddhist tradition. Its current use in the Western world is not tied to any particular religion.

As mindfulness and meditation are closely related, people sometimes use them interchangeably.

Benefits

Meditation and mindfulness have become popular in recent years. The surge in popularity can be attributed partly to the growing body of scientific research supporting the benefits of meditation.

Through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scientists have discovered that practicing meditation can alter brain structure. This alteration is associated with many mental health benefits^​2​ , such as a significant reduction in stress.

Because of the positive effects of mindfulness, meditation is increasingly used in mental health settings^​3​.

For parents, being mindful means being present with their children and giving them full attention without worrying about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow.

Meditation takes time, and parents in today’s busy families don’t have much of it, to begin with.

But the good news is that this parenting style makes a parent’s job easier.

Stress Reduction

Mindfulness practices can reduce a parent’s stress levels.

When confronted with difficult situations, a mindful parent can step back and observe them objectively without being overtaken by intense emotions.

Challenging situations can trigger fight-flight-freeze immediate reactions and increase stress levels in parents under normal circumstances. 

But mindful parents can make a conscious choice, take a step back, and approach problems with a calm and clear mind^​4​.

Fewer Behavior Problems

Stress affects parenting skills dramatically.

In stressful situations (such as when a child throws a tantrum at the grocery store), parents may fall back into survival mode. They become more rejecting, controlling, reactive, and less warm, further worsening the child’s behavioral problems^​5​.

Research shows a significant decrease in aggression in a child’s behaviors when parents’ stress levels are reduced^​6​.

More Positive Behavior

When parents are mindful, they can empathize and become attuned to their child’s feelings. Attunement and nonjudgmental acceptance allow parents to connect with their children emotionally and help them feel understood^​7​.

When children misbehave, pausing and reflecting on the current situation allows mindful parents to respond according to their parenting values instead of creating an automatic reaction based on punishment or dismissal^​8​.

Children raised in such nurturing environments tend to show fewer behavioral issues and more prosocial behaviors.

Better Emotional Regulation in Parent and Child

Meditation is good for parents’ emotional self-regulation^​9​.

When parents take distance from their negative thoughts, they interrupt the cycle of negative, repetitive preoccupations before they escalate into full-blown conflicts or depressive episodes.

A parent’s ability to regulate their own emotions plays a significant role in their children’s ability to regulate theirs. Being a good role model in self-regulation sets a good example for their young children.

Higher Parenting Satisfaction

A mindful approach to parenting helps parents raise their moment-to-moment awareness. 

Being more aware of your child’s and your own feelings allows you to recognize how their behavior can affect your feelings and disengage negativity faster^​10​.

As a result, there tends to be less automatic behavior, such as yelling, and more listening.

Overall, the results are a more positive home environment, a better quality of parent-child relationships, and a higher level of parenting satisfaction.

Stop The Cycle Of Intergenerational Transmission of Mental Disorders

The application of mindfulness training in treating and preventing mental disorders has been on the rise^​11​.

By practicing mindfulness, parents with mental illnesses can lower their stress and prevent intergenerational transmission.

Enhance Relationships

Mindfulness can help couples and families improve communication, emotional regulation, and relationship well-being.

In addition to improving the parent-child relationship, it can also improve the romantic relationship between partners^​12​.

How To Learn

You can take a mindful parenting course to learn how to meditate^​13​. But parents can learn mindfulness without signing up for such a program.

Mindful parenting practices can happen at any time and place.

Here are some mindful parenting tips.

Meditate daily

Set aside time to meditate in your daily routine.

Taking good care of yourself is the foundation for stress-free parenting.

Meditation is not just a parenting tool. It can affect all aspects of parenting and the quality of life. It helps parents learn to care for themselves and bring calm into their family. 

Practicing mindfulness is not about getting somewhere, fixing something, or creating some outcomes. It is a state of mind when you are present without other thoughts.

Meditation beginners usually begin with breathing meditation. In this meditation, you focus on breathing and hold your attention there. If other thoughts arise, acknowledge them, set them aside, and then redirect your attention to taking a deep breath.

Other widely practiced types of meditation include loving-kindness meditation and observing-thoughts meditation^​14​.

Teach Kids Meditation

Engage your child in mindful parenting activities and teach them how to meditate.

Children can learn to strengthen their attention and reduce anxiety through mindfulness^​15​. Some studies also report improved self-confidence, positive emotions, and family relationships^​16​.

Be Mindful of Your Parenting Goals

In dealing with parenting challenges, keep your parenting goals in mind. 

For example, if not yelling and improving the parent-child relationship is your goal, your parenting efforts should reflect that. Punishment and threats will not help you achieve this. Consider other parenting styles, such as positive parenting and inductive parenting, that can help you accomplish what you want.

Notice the small moments

Small moments in life are what make parents so worth it.

Slow It Down

Take a step back in a tough parenting situation and notice how it affects your emotions and child.

Slowing life down may benefit kids with ADHD or other behavioral disorders.

Enjoy The Process

There is no end to parenting; it is a process. 

Yet, most parents focus on the results or the lack thereof.

When we do this, we miss out on all the steps in between that are more important than any outcome.

It is a beautiful experience for parents to watch their children learn and grow. But if we’re only concerned with the perfect outcome, we will miss all the beautiful moments, or worse, turn them into miserable ones that our children will remember us for.

References

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