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“Mindful parenting is not a project to create ‘better’ or ‘optimal’ children (whatever that might mean), or to be ‘better’ or ‘optimal’ parents, but to embrace in moment-to-moment awareness as best we might the entire enterprise of parenting our children in a mutuality of love and discovery and not-knowing.”

Do mindfulness skills affect how we behave as parents? We know that mindfulness reduces stress and depression. For some, it helps to restore sleep — and a well-rested parent does a much better job than a sleepless one.

Mindfulness also offers tools to regulate emotions. We learn to react less to distress, and calm down faster.  Some mindfulness researchers and trainers believe that regulation of emotions is the key for better parenting: “A child doesn’t have a strong enough nervous system to actually have self-control and they need the extended nervous system of the parent to help regulate their nervous system over and over and over again. Thus, the parent is the extended nervous system for the child until the child can self-regulate.”

From the quantitative point of view, we do not yet understand the effects of mindful parenting. There are too few standardized courses on mindful parenting to evaluate their impact on parents and kids.

THE EFFICACY OF being a MINDFUL PARENT

A recent article evaluated 11 randomized controlled trials of mindful parenting, representing 1,340 parents from six countries. The authors could not make any firm conclusions on child behaviors, child–parent relationships or other wellbeing outcomes for the participating families. However, they showed higher parenting mindfulness scores for parents who took up the course, when compared with a control group.

Even without solid statistical proof of its efficiency, the idea of mindful parenting resonates with me.

“It is about recognizing that every moment is a special moment, and an opportunity to drop into open-hearted spaciousness and discernment, no matter what is happening.”

COMMENT AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW 

• Do you practice mindfulness with your children?

• Does it work for you – to slow down and notice what is happening with you and your child at the moment, with openness and acceptance, without judgement? 
• Check out The Bridge Membership for ALL caregivers (including parents)