Mindful Parenting 8-Week Course
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“Mindful parenting is a continual process of deepening and refining our awareness and our ability to be present and act wisely. It is not an attempt to attain a fixed goal or outcome, however worthy. An important part of this process is seeing ourselves with some degree of kindness and compassion. This includes seeing and accepting our limitation, our blindnesses, our humanness and fallibility, and working with them mindfully as best we can.”
Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn, Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting |
Class Description:
In the Mindful Parenting 8-Week Course, parents and caretakers will learn to strengthen present moment awareness and compassion in ways than can help foster deep connections within the family unit. You will learn how to identify reactive patterns without judgment and foundational mindfulness tools that can help manage stress and anxiety and foster compassion and kindness in our lives as parents.
Sessions are two hours, held once a week on Saturday mornings for eight weeks.
Each session will include a guided mindfulness meditation, self-reflection, discussions, and herbal tea.
By learning how to attune to one’s own feelings when in conflict with a child, parents learn to pause before reacting automatically and listen mindfully to a child even when in disagreement. Participants will explore themes such as parenting on “automatic pilot,” beginner’s mind parenting, responding vs. reacting to parenting stress, conflict and parenting, love and limits, and self-compassion.
This course draws upon the book Everyday Blessings by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. and the research-based Mindful Parenting Program developed by Susan Bögels and Kathleen Restifo and endorsed by Mark Williams, Christopher Germer and Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn.
This Course Includes:
- Eight weekly sessions two-hour sessions with an experienced mindfulness educator and practitioner
- A comprehensive exploration of mindful practices and parenting skills
- Handouts and Readings to enforce theme and support your learning
- Recorded Guided Meditations provided each week via email
- An opportunity to meditate, receive mindful support, and foster connection in a mindful parenting community
- Support and advice in helping you establish a personal mindfulness and meditation practice
Benefits of Mindful Parenting:
- Reduced reactivity and an increased ability to respond more skillfully to stressful situations with your children
- Increased emotional awareness and awareness of your own stress reactions
- Nurtures presence and mindful listening that allows you tune in to your child’s actual needs
- Promotes compassionate and non-judgmental awareness in your interactions
- Cultivates healthier and more satisfying relationships within the family